The well fancied In Her Time has been scratched on vet’s advice from the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington today.
The scratching of In Her Time has seen her Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown snapped up by James Cummings to ride Impending who was left without a rider after Hugh Bowman was suspended for careless riding on Melbourne Cup Day.
The field for the Darley Classic will now see thirteen sprinters do battle down the famous Flemington straight.
The three time Group 1 placed In Her Time was well in the betting at $7.50 for the Darley Classic with Ladbrokes.com.au who now have The Everest winner Redzel as the $4 favourite just ahead of the Lindsay Park trained Vega Magic and Team Hawkes’ grey flash Chautauqua who share the second line of betting at $5.50.
Trainer Ben Smith said that he had In Her Time primed to win a maiden Group 1 trophy following her last start head second to Hey Doc in the Group 1 $1m Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on October 27.
In Her Time was also runner up behind Impending in the Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) followed by a third behind Tycoon Tara and Prompt Response , both at Doomben, during the 2017 Brisbane Winter Carnival.
“Extremely disappointing not be Racing today, it was a hard decision to make, but as In Her Time wasn’t quite one hundred percent the welfare of the horse is our priority. She will have a little spell now and return bigger and stronger in the autumn,” Smith said on twitter.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Redzel is chasing his sixth win on the trot and is coming off a sensational win in the $10m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 14.
“I feel there is another good run in him and looking at him, you wouldn’t know he has had the racing he has had,” co-trainer Peter Snowden told the Herald Sun.
“He is in great order.
“I thought I had him as good as I could possibly get him on Everest day, and he ran accordingly. I think that month between runs (the Everest and the Darley) has been ideal for him. He trialled very well a fortnight ago down the straight, and his work on Tuesday has been excellent.”