Tracey Bartley was quietly chuffed as he loaded Barossa Rosa onto his three horse float for the trip from Wyong to Randwick on Saturday. “She looked so well I was proud to be taking her to the races,” said the multiple Gr 1 winning trainer. “We were all a bit tense because it was her first run back after throat surgery, but the shine on her coat told us she was right on top of her game.”
Barossa Rosa started to show signs of breathing problems last autumn, but continued to perform well. She was impressive in winning a Provincial-Midway Championship qualifier at Newcastle in March and wasn’t disgraced when out of a place in the final won by Kinloch on a H10 track. Then followed a second to American President at Randwick which Tracey considered good enough to warrant going on to the Dark Jewel Classic at Scone - a decision he would soon regret. The mare beat only two home in the sixteen horse field, and apprentice Reece Jones reported that her breathing wasn’t right. “Tie-back” surgery had become an inevitability.
It was six months before Barossa Rosa appeared at the Wyong trials where she was given an easy time to finish third. She showed the benefit of the outing by winning a Gosford trial two weeks later. Saturday’s BM 88 for fillies and mares at Randwick looked an ideal starting point. Jason Collett quickly had her into the box seat and she travelled keenly one out and one back to the turn - too keenly in fact. Fearful of upsetting her breathing rhythm, Collett released the brakes earlier than he needed to. Barossa Rosa quickly dashed past Authentic Jewel and Queen Bellissimo with Kir Royale winding up on her outside. Barossa Rosa was feeling the pinch right on the line but rallied gamely to beat Kir Royale by half a length.
Barossa Rosa (Jason Collett) recorded her 5th career win in the Wests Group Macarthur BM88 at Randwick - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
The first up success took her record to five wins and five placings in just eighteen starts for a healthy $354,000 in prize money. Breeding buffs couldn’t help but notice she was one of two winners at Randwick for Galileo’s son Adelaide, who stayed in Australia following his spectacular Cox Plate win in 2014. To add to the mystery of genetics, Adelaide’s winners were Barossa Rosa at 1200m and Torrens at 2400m.
Barossa Rosa was bred and is raced by a company owned by Kerry and Andy Chrysiliou which trades under the name of AKC Thoroughbreds. The husband and wife team use the racing and breeding of thoroughbreds as a diversion from their busy careers in the legal field. Kerry and Andy keep seven broodmares at Geoff and Zac Harris’ Toolooganvale Broodmare Farm near Scone, and derive great enjoyment whenever one of their homebreds makes it to the racetrack - homebreds like Joigny who raced twenty two times for four wins including one on the Kensington track. The daughter of Excelebration also registered eleven minor placings and banked $177,000. Joigny was the first horse Tracey Bartley had the pleasure to train for the Chrysiliou family.
Joigny (Hugh Bowman) holds off War Baron (outside) to win a BM72 on the Kensington track last year - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Barossa Rosa’s Randwick win rounded off a week of fluctuating fortunes for the affable Wyong trainer. On Friday Tracey was at the Scone meeting, where he was thrilled to win a race with Lessing for Greg White’s Robrick Lodge. Greg races the Written Tycoon mare with his sister Judy, and predictably the winner carried the famous white and purple colours introduced to Australian racing more than four decades ago by their late parents Geoff and Beryl.
Two days earlier at Warwick Farm Tracey was subjected to the kind of nightmare all racing participants dread. He saddled up Marillier who was a short priced favourite in the final race with Josh Parr in the saddle. Tracey was shocked to see the three year old filly being eased out of the race at the 800m. It was later revealed that Marillier had suffered a serious injury to a hind leg when galloped on by another runner. Her racing future is extremely uncertain. “She’d already won a couple of races and I was very confident of her chances at Warwick Farm,” said Tracey. “It was an upsetting sight for all connected with the stable.”
Tracey with Travis Wolfgram 2019. The former jockey has enjoyed great success from his Wyong base - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Tracey is still rueing Kiss Sum’s topsy turvy spring preparation. Following his cracking second in the Provincial - Midway Final, the 2021 Four Pillars winner went to Brisbane where he placed in the Gr 3 Fred Best Classic before winning the Gr 3 Gunsynd Classic. Tracey put him away for a short break and couldn’t wait for the spring carnival to begin. The Golden Eagle was his obvious target.
Kiss Sum needed to make a statement in the Silver Eagle but went too keenly in finishing fifth, costing him a run in the $10 million Rosehill feature. With no suitable alternative the trainer elected to have a throw at the stumps in the Kennedy Champions Mile at Flemington. “He got too far back and was on the fence which seemed to be a no go zone on the day,” said Bartley. “Back to Sydney where he ran in the Festival Stakes. Again he was too far back and they got home in under 34 seconds. I was so disgusted that we aborted his spring campaign and will concentrate on an autumn programme. I’m convinced he’s a genuine stakes horse.”
The Bartley stable received another setback recently when star apprentice Anna Roper sustained a nasty knee injury in an unusual incident at Muswellbrook. “Anna was dislodged as she returned to scale and landed on the knee,” said Tracey. “She suffered a meniscal tear which is going to keep her out for quite a while. Fortunately, surgery wasn’t required but she has to wear a knee brace until further notice. She was having such a wonderful run. At the time of the accident Anna had only James McDonald in front of her on the state premiership ladder.”
Tracey's star apprentice Anna Roper wins on Irish Kisses for the boss at Newcastle 15/11/2022 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Tracey’s immediate project is Barossa Rosa, the mare he describes as an “absolute sweetheart”. “I think she deserves a crack at a stakes race but I can’t find the right one at home,” said the trainer. “I might even sneak her to Brisbane where there’s a suitable black type race just after Christmas.”
The last time Tracey made a snap decision to slip a horse to Brisbane the result was gratifying. In June 2020 he sent a mare called In Good Time up the highway in search of firmer tracks. He got Barry Lockwood to saddle the mare in the listed Ascot Hcp, and watched the running of the race at Rosehill where he had runners on the day. In Good Time decimated a pretty smart field at the gigantic odds of $56.00. Is Barossa Rosa as good as In Good Time? Tracey Bartley seems to think she is.
(Banner image - Barossa Rosa is a new mare following her "tie-back" surgery. Here she is winning at Randwick on Saturday - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.)