Milestone Win for Jeremy Thornton and Just Barney

Just Barney has cracked the $100,000 stake earnings with his first city win at Gloucester Park on Friday night, giving owner and trainer Jeremy Thornton his fist metropolitan victory as a trainer since gaining his licence in the 1999/2000 season.

Just Barney had been sitting stakes of $99,938, but after Friday night’s win, driven by prominent reinswoman, Emily Suvaljko, the rising 10-year-old taking his earnings to $110,215 from 149 starts, 14 wins and 44 placings.

Bred by Thornton and his father Neville, Just Barney is by the late WA stood stallion Barnett Hanover USA, who stood at Royalstar Farm from 2001-2012. Born on the 7th of October 2011, the Thornton family always thought their Barney had the ability and intelligence of a nice horse and after Friday night’s win, he well and truly earned his title of ‘best horse’ for the family.

“I thought he had every chance of winning last night (Friday) even though he didn’t get a mention by any of the tipsters. Sundays run at Kellerberrin topped him off nicely leading into his race, all he needed was a clear run and a bit of luck, which is hard to get at Gloucester Park,” he said.

“He (Just Barney) is currently handicapped out of the country, so I will have to head back to Gloucester Park for a while and make the best of what opportunities re available for him.

“The industry has been hard to stay in over the last couple of years, having to adapt to the changes has been a challenge, there has been many handicapping hurdles to navigate with no M0 race, we had to step up and take on L15’s combined with not much luck with barriers, it makes you appreciate the win last night.”

Just Barney has been knocking around the country circuit for the past seven-and-a-half years, including taking out the $10,000 2019 Wagin Cup as well as the 2021 Merredin Cup at the Central Wheatbelt in May this year.

With the extremely wet winter that WA has endured in recent months, Thornton has just the one horse in work, but has a few youngsters in the pipeline.

Before gaining his trainers licence, Thornton spent many years in the sulky, becoming a licenced reinsman in the 1994/1995 season, and still licenced today, he has driven in a total of 475 races for 15 wins and 80 places, with almost a lifetime of involvement in harness racing in WA. Thornton has has a total off 499 starters for 24 wins and 111 placings over the past 21 years.

“I guess I just followed the old man into the game. I like to see the horses develop into athletes, like Just Barney,” he said.

Neville Thornton gained his trainers licence in the 1990/1991 and retired in 2017 and has had several handy horses over the years, including Eclipse Hanover who took out the $35,000 State Sires 3YO Fillies final in 1994, driven by Shane Butterworth. Bred by the Thornton family, she was by WA sire Judge Thomas and having just the 34 career starts, won a total of $44,454 from four wins and nine placings.

With a career spanning over 27-years, Neville had a total of 758 starters for 49 winners and 150 placings.

The Thornton family has experience spanning over three decades and clearly have a real love for the horses and the sport.

By Ashleigh Paikos for RWWA