Smack, Bang! Bartons’ winning buy

What began as a spur-of-the-moment decision to buy a yearling from the couch at home is quickly turning into a harness racing fairytale for Victoria’s Barton family.

The next chapter unfolds this Saturday night (May 30) when exciting youngster Smack Bang Bart (Rock N Roll Heaven) lines up in the $200,000 Alabar Farms Nutrien Classic Sales 2YO Colts and Geldings Final at Wagga Wagga’s Riverina Paceway.

The rich feature is part of a bumper program for the southern NSW club, boasting more than $1 million in prizemoney across eight Nutrien Classic finals for two and three-year-old pacers and trotters.

“We were watching the yearling sales livestream and really didn’t have any intention of buying – we didn’t even have a bidding card!” Courtney Barton said.

“Then my husband Gary noticed  (Smack Bang Bart) was a full brother to Expensive Ego (26 wins, $1M in stakes). I jumped online and applied for a card as quick as I could.

“His bidding got to $45,000 and that was when we got our bid on – It was quite funny because when it stopped at $50,000, we looked at each other and realised we’d just bought a horse! We couldn’t believe it. We were sitting there saying: ‘Wow, that’s crazy’!

“I believe in what’s meant to be – but when we finally got to see the horse, he honestly wasn’t the prettiest yearling going around!”

Any doubts about the purchase, though, quickly disappeared.

After two impressive qualifying trial wins at Melton in late April and early May, Smack Bang Bart made his raceday debut at Wagga last Friday (May 22) and produced a brilliant victory in the opening heat of the Yirribee Stud Nutrien 2YO Colts and Geldings series.

Not only did Smack Bang Bart score at his first appearance, he also provided Courtney with her first training success.

It also gave the couple’s 16-year-old son Jack his first driving win at just his third race drive.

“I couldn’t have been happier with the horse, I was over the moon,” an elated Jack said.

“I’d been told it was hard to win from the chair (outside the leader) at Wagga, but in trackwork he’d shown he was a bit special.  I sort of thought with 400 metres to go that we were a big chance because that’s the point where he really switches on.”

“It was about six weeks ago that the horse really started working the house down. That’s when we aimed him at the Wagga series.”

It was a seven-hour road trip from the family’s base at Allansford, on the outskirts of Warrnambool, and Courtney admitted the experience had been surreal.

“For Jack to get us into the big final, Gary and I are just so proud. It’s unfortunate he can’t drive the horse because of the rules regarding juniors and Group One eligibility, but he got us there,” she said.

“We’ve put Jason Lee on, who drove Smack Bang Bart in his first qualifying trial at Terang. Jason told Jack that he’s ‘ready to rumble brother’!”

Gary Barton is well known in harness racing circles through a long line of horses carrying the “Bart” name headed by top performer Another Bart a winner of 27 races in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when driven by Barton, the late Gavin Lang, and the late Vin Knight.

“I drove him a few times and won, and Gavin Lang had a lot of success with him,” Gary said.

“He won the Australian, West Australian and Victorian Derbies, then the following season he won most of the four-year-old championships,” Barton said.

“He also won races in South Australia and Queensland but unfortunately he got sick after winning the Tassie Cup.”

Harness racing has become a true family affair for the Bartons, who work a team of between 10 and 15 horses at the family property, which features an 800-metre track, horse swim, walker and treadmill.

“I wasn’t into harness racing until I met Gary. Then I got into it and have loved it ever since,” Courtney said.

“We work very well as a team and combine our different skills. I’m a horse masseur and keep an eye on any that are a bit sore, which they seem to enjoy. Gary is old school and brings wisdom to the team and enjoys driving them at home, while Jack is more new-age and is big on the feeding and nutritional side of things.

“Our youngest son Tom, who is 11, was responsible for naming the horse. Gary’s father was Tom and our young Tom was born about 12 months after he passed away.  We also have Georgina, 19, who is studying at university and loves riding horses.”

Jack Barton will again drive at Wagga on Friday afternoon when Courtney competes with Boulevard Bart.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink