BARRIER DECIDES WELL TIMED’S WEEKEND TARGET

KERRY Parker didn’t have to think hard in deciding Well Timed’s weekend mission.

The Kembla Grange trainer accepted with the gelding for both the Kensington meeting tomorrow and Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Well Timed will line up at the former track in the Gallipoli Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m) rather than a similar event over 1600m on Saturday, where he drew barrier 17 in a capacity field.

“It was an ugly enough watch when he drew badly in the Provincial-Midway Championships Final at Randwick a fortnight ago and never got on the track,” Parker said this morning.

“The Anzac Day meeting was always my preferred choice, but I decided to accept in the two races and see how the fields and barriers unfolded.

“You have to forgive his last two runs (he didn’t handle the heavy ground when down the track in a 1400m Benchmark 88 Handicap at the postponed Rosehill Gardens meeting on April 1).

“Well Timed has trained on well since the Final, but just the same he needs to get back into form tomorrow.”

The Nicconi four-year-old appeared set for another successful campaign when he was narrowly beaten by Mahogany Girl in a PMC Qualifier (1400m) at Hawkesbury on March 8 before his two unplaced runs.

Nash Rawiller, who won two Randwick races (1200m and 1400m) last August and September on the gelding, continues his association with him.

Well Timed has raced twice and been out of a place both times on the inside Kensington track, but they were at the beginning of his career.

He ran sixth in a 2YO Maiden (1000m) in March 2023 when on debut, and then two starts later ran eighth in a 3YO Maiden (1100m) in August that year.

Well Timed was at $101 and $21 respectively in those races.

Meanwhile, Parker is looking forward to “seeing where Flying Bandit is at” in Saturday’s Benchmark 94 Handicap (1800m) at Randwick.

The progressive four-year-old, who has won five of his 10 starts, goes from taking a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1800m) at a midweek Hawkesbury program on April 9, turning what looked certain defeat when well back approaching the home turn into victory.

Parker admits current benchmark 79 rater Flying Bandit is facing a decent enough task stepping up in class, along with the fact the Randwick rail is out between seven and nine metres for the fourth consecutive Saturday meeting at headquarters.

“We’ll see where we are with him,” he said.

“He is going really well and this is a good test for him.”

Parker has some bigger targets in mind should his gelding continue to shape up on Saturday.

“Flying Bandit could back up in next Friday’s Wagga Cup,” he said.

Parker has never had a runner in the feature country Cup (2000m), which carries Listed status and a $200,000 purse.

He also is taking a keen interest in Gosford’s Anzac Day fixture following the last two meetings there unable to be completed, after which considerable remediation work was undertaken.

The $300,000 Listed Gosford Gold Cup (2100m) is scheduled for The Coast stand-alone meeting on May 10, though Parker feels his backmarker would not be as well suited there on the tighter circuit.

Story John Curtis, April 24, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos