Art Deco is all rage
UNLIKE the wild, dank weather that has dogged the meeting, the Opunake Cup is full of bright prospects.
Originally down to run yesterday, the meeting has been rescheduled to run today adding to a string of race meetings across the country badly affected by stormy weather.
Friday’s meeting at Te Aroha was abandoned due to wind damage to a grandstand and rescheduled to be run tomorrow.
Sunday’s abandoned Oamaru meeting has been rescheduled to next Wednesday after flooding hit the course and improvement in the dismal weather will be needed if the meeting is to proceed.
There will be no change to the originally-released fields and all scratchings have been re-instated at all meetings.
Heading the bright prospects in the New Plymouth feature is A mare trained on the track, Art Deco.
Despite the Allan Sharrocktrained galloper being on open class debut in the $65,000 Listed 1400m race, her trainer has her ‘‘right where I want her’’.
‘‘This is the race we’ve set her for,’’ Sharrock said.
The master trainer has been at the New Plymouth track for around 30-odd years and reports that ‘‘it’s the wettest I’ve seen it’’.
‘‘The rain has stopped now and hopefully the water will soak away - we were no show of running the meeting today [Saturday].
The positive for Sharrock is a reasonable race day forecast and that his Road To Rock mare will revel in the conditions.
‘‘She will love it,’’ he said. ‘‘She runs well at home and she’s spot on and it’s our chance to get some black-type with her.’’ RACE IMAGES
Lisa Allpress rides the $3.50 favourite, odds Sharrock considers a ‘‘bit skinny’’.
‘‘But punters are well aware of her sectionals at Tauranga [quickest on the day].’’
The step from 1200m to 1400m will suit and Sharrock believes 1600m will be her pet distance in future.
‘‘We’ve kept her at 1200 in this campaign but safely through this race we’ll look at stepping her to 1600 with races like the Merial Metric Mile [Awapuni, September 16]
or Taranaki Breeders [Hawera, October 14] under consideration.’’
TAB odds-setter Thad Taylor can’t stop the flood of money for Art Deco.
‘‘They’ve got stuck in,’’ he said. ‘‘The money suggests it will win with the ease it won with at Tauranga.’’
Others in the market are last year’s winner Longchamp ($4.20), locally-trained New York Minute ($4.20) and last year’s runner-up North And South ($8.50).
Overlooked in the market is a horse that will simply love the saturated track, the rugged campaigner Taurus ($18) from the Evan and JJ Rayner stable at Wanganui.
Placed in two of the last three runnings, the 8-year-old has been building perfectly to this year’s edition with placings behind New York Minute and Dolcetto.
It’s 10 years since a favourite won the Opunake Cup and Taurus with his luxury weight of 56.5kg could be this year’s upsetter.
It’s several seasons and a bunch of races since he carried such a light weight and he has his most successful jockey in his 10-win career, Jonathan Riddell in the saddle.