The connections of Our Time are continuing a successful association with the family of the promising four-year-old who has earned an early crack at a major prize at Te Rapa.
The lightly raced Peter Lock-trained representative has made an encouraging start to his career to be in line for a share of the $350,000 pot on offer in Saturday’s Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m).
The well-related son of Time Test has already showed he has inherited a good measure of the family ability with a course and distance victory at just his third start prior to Christmas.
He is a half-brother to the Per Incanto mare Faithful Feat, the winner of seven races including the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint Handicap (1400m) for Lock and breeders Peter Hart and Ian MacDonald, whose colours are also carried by Our Time.
“Peter lives in Auckland and Ian lives in Australia and they’ve been with me for a long time, they are great clients,” Lock said.
“I’ve also got Faithful Feat’s brother, Mighty Boy, for them and he’s an absolute cracker and just a lovely horse.
“He’s a big, strong and laid-back bloke and has got a lot better brain than her, she was very hot but could really gallop.”
Their dam is the Snitzel mare On Yer Feet whose half-brother Hiflyer was also trained by Lock and won twice at Group Three level in the Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) and Thomson Handicap (1600m) and finished runner-up in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1600m).
Our Time has made an early impression and following an unplaced debut run, finished second before breaking his maiden.
“We’ve always had a very high opinion of him and he’s a horse really going places. We do think he’s quite special,” Lock said.
“He had his first start at New Plymouth and we got a wet track and that was disappointing. He then ran well at Rotorua before he went to Te Rapa and won impressively.
“Kelly Myers got off him and said he was a really, really good horse in the making.
“It’s a bit of a nuisance that Kelly can’t ride him as she’s getting married, so we’ve swapped jockeys and got Rory Hutchings and I’m happy to have him on.”
Our Time indicated his readiness for Saturday with a trial placing last month in an open 1200m heat at Matamata.
“Everything has fallen into place for him, and he trialled really well with a nice third and I took him over to Te Rapa to gallop between races the other day and he’s pulled up well,” Lock said.
“It’s in the lap of the Gods now, but it doesn’t look an overly strong line-up of horses so hopefully we can get a slice of it, that would be great.
“You don’t get too excited about it in this game though, it can bring you down to earth pretty quickly.”