It would be hard to find a bigger fan of Gavelhouse.com than Gavin Sharrock, with the Taranaki horseman producing yet another winning graduate of the online auction platform at Hawera on Tuesday.
Sharrock purchased Spandeedo (NZ) (Ferrando) out of Rogerson Bloodstock’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Online Yearling Sale draft on Gavelhouse Plus for $5,000, and he more than repaid his purchase price when taking out the Aquashield Roofing Two-Year-Old Maiden (1100m) on Tuesday.
The two-year-old son of Ferrando has shown a lot of promise for Sharrock, however, it hasn’t been all smooth-sailing.
“I trained his half-brother, Notsomodest, by The Bold One, and he was a very good galloper but he was a weak horse, he wind-sucked and he wouldn’t eat after he galloped. But he showed enough upside that I thought I would buy his half-brother,” Sharrock said.
“He (Spandeedo) has won a lot of jumpouts, but he has been shin sore four times and that is why it has taken me a little while to get him to the races.”
Spandeedo made his debut last month when runner-up over 1100m at Waverley, and while confident in his charge ahead of his second-up run, Sharrock was wary of stakes-performed filly Sierra Leone.
“He won his last two jumpouts prior to Waverley, and he should have won their first-up, but he ran off the course a little bit, he was just a bit green and wayward,” Sharrock said.
“I was rapt with him yesterday, I didn’t think he could beat Sierra Leone because she had been in the top two-year-old races up north and she was a $1.70 favourite, but he might be a bit better than I thought.”
Stakes targets are now in the offing for Spandeedo, with Sharrock eyeing next month’s Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Otaki.
“He might have a go at the Castletown now, he doesn’t mind a bit of cut out of the track,” Sharrock said.
Spandeedo continues Sharrock’s great association with Gavelhouse, having also bought Daylight Robbery and Brave Rebel through the same sale last year.
He secured Daylight Robbery off Waikato Stud with a single bid of $10,500, while Brave Rebel was a $1,600 purchase out of Hortlinks draft.
Daylight Robbery, a son of Super Seth, was victorious in his second start last December and took Sharrock on a great ride the following month when he contested the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie, where he finished midfield.
Brave Rebel has placed in two of his four starts, and Sharrock said both are set to return to the stable following a spell in preparation for spring targets.
“Brave Rebel and Daylight Robbery have been out for two months, and they are coming back in next week,” Sharrock said.
“Daylight Robbery was a bargain, especially now that the service fee (of Super Seth’s) has gone up to $75,000. He went really well this season.
“If Daylight Robbery comes up, I will be having a go at the good ones. I think he will be better as a three-year-old than he was a two-year-old. I will aim him towards the (New Zealand 2000) Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m), but everything has to go right.”
Meanwhile, Sharrock will head to Trentham with two runners on Saturday, including Soldier Boy in the Trust House Masterton Cup (1400m) and homebred two-year-old Country Salon in the Ladies Man 2YO (1200m).
“Soldier Boy is having his second run back and I expect a bit of improvement out of him,” Sharrock said. “He stood in the gates and missed the jump by five (lengths) at his first run back at Waverley, but he has been working well.
“Country Salon is a two-year-old that I bred. I actually thought he would win at his first start at Waverley, I thought he was slightly better, but he got carved up a bit in the last 50m.” Country Salon will jump from barrier five with apprentice jockey Jim Chung aboard, while fellow apprentice Elle Sole takes the ride aboard Soldier Boy from barrier seven.