Barnaby has training duo beaming

A lightly raced youngster from the Shepparton barn of co-trainers Steve O’Donoghue and Bec Bartley could easily prove to be the x-factor in some of Victoria’s upcoming rich features.

Three-year-old gelding Barnaby (Panspacificflight-Art For Artsplace (Artsplace) couldn’t have been more impressive in winning at his only two race outings at his home track and Charlton.

“His recent trackwork has been a bit scary. We really like him that’s for sure,” an excited Bartley said.

“We’ve only had him for a couple of months, but the way in which he’s won both of his starts has been very good,” she said.

“He’s a big horse and still a bit on the green side but he can flatten out nicely in his races. We reckon he’ll be even better next year as a four-year-old.”

Barnaby, a former Kiwi, is being set for the $200,000 Woodlands Stud Victoria Derby at Melton in a month’s time.

“The heats are on the second of October, and the final a week later – that’s our main aim at this stage,” Bartley said.

“He’s not eligible for some of the other big races so we’ll just place him wherever we can.”

Charlton replay here:

Barnaby’s better-known stablemate in the exciting Western Sonador looks right on target after another authoritative all-the-way win last Saturday night-this time at Geelong.

Western Sonador (Western Terror-Refresh Me (Classic Garry) has now won 10 races with 10 placings from 25 starts for $130,000.

“We took him to Geelong to give him a blowout and sharpen him up. I think I was puffing more than the horse after the race because he got fired up by the way things panned out. It took me a bit to pull him up afterwards,” Bartley said.

“His next run is at Bendigo on Saturday night in the Caduceus Classic. Then he’ll head to the Kilmore and Victoria Cups. After that, all going well, we’ll be off to the NSW Inter Dominion series.”

Western Sonador is raced by Bartley’s co-trainer Steve O’Donoghue, his wife Anne and family under the ownership of Latengo Pty Ltd, along with Shepparton concreter John Baldi and the late Eddie Asim.

“It was Eddie who bred the horse. It was something that he always wanted to do. He selected the stallion (Western Terror), while Steve had the mare in Refresh Me, which is related to San Carlo,” she said.

“I think Eddie picked out his race and stable name (Murphy) as soon as the horse was born. He would drive out in his car and sit and watch him as a foal every day. Then he’d be out again when we were handling him and getting him going.”

Bartley said when Western Sonador was having his third racestart at Cobram, Eddie was sick and in hospital.
“He got picked up and driven out to the trots meeting to see the horse score his first win and was then taken back to hospital,” she said.

“Six months later when Eddie lost his battle to illness, his funeral was held the same day (my sister) Ellen was racing Western Sonador in a Riverina Regional Championship heat at Wagga.

“They stopped the service and played the race live. Eddie would have loved that! Western Sonador won the heat, and it was quite emotional.”

The pacer went on to finish third in the $100,000 final.

“Eddie’s family still gets right behind the horse which is fantastic,” she said.

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink