Tshiebwe returns to Whanganui for black-type test
Paul Vettise - Raceform • November 28th, 2025 10:18 AM • 3 min read
Promising stayer Tshiebwe has excelled on past visits to Whanganui, and trainer Allan Sharrock sees no reason why his charge won’t produce another strong performance there on Saturday.
The well-related son of Tarzino has posted a brace of wins and a runner-up finish from three runs on the River City course and is in the right order to further that tidy record when he steps out in the Listed Steelformers Roofing Group Wanganui Cup.
“He’s going the right way and we’ll put the blinkers on for Saturday, it’s been a target race for him for a while,” Sharrock told RaceForm.
“He goes well at Whanganui, he’s got a good record there which surprises me for a big, roughly gaited horse, but he gets around there all right.
“It’s a nice race for him, he’ll be on the minimum and Sam Collett will ride him so there’s a few things in our favour.”
Tshiebwe will tackle the black-type contest third-up following a dominant fresh performance to win over 1600 metres on his home track at New Plymouth and a third placing over the same trip in open company at Waverley.
“With those couple of runs under his belt, he’s ready to get up in distance a bit,” Sharrock said.
Tshiebwe has been relatively lightly raced for a six-year-old with five wins and six minor placings from 15 appearances, and his pedigree suggests he can make an impact over more ground in the summer.
“He was born to run a trip and his main goal will be the Wellington Cup, I’d love to give him a go over two miles,” Sharrock said. “There’s no reason why he won’t get it, he’s out of that Midnight Madam family.”
The Kaapstad mare won on six occasions, including victory in the Listed Great Autumn Stakes over 2500 metres, and produced the two-time Group One winner Perlin (Doomben Cup, Underwood Stakes). Midnight Madam also left Almodovar, who claimed an edition of the Listed Galilee Series Final over 2600 metres.
Meanwhile, Sharrock has Ladies Man ticking over toward another Group One target and Tisse is also on a feature-race path.
“Ladies Man will go to the Mufhasa Classic at Trentham and I’ve got my sights set on the Queen Elizabeth at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day with Tisse,” he said.
The former hit the line well for a solid last-start fourth in the Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes after suffering cardiac arrhythmia when he tailed the field home in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic.
Tisse has been in good touch this preparation and capped off three consecutive placings with a middle-distance victory under 59 kilograms at Ellerslie last month.
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