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Allan Sharrock only needs to think back 12 months to gain all the confidence he needs going into Saturday's Listed Woburn Farm Tauranga Classic (1400m).
The New Plymouth trainer had contemplated lining up his emerging winter star Art Deco in the weight-for-age fillies and mares features against the top-billing pair of Underthemoonlight and New York Minute after two third placings at her lead-up runs, one of them beating home New York Minute.
However, he took the easier option of tackling the Rating 85 sprint and was left wondering if he had made the right choice after the Road To Rock mare cruised to a 3 3/4-length win, clocking 38.16 seconds for her final 600m split, a sectional that ranked favourably alongside Underthemoonlight's last 600m of 39.51 in winning the Tauranga Classic.
"I did think about it and I talked to [co-owner] Bill Gleeson about it but she would have been out of her grade, racing those mares on level weights and we felt it wasn't the right thing to do," Sharrock said.
"She won in her grade and ran a quicker last sectional, albeit she was at 1200m and they went 1400m. We'll see how she measures up this year. She's a bloody good mare and we're positive she can run well."
With Underthemoonlight and New York Minute returning for Saturday's Tauranga Classic and both presenting at the top of their game, Art Deco is facing just as stern a task as she would have last year.
Last-start Listed Rotorua Stakes winner Tomelilla and stablemate Deals In Heels, who went within a whisker of beating Underthemoonlight at Te Rapa a fortnight ago, add to the depth of a strong edition of the race but Sharrock has unerring faith in his mare, who once won a race by 16 lengths.
"I couldn't have her better. The blinkers go on and we're just hoping she can find chinks in the armour of the others," Sharrock said.
"She probably should have won second-up but Wiremu [Pinn, stable apprentice] was sitting there like he was on Black Caviar rather than really going for her, but then her run was a typical second-up run too."
A winner of six of her 19 starts, Art Deco will have Johnathan Parkes aboard on Saturday.
TAB bookmakers opened her on the fifth line of betting at $6.50 behind Underthemoonlight at $2.90, New York Minute at $3.30, Deals In Heals at $4.80 and Tomelilla at $5.20.
Safely through Saturday's race, Sharrock said Art Deco would head to the Listed Powerworx Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth on July 21 and if her form warranted it she could earn a late entry for the Gr.3 eStar Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton in August.
