She may be a real plain Jane but under the unremarkable exterior of In Her Time beats the heart of a dual Group 1 winner.
Making her first start since defeating all bar Santa Ana Lane in the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic at Flemington last November, the 6yo daughter of Time Thief defeated the fast-finishing Street Cry gelding Osborne Bulls by a short-head with the game 3yo Zoustar filly Sunlight a neck back in third in Saturday's $750,000 Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) down the straight at Flemington. (image Darryl Sherer).
Winner of the Group 1 The Galaxy at Randwick when making her autumn debut last season, In Her Time advances her record to 9 wins, 4 seconds and 3 thirds from 24 starts with earnings of $3,117,725.
After missing the ride in The Galaxy, winning rider Cory Brown earned his third success in the Lightning.
"I'm rapt, especially for her," Brown said
"I've had a little bit of luck on her, but I've had some bad luck on her as well so to get the Group I, it's a job well done.
"She better over 1200 metres but she is just such a little professional and does everything right other than being a fraction slow out of the barriers sometimes. She's a gem to ride."
Transferred to Kris Lees from the Ben Smith stable in September last year, In Her Time will make her next start in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 9.
"We'll keep her for the Newmarket because she loves her runs spaced," Lees said.
"She was exposed the whole race but Corey summed it up early tacking up the running on the inside and it was probably the winning move."
Bred by the estate of the late David Cobcroft, In Her Time was consigned to the 2014 Inglis Classic Yearling sale by Kanangra Stud, where she failed to make her $40,000 reserve.
The first Group 1 winner for the now South African-based Time Thief, In Her Time is the seventh foal of the Zeditave mare Hell It's Hot a half-sister to Group III winner Hot As Hell, Listed winner Flaming Hot, Hong Kong Stakes winner Craig's Dragon and the 5-time winner Harlem Heat the dam of Listed winner Harlem River.
Hell It's Hot has an unraced 2yo filly by Olympic Glory (IRE) named Janneke and a yearling filly by Artie Schiller (USA) that was passed in after failing to make her $200,000 at the recent Inglis Classic Yearling Sale (pictured right) .
After foaling a filly by Under The Louvre last spring, Hell It's Hot was bred back to Lonhro's dual Group 1 winning son Impending.
