The change-up to the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival’s pinnacle race, the Stradbroke Handicap 2017, is well suited to smart mare In Her Time according to her Newcastle-based trainer Benjamin Smith.
The move from Eagle Farm to Doomben for the 2017 Stradbroke Handicap suits smart mare In Her Time. Photo: Steve Hart.
News broke this week that Saturday’s Queensland Oaks meeting and the Stradbroke Handicap Day program on June 10 would be transferred from the water-logged Eagle Farm course to Doomben Racecourse.
The move has caused plenty of heartache for some trainers and connections, especially with the $1.5 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) to run over a decreased distance.
One horseman happy with the swap is Smith who believes the move will work to the advantage of his four-year-old Time Thief mare In Her Time.
“Now they’ve moved to Doomben, it’s better for us,” Smith told AAP this week.
A winner of five of her 12 career starts to date, In Her Time is best known for completing the Group 2 Breeders Classic (1200m) – Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) double in Sydney during February.
A brave fifth when under three lengths beaten as a $19 roughie in betting at Rosehill on March 11 behind Heavens Above in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) followed and lost her few irers.
Smith gave In Her Time a freshen-up post the Coolmore Classic, bringing her back for a tough first-up run in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) on May 13.
There she finished three lengths away fifth again, this time behind the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Redzel, in a run that impressed Smith.
“It was a very good run in the 10,000. She was three-four deep the whole way with no cover,” he said of the run that saw In Her Time jump from barrier 11 of 13.
Taking improvement from the run the mare is now gearing up for a return to Doomben in the Stradbroke Handicap and Smith is pleased that she has experience at the track to take into the feature race.
“If we can draw a good alley, and back to handicap conditions, I think she’ll be much better suited,” he said.
“It was always the plan six months ago to go to the Stradbroke.”
Under the weight-for-age conditions of the Doomben 10,000 In Her Time carried 56.5kg and she will drop notably down to just 52kg in the Stradbroke Handicap weights.
Futures Stradbroke Handicap betting at Ladbrokes.com.au has Clearly Innocent ($4.40) installed as the firm pre-field favourite after the Kris Lees-trained five-year-old’s win in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) in the wet at Eagle Farm last Saturday by three lengths.
In Her Time meanwhile also sits in the first half of the all-in markets at a current quote of $15.
Smith confirmed plans to round out In Her Time’s winter campaign with a run in the $500,000 Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) on June 24, which is currently scheduled to take place at Eagle Farm.
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