In Her Time taking hot form into Coolmore Classic for Ben Smith
NEWCASTLE conditioner Ben Smith will head to Rosehill Gardens on Saturday with dreams of landing his first group 1 victory when the consistent In Her Time lines up in the Coolmore Classic (1500m).
The lightly-raced four-year-old comes into the event in sensational form, having won both the Group 2 Breeders Classic (1200m) and the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) last month, with Smith elated with her recent success.
“We are rapt with the way she has come back – she has just kept improving this time in and I think spacing her runs out a bit seems to really help her,” Smith told HorseBetting.com.au.
“We are having a go at the 1500m for the first time this week – it’s unchartered territory, but we felt now was as good a time as any to see if she could get the distance.
“If she can, it definitely opens up a lot more doors for her rather than just sprinting.
“She might be a little bit susceptible late, but she will give a good sight and hopefully she can handle the step up.”
The daughter of Time Thief and Hell It’s Hot will take on a stellar line-up this Saturday, including Chris Waller’s super performer Omei Sword and the classy Global Glamour.
Smith believes barrier 10 is ideal for his charge and says he will leave the crucial decisions up to jockey Josh Parr when the gates fly open.
“There looks to be a lot of speed drawn outside her, so whether they decide to sit off her or she can sit behind them – I’ll leave that up to Josh.
“She is a pretty versatile horse – she can do it either way – but I would expect her to settle in the first four or five.”
Smith says the bonny mare has come a long way since winning on debut at Canterbury back in September 2015 after maturing and sorting out some problems which were holding her back.
“Last year when she was going in the Stakes races she probably wasn’t quite ready and she pulled up with cardiac arrhythmia a couple of times,” he said.
“Also, Randwick at that stage was very bottomless – they had a lot of rain during the carnival.
“There was definitely a lot of excuses for her – but she is going really well now.”
Despite Rosehill currently rated a Heavy 8 for Saturday’s meeting, Smith also said he doesn’t expect the wet track to be a problem.
“There is probably a bit of a misconception with her and wet tracks.
“She has trialled on wet tracks before and gone quite well – she has proven she has been able to get through it.
“As long as she can get a bit of firm footing I don’t think it will be an issue.”
It has been a whirlwind ride to the top for Smith, who has just nine horses in work and is only in his sixth season as a trainer.
Remarkably, In Her Time also gave the 35-year-old his first city win and his first group triumph, ensuring she has a special place in his heart for many years to come.
“She won on debut at Canterbury and after that win we decided to see how far she could go, but I could have never have imagined back then that we would be lining up in a group 1 race.
“I love my racing and I have a lot of respect for all trainers and horses out there – so it is very humbling to have your name up there sitting next to some of the great trainers and horses who have won the same group races before.
“It is something I will never forget and later on in life it is going to be something I am able to reflect on.”
However, a group 1 victory would be a life-changing experience for the Novocastrian, who says he is trying to stay focused on preparing his star mare rather than reflecting on the occasion.
“It would be amazing to win – but I haven’t really thought about it – everything this week has been concentrating on making sure we get her right and making sure she is spot on.
“After the two group 2 wins it has settled me down a bit and allowed me to relax a bit so I can try to enjoy it more.
“I honestly haven’t had a chance to sit down and think about it – but once I start driving down the M1 I am sure the nerves will start to kick in.
“It is a group 1 so anything can happen, but we are going into it with a very fit, tough horse that is drawn perfectly so I think we are going in with a genuine chance.”
The $600,000 Group 1 Coolmore Classic is race seven at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday and is set to jump at 4.15pm.
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