Ace trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo endured some anxious moments when his filly Its Maa Time was behaving poorly and was throwing her head around during the preliminary as the twelve runners prepared to contest the $100,000 Allwood Stud For All Your Breeding requirements Westbred Classic for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He feared that he might have had to scratch Its Maa Time because of her erratic behaviour.
“Sometimes she can feel a bit funny in the warm-up,” said De Campo. “She can hop and skip, and she didn’t feel comfortable tonight. So, I loosened the spreader, and this did the trick.”
Chief veterinarian Melanie McGregor noticed Its Maa Time’s problems, and she got De Campo to trot the filly to make sure she was ready to pace and race properly.
“As soon as I trotted her up for the vet, she felt a hundred times better, so I was lucky I didn’t have to scratch her,” said De Campo.
Its Maa Time was a $10.40 chance from barrier four, and she began speedily to dash to the front after 120m before she raced truly in the lead and won by just under a length from the $2.45 favourite Fakenit, who raced in fifth position, three back on the pegs, before getting clear approaching the home turn and finishing fast.
“She went good and ran a quick middle half (with quarters of 28.8sec. and 27.8sec.) before I had to stack them upon the corner --- and she fought them off, late,” said De Campo.
“She will now head for the WA Oaks (October 3); that will be her target. She will now have an easy couple of weeks, when she will have time to recover from her bad feet.”
Its Maa Time is by American sire Captain Crunch and is the fourth foal out of Blissfull Hall mare Maastricht, who raced 57 times for 15 wins, 13 placings and $164,989 in prizemoney. She was purchased for $60,000 at the 2023 Perth APG yearling sale and is raced by a big syndicate of De Campo’s stable clients. Its Maa Time has raced 13 times for seven wins, three placings and $164,201 in stakes.
By Ken Casellas