Stradbroke Handicap 2017: Smith hopes In Her Time can lift spirits after death of part-owner

EMOTIONS will run high if Newcastle mare In Her Time can win Saturday’s $1.5m Stradbroke at Doomben.

EMOTIONS will run high if Newcastle mare In Her Time can win Saturday’s $1.5 million Stradbroke, with trainer Ben Smith hoping for some divine intervention.

Connections of the mare are grieving after the death of part-owner Mark McDonald on Wednesday night, following a battle with cancer. Even as recently as four weeks ago, McDonald had planned to watch In Her Time in the Doomben 10,000.

NATHAN’S RACEBOOK: DOOMBEN PREVIEW

HOT TIPS: WEEKEND BEST BETS

MOODY ON TRAIN TO NEW LIFE

“He was looking forward to coming up and watching the 10,000, but then he got a bit of the flu and went into hospital,” Smith said. “He got back out for a short time, but he went back in 10 days ago and sadly that was it.

“Hopefully at the furlong he can give her a second wind and push her home.”

Trainer Ben Smith says In Her Time has improved ‘lengths’ since the Doomben 10,000. Picture: Mark Scott

Smith has tipped In Her Time to improve “lengths” on her Doomben 10,000 fifth, where she was forced to race wide. He is hoping for better luck on Saturday, despite another outside barrier.

“We’ve got plenty of time from the 1350m start. I would love to be in the one-one, but even three wide with cover would be OK,” he said.

“It rained all Saturday morning on 10,000 day. Josh Parr said her wheels started spinning on the turn but once she got balanced up, she got going again. She’s improved lengths on that.”

The Stradbroke is shaping as an epic betting contest as it heads to Doomben for the second time in three years.

The transfer was ordered after Eagle Farm failed to measure up on Kingsford Smith Stakes day and an investigation is being headed by former VRC CEO Dale Monteith on the best path forward for the venue. Eagle Farm is likely to be out of action until at least the new year.

In Her Time will go forward from a wide draw in the Stradbroke.

The shift of venue has failed to dampen the enthusiasm of punters, whose opinions are divided among a host of chances.

Clearly Innocent continued to ease on Friday, as support rolled in for Mackintosh, Burning Front and Ulmann. Burning Front was into $10 on Friday after going up $19 after the draw.

Mackintosh is trying to buck history in winning the Stradbroke first-up, but that hasn’t deterred punters from tipping in.

“If the money trail keeps going the way it has, he could even start favourite,” UBET’s Gerard Daffy said. “They have dropped right off Clearly Innocent.”

Champion trainer Chris Waller holds a strong hand in the Stradbroke, one of the few feature races he is yet to win in Queensland.

Waller’s three runners are Counterattack, Mackintosh and Good Project and on Friday he ranked his opinion on their chances in that order, noting Counterattack was unlucky not to beat Mackintosh last September.

Clearly Innocent has continued to drift in betting for the Stradbroke.

“You have to stick with Counterattack because of race form and fitness,” he said on Radio TAB. “He’s got WFA form behind the right horses. He’s only 1kg above a lot of the horses and he gets in really well. No excuses (Saturday) from barrier two.”

Mackintosh’s jockey Kerrin McEvoy feels he is on a horse that can continue his golden run in the sunshine state, having won five of the past 14 Group 1 races run in Queensland.

“I want to get a nice spot about midfield and he’s got a good finish this horse. He has blinkers first time, I just need the gaps to open when I need them,” McEvoy said. “He’s going well and if there’s anything to upset the favourite, it could be my horse.”

Originally published as Stradbroke Handicap 2017: Smith hopes In Her Time can lift spirits after death of part-owner