3 minute read
Allan Sharrock’s New Plymouth stable has been firing on all cylinders in recent weeks, and rising star mare Islington Lass will attempt to extend that hot run in Saturday’s Gr.3 Life Direct Trentham Stakes (2100m).
Sharrock sits in fourth place on the New Zealand trainers' premiership with 34 wins this season, and 16 of those victories have come since December 5. That includes black-type successes with Ladies Man in the Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham on December 7 and Islington Lass in the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) at the same venue on December 21, while Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) contender Almakeitgood placed in the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day.
"The stable's been going pretty well over the holiday period," Sharrock said. "We've got some nice horses around us at the moment and hopefully we can keep our good run going for a bit longer yet."
Sharrock is following a familiar formula in his attempt to continue his winning form in Saturday's Trentham Stakes. He has won three of the last four runnings of the race with Our Hail Mary (2021), Waisake (2022) and Ladies Man (2023), while Waisake also placed in both 2023 and 2024.
Islington Lass goes into the $150,000 feature as the winner of eight of her 16 starts and more than $249,000 in stakes. Her five visits to Trentham have produced three wins, including the Listed Rangitikei Cup (1600m) in May and an impressive performance in last month's Manawatu Cup.
"I thought it was a great effort to win the Manawatu Cup last time out," Sharrock said. "I gave her an easy week after that race and I've been happy enough with how she's been working up since then.
"I think she'll run well again on Saturday. She likes Wellington and is well suited to the set weights and penalties conditions of this race."
Despite her rating of 99 being the second highest in the Trentham Stakes field, Islington Lass will carry only 54kg. The Proisir mare will be ridden by Michael McNab and holds $3.20 favouritism in the TAB's Final Field market, just ahead of Group One winner and topweight Campionessa at $3.90.
Sharrock suggested that the Trentham Stakes is likely to be the final start of the summer for Islington Lass.
"I can see this being her last run before we put her out for a little break," he said. "We'll bring her back for the autumn with a focus on some good fillies and mares' races like the Travis Stakes (Gr.2, 2000m) and Manawatu Breeders' Stakes (Gr.3, 2000m)."
Islington Lass headlines a two-pronged Trentham team for Sharrock, who is also expecting a bold showing from Bridal Train in the Belclare Superstar (1400m). The four-year-old daughter of U S Navy Flag has been close up in fourth in both of her first two runs of this campaign, and the TAB rates her a $3.10 favourite for the opening race on Saturday's card.
