Justaskme approaching retirement

[Wandering Eyes]

Retirement is beckoning Justaskme, who will have his final home track outing at New Plymouth on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

The career of the remarkable winter performer Justaskme is winding down, while his fellow stablemate Ladies Man faces a pivotal moment in his quest for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).

Both horses, trained by Allan Sharrock, will lineup at their home track in New Plymouth on Saturday.

Justaskme’s illustrious winter career has seen him secure a dozen wins, including at Group Two level. However, his success has come at a cost, as he has struggled with increasing weights. Sharrock acknowledges that Justaskme’s appearance on Saturday in a handicap race is likely his last, as carrying 63.5kg has become too challenging.

Sharrock explained, “I’ve talked openly with the handicapper, and it’s nearly all over when you’ve got 63.5kg. It’s becoming time to pull the pin because it’s just too tough; his career could be curtailed shortly.”

Despite a gallant fourth-place finish under 61kg in the Group 3 Winter Cup (1600m) in his last outing, Justaskme’s weight will be reduced to 59.5kg on Saturday due to Toni Davies’ claim. However, Sharrock recognizes that even with the reduced weight and a claiming apprentice jockey, Justaskme faces a formidable challenge against the competition.

Sharrock outlined the limited options left for Justaskme, saying, “The Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) and the Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m), in which he finished runner-up last season, are the only future options for Justaskme.”

He added, “That’s all I’ve got left, and there’s no point bringing him back next winter to run in one weight-for-age race at Wanganui (Listed, AGC Training Stakes, 1600m). He will probably be retired, and that’s sad. He has been a great ride and won more than $460,000 as basically a wet track handicapper, so he has done us all proud.”

On the other hand, Ladies Man has shown promise and recently resumed with a strong third-place finish over 1200m. Sharrock is optimistic about his performance, even though he faces challenges from a wide gate with the rail out.

Sharrock revealed, “His first major target is the Metric Mile (Group 3, 1600m) on Saturday week. All going well, Ladies Man will take aim at the Livamol Classic on October 14, and his performance at Hastings will decide whether he crosses the Tasman.”

He emphasized the importance of Ladies Man’s performance at Hastings, saying, “I’ve made no secret to the owners that he probably has to run top three or four to warrant going over for a Melbourne Cup. You have to have dreams and aspirations, and I’m with them to have a crack. I couldn’t be happier with the horse’s condition, and he’s bigger and stronger now.”

At New Plymouth, Sharrock has a number of runners in action, with Ideal and debutante Branzenbelle identified as his best chances. Ideal, set to race over a mile, showed promise with a late ground finish for fifth in his previous outing, while Branzenbelle, who won her only official trial, is a promising debutante.

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