Everest debate futile: Smith
NEWCASTLE trainer Ben Smith doesn’t want to enter into the debate as to whether his mare In Her Time would have won The Everest two weeks ago if she was in it.
In Her Time, who contests the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley tomorrow night, was in the mix to gain a slot for $10 million in The Everest but in the finish had to settle for first emergency status.
She won the race before The Everest, which was a $500,000 consolation race with a first prize of $288,750 rather than the $5.8 million of the main race.
In Her Time carved out her 1200m in 1min 08.26sec – 10 seconds quicker than Redzel in The Everest.
“I can’t dwell on that. The reality is that she missed out on a slot,” Smith said.
“Other horses had better proposals to work out deals with the slot holders.
“It didn’t happen. She still won a $500,000 race so it wasn’t too bad.”
Smith said In Her Time’s main aim has been the Group 1 Manikato Stakes.
The lightly raced five-yearold mare’s emergence this year as one of the land’s best sprinters has surprised her trainer.
From her past 10 starts she’s won six races, including three at Group 2 level.
Last winter in Brisbane she finished second in The Stradbroke and third in the Tatts Tiara, both at Group 1.
“Late last year she won a Benchmark 78 at Canterbury and I thought that would be it, then she won a Group 2 race but she’s just kept raising the bar.
“She was unlucky in those Group 1 races. She’s at that level so she’s got to compete against those horses every start and they’re not easy races.”
Smith, 35, has been a trainer for five years and said In Her Time has put him on the map.
“When I started I had to make up horses so I could get a licence,” the Newcastle-based trainer said.
“Like any young guy I didn’t have many horses and I went from one horse to two horses and gradually got more. In recent times I’ve managed to go from nine boxes to 15.”
Smith said In Her Time’s jockey Corey Brown told him that she handled trackwork at Moonee Valley at Breakfast With The Best as if she’d been to the circuit before although she hadn’t.
“She’s been an absolute gem for me.”