Springvale Queen – You’re never too old to try new things

If you were to look up the phrase “age is just a number” you might find a picture of the Arthur Barnes-trained Springvale Queen (Framework).

The harness racing sqauregaiter will be making her debut appearance at Stawell on Wednesday at the ripe old age of 12.

“We have had a lot of trouble with her, I have had her since she was a two-year-old,” Barnes said. “I broke her in within the first six weeks and she was perfect, and then went mad one morning and broke my cart.

“She just wasn’t ready to race as a three-year-old, she didn’t want anything to do with it. She is one mad horse.”

The mare out of Rainbow Reflection has made her way through the trials in preparation for her race-day debut.

“I have been taking her to the trials the past six or seven weeks,” he said. “Her first run she paced which wasn’t her fault, in her second start she got off the mobile no worries and sat three back on the fence.”

The arduous journey that the Koorlong horseman has faced is a test to his commitment and patience.

“If anyone else had her she wouldn’t have raced because they would have thrown the towel in. I knew she had ability so I kept going,” he said.

“It is only in the past six months that she has decided that she is going to race. She was trotting, but she didn’t want to do it. She didn’t have any enthusiasm.

“The last two years she has been working non-stop.”

Barnes, 80, will pilot the sqauregaiter in the second race on the card at Stawell on Wednesday. The reinsman’s last drive was on March 8, 2018.

“I just love it out there,” he said. “I will give it up when I can’t drive anymore.”

Barnes knows that he will only get three years out of the mare before she reaches compulsory retirement at 15.

“She is going to make a top broodmare even if she doesn’t win a race,” he said.

Springvale Queen has drawn eight in the second race on the card on Wednesday afternoon at 1.18pm.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Lachlan Mitchell, for Harness Racing Victoria