The New Plymouth trainer, who most recently guided the career of the glamour
mare and multiple Group One winner Shez Sinsational, was reaching for
superlatives after the colt had won his Trentham debut on Saturday by a
widening five and a-quarter lengths."I've had some very, very good horses and he's right up there with the best of them," Sharrock said.
"He can only improve as he's a big, green baby. He's had a few minor issues and growing pains so we've treated him with kid gloves."
Sharrock was worried about the rain-affected track at Trentham, but The Bold One showed his quality and cantered home in the Bounding Cup Maiden under Jonathan Riddell.
"I was very concerned, but thankfully it was the first race," he said. "I'm quite relieved – I did expect that although he probably won more comprehensively than I expected.
"There is the option of the Cambridge Breeders' Stakes now and that might be throwing him to the wolves a bit, but I'll talk the owners and it could be an option."
By Fastnet Rock out of the dual Group One winner The Jewel, The Bold One was bred by the Dennis brothers who race the colt with a syndicate that includes Taranaki owner Eddie Bourke.
"The boys rang Eddie and in 20 years or more they can't remember one from the family winning over 1000 metres," Sharrock said.
"He's obviously a potential stallion and I think he'll be a 2000 metre horse – he'll be a magnificent four-year-old."
The Bold One joined Sharrock's Taranaki team after he had failed to meet his $490,000 reserve at Karaka in 2012. – NZ Racing Desk.
