When Jim Cole tells you Barefoot Barbie has a nice feel to her and can go through the grades you know the Pukekohe horseman is not talking hogwash.
You only had to be at Alexandra Park last night to see that. After talking to him you also realise the experienced Franklin trainer knows a thing or two about squaregaiters.
Cole drove the legendary 38-win Canterbury trotter Tussle for the late Derek Jones when she won at Alexandra Park in June 1983.
Cole also drove, and co-trained with his late father George, the eight-win 1972 trotter Dione Hanover, the 11-win dual gaited (four trotting) 1976 gelding Milson Gold, and he also drove the nine-win 1967 squaregaiter Slane.
So yes Cole does know what it takes to make a good trotter.
He insists Barefoot Barbie is not, and may never be half as good asTussle or the others mentioned above, but she is showing the right foundation on which to launch a successful career.
The Cole-trained and driven chestnut couldn’t have been more impressive in the $12,400 Winger Motors Handicap for the up to R46-R54 trotters.
Even though the Bacardi Lindy mare was startled at the start, and swung sideways, she was still clever enough to switch straight into a trot from the 2200m stand.
She even recovered so well that Cole was able to maintain the lead and the markers from the ace draw. The rest was a mere formality.
Barefoot Barbie strolled to the line untouched to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths in 2:56.1 (mile rate 2:08.8) with final 800m and 400m sprints of 60.4 and 30.7. She was the $3.80 favourite.
The 5-year-old chestnut was only having her second start after finishing a length-second on debut at ‘The Park’ a week earlier.
Cole said she showed big improvement in seven days.
“That’s what encourages me. Her improvement from race to race has been excellent. Everything I have asked her to do so far she has done with ease. She seems to be fairly laid back and is taking everything in her stride,” Cole said.
He said he would now ‘play it by ear’ as to what he does with the promising mare.
“Everything is a learning curve for her now. She will probably race at the Auckland Cup Carnival but I’ll just see how she comes through this race. I want to do what’s best for her.
“Horses like this don’t come along every day. She certainly makes my job worth getting up for,” said Cole who has just the one racehorse in work.
Cole said he would never have come across Barefoot Barbie had it not been for the kindness of his former Pukekohe friend, horseman, and blacksmith, John Amoore.
“John and his partner Sheryl retired to Waihi and asked me if Dianne (wife) and I wanted the horse. That was a wonderful gesture. John was a very good horseman himself but is now happily retired down the line.
“He took quarter horses to the United States. He was also a very good blacksmith and trained several (eight) winners. I hope the horse can keep winning for them even though Dianne and now own her,” said Cole.
Barefoot Barbie was bred by the John Ewing Trust.
“She hasn’t put a foot wrong yet but still has a hell of a lot to learn. Not only does she trot okay but she’s just a lovely animal to have around the place,” Cole said.
Meanwhile, Tony Herlihy (MNZM) trained and drove three winners at the meeting and now leads the Alexandra Park Driving Premiership by one win from Zac Butcher, 15-14.
He also narrowed the gap on his brother-in-law Barry Purdon in the Training Premiership. Purdon now leads 15-14.
The Iceman trained and drove $3.10 second favourite Walkinshaw to easily win race five and then a race later Brent Mangos drove the Herlihy trained Blackguard’s Corner to victory.
Herlihy also trained and drove $1.50 favourite Classy Chapel to win the eighth event. His other driving victory came in race four via the Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett trained Makarewa Jake.
Duane Ranger