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Emerging trotter Worth Waiting continued her promising rise on Saturday night, delivering her second win from as many starts this season for Victorian harness racing trainer-driver Bec Bartley.
The four-year-old mare showed grit and class to win at Melton, following a first-up success at Echuca on July 8. She previously raced in the Vicbred Super Series last year, winning a heat at Geelong in September.
“She tries hard, and I reckon there’s more depth to her to come yet,” Bartley, of Kialla, said.
“I thought she went into Saturday night still a bit underdone. I guess I know her better now with how she’s going – she’s not much of a trackworker, but she is a little racehorse. Every race she keeps impressing me more.”
Patiently handled since joining Bartley’s stable around 18 months ago, Worth Waiting has now won four of just nine starts, with several other eye-catching performances.
“She impressed me at her first start when she sat in the breeze and ran third at Melton and she’s run some really good races even when she hasn’t won,” Bartley said.
“We took her to the NSW Oaks at Menangle in May last year and she ran fourth (behind star filly Keayang Zahara). She’s a tough bugger and she just tries hard.”
That tenacity was on display again at Melton. Worth Waiting began quickly from barrier four, crossing Picket Wire (Ellen Tormey) to lead. She repelled mid-race challenges and then fought back in the home straight after Picket Wire loomed late, appearing to briefly head Worth Waiting before Bartley’s mare rallied.
While she’s cool and collected on race night, Bartley admits Worth Waiting can be a handful at home.
“Once you know her, she’s pretty good, but she’s a fussy eater and a bit ‘high maintenance’! She can be grumpy, and she has a padded yard because she likes to have a bit of a kick,” she said.
“She’ll get away from you if you give her the chance while you’re doing anything with her – but I think she does know she’s the golden child around here!”
Bartley, who prepares a team of around 15 at the Shepparton training centre, previously worked in partnership with her long-time mentor Steve O’Donoghue before branching out on her own at the start of last season.
“We actually trained Worth Waiting’s mum (Sunshine Annie) while I was at Steve and Anne’s,” she said.
“Her owners – Mick Grace from New South Wales, and John Nalder and Jane Hearn – have been really good supporters of mine.
“John did all the early work with Worth Waiting. He broke her in and I got her eight weeks before her first trial, so I was pretty lucky. We’ve just brought her along at her pace.”
The 4YO VicBred Mares division this season is stacked with quality, including multiple Group 1 winner Keayang Zahara (15 wins from 16 starts), Violet Stanford, Maoris Mac (both winners at Melton on Saturday night), and the well-performed Pinnie and Jilliby Ballerini.
“She had a good break after the VicBred series last year, and now we’ll aim for the VicBreds again this year in November,” Bartley said.
“She’s struck a very tough four-year-old year, but we’ll just keep her ticking over, bringing her along from here with a run every fortnight or three weeks and hopefully find a metro maiden for her.”
