Plenty of fight left in Kelvin’s boy

He’s always been a handy horse, but five-year-old trotter Mercenary (Majestic Son) claimed the biggest win of his harness racing career on Friday night (Mar 1) and his trainer Kelvin Barker is hoping the best might still be to come.

Mercenary, a winner of nine races, looks to have a nice country cups season ahead of him, after finishing runner-up in the Hamilton feature last month, before claiming the $25,000 Ararat Trotters Cup.

The five-year-old gelding trotted away steadily from barrier four and slotted into the one-out-one-back sweet seat where he remained through the early and middle stages of the 2570 metre event.  Reinsman James Herbertson deftly maneuvered clear at the 400 metres and Mercenary trotted home strongly to score by two metres.

“He’s been knocking at the door for a while, and I thought on his work during the week that it would take a good horse to beat him if he trotted away,” Barker said.

“He ran second at Melton the week before and even though he was only just beaten, I was a bit disappointed in that run.  I thought he seemed a bit half-hearted.  But when I worked him during the week he seemed spot on,” he said.

At just 810 metres, the Ararat circuit isn’t suitable for many trotters, but Barker said it was one of Mercenary’s favorite tracks.

“He just loves the little tracks – James told me he’d never driven a trotter that can power round the corners like this fellow can,” he said.

“I’m really pleased with how he trotted on Friday night.  I think I’ve finally got him to the point where I am happy with his gait.

“He’s always been touching somewhere up the back, but it was hard to tell where. I’ve just messed around changing his feet, changing his shoes just trying things and it’s only in the past three or four months that he really feels like he’s right.”

Barker first worked with Mercenary as a two-year-old when he was “trotting bad” for trainer Geoff Webster.

“Geoff sent him up for me to have a go with him for a while – I don’t know why because I don’t know much about trotters!” Barker laughed.

“When we first got him, you would have thought he would never win a race.  His gait was always an issue. I did get him going a bit better and sent him back, but then he started to do things wrong again and I think Geoff got sick of him and I’ve had him ever since.”

Along the way, Mercenary has picked up some nice races, including the Southern Cross two- and three-year-old features at Globe Derby Park, and last season’s VicBred 4YO Silver at Kilmore.

Barker also purchased Mercenary’s full sister Sequence, a pint-sized four-year-old mare who’s won four races, including the Southern Cross two-year-old at Globe Derby.

“She ran third in the VicBred Super Series ($100,000 Gr 1) final last year. She’s a tiny weed of a thing and would be lucky to be 14 hands high, but she’s all heart.  I really like her.”

Barker was “born and bred” into the sport at Hamilton where his uncle, veteran trainer Jimmy Barker, is based.

“Then I started out with Noel Alexander.  I was pretty wild in my younger days, but Noel knocked that out of me and put me on the straight and narrow – he still likes to remind me about that to this day!

“I also spent six months or so with (Sydney trainer) Kevin Innes then came back home to get going with Jimmy and I drove horses for quite a few years.”

Barker now prepares a team of four at the Bakery Hill property he shares with son Sam, who usually has around five or six in work.

“I drive trucks and get home around the middle of the day, and I help Sam to get them finished – it works pretty well,” he said.

“My other son Mitchell is an assistant trainer for Nancy Takter in America. He absolutely loves it and he’s working with some of the best horses in the world – I’m not sure he will ever come home!”

For complete race results, click here.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink