According to veteran trainer Trevor Hardy, it was ‘about time’ that fellow veteran Aheadofhistime broke through for his eighth career victory.
A star sprinter in his younger days, the now seven-year-old made a name for himself in Queensland before arriving in Hardy’s stable in late 2020.
Soon enough, he was making his mark on the Northern Rivers, winning the $50,000 Daniel Baker Memorial Sprint (1205m) at Coffs Harbour in 2021.
Later that year, he gained a start in the $1.3 million The Kosciusko, finishing a game seventh to Art Cadeau.
He rediscovered that good form late last year, winning the $80,000 Port Macquarie Sprint (1200m).
After that win, he raced in Open Class company without much luck and went 15 starts without a victory.
His luck changed on Friday, with Hardy stepping Aheadofhistime up in the distance to win the $40,000 Kempsey Cup (1450m).
After starting slowly from barrier eight, Matthew Palmer rode the Coffs Harbour galloper hard and wide as the pair travelled three deep for most of the race.
Peeling four-wide when turning for home, Aheadofhistime ($21) dug deep and finished over the top of the Colt Prosser-trained Little Prophet (Luke Rolls, $4) to win by a long-neck, while three-quarters of a length away in third was the Ross Stitt-trained Casirina (Jenny Duggan, $3.40).
Hardy was thrilled with the result and believed the soft seven surface was the key to his gelding’s good win.
“I wasn’t overly confident, but I thought he could run a good race because he likes the soft going; we had been waiting for a soft track for 12 months,” Hardy said.
“At his last 15 starts, he won on a soft five, and the rest of the time, he’s been racing on good threes and good fours, and he jars up a bit on those harder tracks.
It was an impressive win for a galloper that has always oozed ability.
“He had no right to win,” Hardy laughed.
“He missed the kick and had to go right around them, and he was three and four deep, and he still beat them.”
Hardy said the extra distance now suited his Deep Field gelding, which is becoming a ‘little easier to ride’ with more age.
“Just getting him up in the distance helps,” Hardy said.
“Because he over races, and he can be a bit hard to ride, we had been running him in 1100 and 1200 metre races, and he would always get back and fly home.
“Plus, he always seems to draw terrible barriers, and if he is the sort of horse that sees too much daylight, he just keeps pulling.
“We’ve sorted him out now, and he has a new bit and ear muffs on him, and that’s settled him, and now he seems to settle enough where we can get him over a bit more ground.”
At 82 years of age, Hardy is one of the oldest trainers in NSW and only trained for fun these days, but he has loved the journey Aheadofhistime has taken him on.
“I love him; he’s a good horse, and I don’t think I’ve ever clocked a horse faster than him in the last 40-odd years,” Hardy said.
“I got him to have a bit of fun with, and I am getting a bit older, and I was just after something to train, and while he pulls a bit on race day, he is a nice quiet one, and he’s easy enough to handle.
“He had won $70,000 when I got him, and now he is up around the $240,000, so he’s done a good job.”
Now that Aheadofhistime is proven over more ground, Hardy is considering his options ahead of an assortment of County Cups.
“He is pretty sound and likes his racing,” Hardy said.
“He doesn’t like the dry tacks, but I look after him, and we’ll go to Ballina on Friday and see what happens there.
“He is due for a few weeks off, but I might send him up to Brisbane to have another run up there, spell him up there, and then bring him back for those Country Cups.
“He is definitely up to that standard, and you’ve got the Big Dance, so we might look at the South Grafton Cup or a race like that if he’s still going as good as he is now.”
Aheadofhistime was set to go around at Ballina on Friday in the Open Handicap (1400m), with Palmer again in the saddle.
