Sinsational camp keeps eye on Evan

THE PLANETS are hardly aligning for Shez Sinsational’s No 1 target of the season but a sizzling gallop by the pin-up mare yesterday left trainer Allan Sharrock confident she can still lift Wednesday’s $200,000 Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie.

For the second time in as many starts, Shez Sinsational drew the outside gate when the fields closed yesterday for the Boxing Day weight-for-age classic.

But Sharrock knows his mare can cope with that – after her storming late run to win the Cal Isuzu Stakes at Te Rapa.

Sharrock is more concerned about the imminent arrival of the remnants of cyclone Evan, which caused the MetService to yesterday issue a severe weather watch for Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Gisborne.

It was expected the Samoan killer, which has dissipated into a big low, would lie near Northland late tomorrow, then move into the northern Tasman Sea late Christmas Eve and early Christmas Day.

‘‘I hoped it might have arrived already, so the track would have time to dry out,’’ Sharrock said yesterday.

‘‘We just don’t get to see the real Shez Sinsational unless the track is firm but Butch (ARC racing manager Butch Castles) tells me the course will be able to take 40mls and still recover because it is very humid.’’

Sharrock said all was not lost, however, if the surface didn’t completely recover.

‘‘She won the Auckland Cup on a rain-affected track and she actually won the Hollindale Cup on the Gold Coast last year on a heavy track, where they ran their last 600 metres in 40. But that gutted her for the rest of the season.

‘‘So she can handle it a little wet but there’s no denying she’s better on top of the ground and rain would just bring the others up to her.

‘‘ But she’s really thrilled me with the way she’s done since Te Rapa, and her work this morning was enormous.’’

Working on the outside of the course proper at New Plymouth, Shez Sinsational galloped over 1600 metres, getting serious for the last 1200.

‘‘She ran 36.6 which was the morning.’’

Shez Sinsational was now at her perfect fighting weight, Sharrock said.

‘‘I left a twist in her before Te Rapa and she’s now spot on at 486kg, which is exactly the same weight she was when she won on Melbourne Cup day at Ellerslie.

‘‘I’ve got her very well, it’s all in the lap of the ( weather) gods now.’’

Sharrock looks on side of the nine alley.

‘‘At least we won’t get hemmed away in a pocket and can get going when we like.’’

The barrier draw and the weather are the same two factors which will influence whether cotrainer Donna Logan starts unbeaten filly Habibi against her own sex on Boxing day, or takes on the boys.

Logan took out some insurance by accepting for both the $100,000 Great Northern Guineas and the fillies’ race, the $ 100,000 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic. for her last quickest of

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Logan said she was leaning towards a start against the boys, the opposition looking slightly easier.

But drawing the outside gate, 14, in the Guineas, and the uncertainty of the weather has left her in a quandary which won’t be sorted until 7.30am on raceday.

While more of the fillies might be inconvenienced by a wet track, Logan says with rain forecast for Boxing Day it just might be that the outside draws would be the place to be if the track really opened up.

Habibi, who is three from three, and created a real impression when winning last time at Ellerslie, is not expected to have any trouble with the conditions, no matter what they are.

‘‘The way she’s worked up on wetter ground tells me she’ll be fine,’’ Logan said. ‘‘She’s very versatile.’’

Habibi also won a trial at Ellerslie in May on a heavy track.

‘‘ Her work this morning was fantastic. She went 1400 metres in company and got to the line very strongly. She’s thriving.’’

Feature races at Ellerslie Wednesday:

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