AN OLDER mare whose racing career was delayed after coming unstuck on some barbed wire will fly the flag for the Nambucca Valley in Saturday’s rich Country Championships final at Royal Randwick.
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Ferniehirst, a six-year-old, was bred on Barry Kerr’s farm at Congarinni, and the owner reckons she’s every chance over the 1400-metre journey which carries a prize pool of half a million bucks.
“She got tangled up in some barb wire so we didn’t even start racing her until she was four years old. I reckon she’s just starting to hit her straps,” Barry told the Guardian.
Trained at Coffs Harbour by Paul Smith, Ferniehirst gained entry to the premier event for country-trained horses after a close second in a qualifying race at Grafton.
“And that was her first start in five weeks and her first time over 1400m,” Barry said.
From 15 starts, Ferniehirst has won near $90,000 in prizemoney, and is owned by Barry and Gai Kerr, together with their son Lindsey and his wife Carmen.
“She’s only had two runs in Sydney before and she didn’t handle it – she didn’t travel real good so we’ll be looking at that this time around,” Barry said.
“All the top riders will be there so it will be exciting. We’ve booked Adam Hyeronimus for the ride.
“She’ll be leading all the way but it’s just whether they catch her on the line or not – we’ll see.”
Barry said having an entry in the Country Championships final was a delightful prospect.
“They are chucking a party on for the owners the night before – though I’ve had to buy a new suit and all,” he said.
Launched in 2015, the inaugural Country Championships proved a resounding success for the racing industry and generated unprecedented interest and coverage.
An initiative of Racing NSW and supported by the Government of NSW, The Country Championships was created to support and promote NSW racing in country areas, ensuring that horses from across the State are part of The Championships in Sydney in the autumn.
