Two down, one to go for Tony Barron

By Jonny Turner

Tony Barron has the chance to complete a rare feat following the win of Lifes A Beach at Addington on Friday night.

Lifes A Beach bounced back to her best form when pouncing late in the Second Autumn Mares Autumn Fillies & Mares Sprint for driver John Morrison.

The mare hadn’t been in the form of her life leading into her win, but she had been running creditable races through the autumn in strong company.

When Lifes A Beach took her opportunity to show she hadn’t lost any of her class, it came as a relief to Barron on Friday night.

“I said to the owners during the week if she didn’t go any good I would hand my licence in.”

“The last ten days she has just been jumping out of her skin.”

Lifes A Beach hadn’t drawn inside barrier 8 in her last four starts before her victory.

And she didn’t get much draw respite with being handed barrier 7 on Friday night.

But what was on her side was a suitably run race.

“The preferential draws have been very tough on her,” Barron said.

“She had been copping a few bad draws and then we went down to the Southern Belle Final, which wasn’t preferential and she drew 8 there too.”

“But the race was run perfectly for her tonight.”

“I was just rapt for the owners that she could get a bit of luck.”

“And it’s great that she has been able to get to 10 wins, too.”

Lifes A Beach is raced by the Kieran Read, Andy Ellis, Dave Hewett and Dick Tayler, alongside the Woodlands Partnership Syndicate.

Barron plans to continue following the Autumn Fillies & Mares Sprint Series the mare.

“We will just potter away through this autumn series, she can race for decent money each time.”

“She will head to stud in the spring, so we will try to make the most of it before then.”

Barron will aim for a rare hat-trick of wins across all three horse racing gaits when his star trotting mare Queen Elida starts at Melton on Saturday night.

Barron owned a galloping winner in Loquita who scored at Riccarton on Thursday for dual-code trainer Lyn Prendergast.

The horseman will attempt to make it a galloping, pacing and trotting treble when Queen Elida starts as the hot favourite in the I Didnt Do It Trotters Free-For-All.