The Harness Jewells is regarded as one of the most prestigious juvenile feature race series in New Zealand and after Barynya scored an emphatic win kin the Victorian Oaks that followed her victory in the Tasmanian oaks, she was put on a short list of invitees.
This week Barynya was officially invited to contest the $NZ150,000 3YO Fillies Harness Jewells at Cambridge Park on May 31 with travel and accommodation costs included in the invitation.
But her trainer Dick Eaves confirmed she will be kept at home to contest features races in Victoria.
"It is an honour for the filly to have received an invitation to race in such a prestigious race," Eaves said.
"Had the filly still been in Melbourne we probably would have accepted the invitation but she was brought back home after the Victorian Oaks win and she is not the best traveller, especially by boat."
"We would have had to boat her to Melbourne and then pretty much get straight onto a plane to New Zealand and that would have been too taxing on the filly."
"So we are sticking to our plan to head to Melbourne a week before a Victorian Sires Stakes heat at Geelong on June 18 and we will keep her over there until after the
Breeders Crown series the following month," he said.
Barynya is owned by Lloyd and Judy Whish-Wilson who were thrilled to have received the invitation but in the end they had to do what was best for the horse.
Peter Staples
