Mare’s time for a Tiara
UNDETERRED by another wide barrier, trainer Ben Smith is confident In Her Time will be more like Srikandi and Melito than Streama or Mid Summer Music in Saturday’s Tatts Tiara.
In Her Time is coming off a stellar run in the Stradbroke, where she was gunned down late by Impending after enduring a wide run throughout.
Josh Parr takes over from Dean Yendall and his task looks equally tough after In Her Time drew 16. If the emergencies come out, she will jump from 13 – one worse than she did in the Stradbroke.
Smith just wants Parr to get the mare travelling sweetly and one silver lining was that some other speed runners like Bonny O’Reilly and Egyptian Symbol drew outside her.
The question for punters is which historical precedent will In Her Time run to?
Since the Tiara was elevated to Group 1 status in 2007, there have been 11 fillies and mares that ran in it after finishing top five in the Stradbroke, with Nova Star, Absolut Glam, Melito and Srikandi all winning.
Equally though, there have been some flops, with Gold Edition, Beaded and Streama all beaten favourites in the Tiara after eyecatching Stradbroke placings.
“It was disappointing to get run down in the Stradbroke but she’s pulled up the best she’s ever done,” Smith said.
“The jury was out whether she was up to Group 1 class but she’s proven she is after her Stradbroke run.”
STEWARDS yesterday suspended promising Toowoomba apprentice Baylee Nothdurft for three months, but set him a challenge that may allow him to return to the saddle earlier.
Nothdurft had a total of 69 bets on thoroughbred races among an assortment of wagers on other codes of racing in a UBET account under his own name.
“If he wasn’t riding, he’d have a punt,” Chief Steward Allan Reardon said.
“It looks like he was getting out of control. There were a lot of bets.”
Reardon indicated the penalty could be reduced to two months if Nothdurft seeks to have counselling on his betting activities.
“If he can show us he’s taken steps to get help and mend his ways, we will revisit the penalty,” Reardon said. “It’s up to him now.” There were no bets in Nothdurft’s transactions that related to a race in which he rode.
“I have let a lot of people down and have been naive and stupid and made poor choices. I feel deeply sorry,” Nothdurft said.