In Good Time looked more like a short priced favourite than a despised outsider during the running of Saturday’s Ascot Hcp at Eagle Farm. The $56.00 “pop” bounded straight into the box seat in the Listed sprint, and was coasting behind Boomtown Lass and Emerald Kingdom approaching the hometurn.
Jockey Dale Smith adroitly angled the chestnut mare into the clear on straightening up. She clearly showed her liking for firm ground when she let down with a sparkling sprint, putting the issue beyond doubt in a few strides.
Most punters were stunned by the dominance of her win. All around the nation there was a flurry of form guides as they wondered how a mare whose form looked so average, could demoralise a pretty smart field.
More than 900kms away at Rosehill Gardens, her trainer Tracey Bartley was glued to a TV monitor trying to contain his delight and his massive relief. Less than seventy two hours earlier the popular horseman had put the five year old on a transport headed for Brisbane.
“When the weather forecast indicated continued rain in Sydney last week, I nominated her for the Brisbane sprint,” said Bartley. “She can’t go one yard in soft ground as she proved in the At Sea Hcp on a Heavy 8 at Randwick three weeks earlier. Rachel King said she was cantering coming up the rise, but floundered when she let her go.
“Out of sheer frustration I nominated for the Ascot Hcp and asked my old mate Barry Lockwood to take delivery of the mare and saddle her up on Saturday. I floated her to the M1 Motorway Twin Service Centres on Wednesday night and transferred her to the Goldner’s Horse transport.
“Barry even selected a jockey for me. He strongly recommended Dale Smith who’d been doing a lot of riding for his stable in recent months. He explained that Dale is a West Aussie who rode in Victoria for twenty years before settling in Brisbane a couple of years ago. He said nobody would ride the mare better, and how right he was. It was a ten out of ten ride.”
Image courtesy Trackside Photography - Experienced jockey Dale Smith was recommended for the ride on In Good Time by caretaker trainer Barry Lockwood.
Tracey Bartley is still haunted by memories of the freakish accident last September which almost ended In Good Time’s racing career. He was occupied in his Wyong stables when a distraught member of his staff breathlessly informed him that the mare had suffered a terrible injury in the nearby swimming pool.
“I ran over to see In Good Time scrambling up the side wall out of the pool, with a shocking gash on the front of the off fore leg,” said Tracey. “She’d always had a tendency to rush into the water, but on this occasion she panicked for some reason. She got the foreleg over her handler’s pole which sent her right off.
“She climbed the wall, smashing a tile in the process and the jagged edge of that tile sliced the front of the leg to the bone just below the knee. We could clearly see the exposed bone. It was a sickening sight.”
In Good Time had completely severed the extensor flexor tendon of the off fore leg. The extensor’s main function when a horse is in motion, is to pull the toe forward to enable the horse to land flush on the foot. Thanks to the wonders of nature, a horse with this particular injury can learn to compensate as In Good Time proved so conclusively on Saturday.
“We left it entirely up to the experts who prescribed a cast from the fetlock joint to the knee, and total stable confinement,” said Bartley. “She was boxed for almost ten weeks. You had to feel sorry for her, but her amazing temperament made such a difference. She eventually learned to get herself up and down on three legs.
“She laid down and rested for much of each day and not once did she get aggravated. We were also very fortunate that she was able to ward off infection.
“After ten weeks the plaster cast was replaced by a thick wrap and she was allowed into a small yard where she could start to exercise herself. She then graduated to a larger yard where she was walked every day by a handler for a period of one month, followed by another month in an aqua walker. You could see her getting better every day.”
The Wyong regulars couldn’t believe their eyes when In Good Time reappeared on the training track several months later. It wasn’t until she got up to a working gallop that Tracey realised the injury had changed her action slightly. “She was coming back a little too far with the off fore and “scalping” slightly above the off hind coronet,” he said. “Thankfully we were able to correct the problem by using square toe shoes in front.”
The five year old mare has raced only twenty two times for seven wins, three placings and $334,000 in prize money - impressive figures for a filly purchased out of a South Coast paddock for $10,000. Tracey takes up the story.
“My friend and valued client Gerard Maher had asked me to look for something at a sensible price he could race with friends,” said Bartley “I was visiting retired trainer Bernie Howlett who hadn’t long moved from Kembla Grange to a property further down the coast.
“Bernie casually mentioned a two year old filly he had in the paddock by Time Thief out of Turbo Rose, a daughter of Strategic. She was very correct, very athletic and you could tell her temperament was exceptional.
“We took her off Bernie’s hands for $10,000 and Gerard quickly put together a group of mates to join him in the ownership under the name of the I’m Your Huckleberry Syndicate. How do you think they were feeling after she’d reeled off six straight wins including the listed Denise’s Joy Stakes at the Scone carnival.”
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - In Good Time wins the listed Denise's Joy Stakes at Scone 2018 - One of three on the day for Tracey Bartley.
Tracey decided to campaign the mare in Victoria in the spring of 2018. She had four runs for a 4th in a Gr 3 at Caulfield and a third in a listed event at Geelong. Following a “freshen” she finished second in a BM78 at Rosehill, after which Tracey opted to put her away for a few weeks.
In Good Time wasn’t at her best through the 2019 autumn carnival, failing to place in four races all at group level. She went a little bit better during the Brisbane winter, when she contested three listed races and was actually placed in the Chief De Beers. The chestnut mare was returned to NSW and turned out for a spell on the Central Coast. Who could have imagined the disaster that would lie ahead!
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Matthew Cahill gives Tracey a full report after the Denise's Joy Stakes 2018.
Ten months after the freakish swimming pool incident, the five year old could be about to produce her best form despite the ugly mass of scar tissue just below her off knee. Tracey intends to leave her with Barry Lockwood who may opt for a lead up race before the listed Ramornie Hcp at Grafton on July 8th. “In the absence of a suitable race, she’ll certainly have a strong barrier trial before the $200,000 Grafton feature,” says Bartley.
The amiable trainer is delighted to have one of the team competing successfully at stakes level again. It’s a reminder of his exciting journey with Sniper’s Bullet a few years ago - a journey that saw the hardy gelding post eight wins and eighteen placings for $2.6 million in prize money. The son of Bite The Bullet won three Gr 1’s and was placed in another three.
Tracey turned to training in 2000 when a race fall at Narromine ended his very successful riding career. He’d ridden for twenty years, posting a very impressive 1175 winners. He rode at a postage stamp weight for his entire career, which often earned him a light ride in Group 1 races in Sydney. He weighed 36kgs when he rode his first winner in 1981 and struggled to carry the saddle to the weighing room.
Tracey hit a major hurdle in 2006 when diagnosed with stomach cancer. “It frightened the daylights out of me, but early detection saved the day and I was able to get on top of it,” he said. “Thankfully I’ve had no further problems.”
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Tracey and Travis Wolfgram after Miss Redoble's Provincial Championship Qualifier win at Kembla 2019.
After ten years of training from a Mudgee base which included the heady Sniper’s Bullet days, the talented horseman made the move to the rapidly expanding Wyong precinct. He rarely has more than twenty horses in work which is his preferred number. Apart from In Good Time he has a few other promising horses in his care currently.
Tracey is very upbeat about the much improved Tolemac, winner of three from his last four starts. “He’s getting better all the time, loves a wet track and will be effective through the winter months,” he said.
Miss Redoble is a genuine five year old mare who’s been placed in the city at her last two starts. “I’m looking at the Coffs Harbour Cup with this mare next month. Obviously she’ll have a run or two before that,” said the trainer.
Moana Jewel is an improving Ocean Park mare who won a Provincial Championship qualifier before running a great second to Through The Cracks in the final. “Kerrin McEvoy was wrapped in her run at Randwick. She’s had a little break and is with the pre trainer right now,” says Tracey.
Bare Naked Lady is a lovely little mare who’s already posted three wins and six placings from only sixteen starts. She had a couple of issues last preparation and had to be turned out prematurely. “She’s in pre training and will be back in the stable shortly,” said Bartley. “She’ll be very competitive in her class this time in.”
Tracey has a lot of time for a two year old filly called Bedazzle. “She’s had only three starts so far for a good win at Dubbo,” he said. “Nothing went right for her in the Inglis Challenge at Scone, after which I turned her out.
She’ll do a job down the track.”
Finally a four year old I Am Invincible gelding described by Tracey as the most overweight racehorse he’s ever seen. “Defeat is on a special diet and I can’t possibly work him any harder,” he said. “I just can’t get the weight off him. He’s already won four provincial races despite being half fit. I’ll just keep chipping away.”
In the meantime Tracey can be very pleased with his decision to switch In Good Time to the firmer tracks currently prevailing in Brisbane. A win at stakes level is pleasing at any time. It’s even better when a well-conceived plan happens to come off. Next stop Grafton!
(Banner image courtesy Trackside Photography - In Good Time defeats Bandipur and Scallopini in the Ascot Hcp at Eagle Farm.)