Class mare In Her Time will bypass the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival and instead be saved for a 2018 TJ Smith Stakes bid in Sydney during April’s ‘The Championships’.

The Benjamin Smith-trained five-year-old daughter of Time Thief was last seen running a close second after suffering notable interference to Hey Doc in the Group 1 $1 million Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m) in late October.

Original spring plans were to have the in-form sprinter contesting Flemington’s Group 1 $1 million Darley Classic (1200m), but a hoof injury sustained during her luckless Manikato run ruled her out from that Melbourne Cup Carnival feature on the morning of the race.

A winner of over $1.48 million in career prize money, In Her Time is still chasing an elusive elite level win after a number of close calls including her Stradbroke Handicap second and Tattersall’s Tiara third last winter in Brisbane.

Her Newcastle-based trainer Smith believes his mare’s time will come, but it won’t be in Melbourne this autumn.

In Her Time will bypass Flemington’s Group 1 $1.25 million Newmarket Handicap (1200m) on Super Saturday, March 10, giving her more time to overcome her going foot issues.

“The Melbourne autumn might come up a bit too quick unfortunately,” Smith told Racing Victoria this week.

“We had to leave her out in the paddock a little bit longer than we expected due to her foot, which was the issue that forced us to scratch her from the Darley Classic last November.

“So we’ve had to give her extra time for her hoof to grow out.

“She’s come back 30kgs heavier than what she was racing at last prep and she looks terrific.”

Smith is now focused on having In Her Time back to full fitness in time for the Group 1 $2.5 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) run at Royal Randwick on April 7.

A nice lead-up into that grand final could be the Group 1 $700,000 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on Golden Slipper Day, March 24.

“The plan is she’ll likely have one run before the Championships, either in the or the fillies and mares race on that day,” Smith said.

“Then it’s a fortnight into the TJ Smith Stakes.”

Bentley Biscuit (4^th in 2007) was the last TJ Smith Stakes winner to back directly off a run in The Galaxy when the shorter-distanced sprint took place at Warwick Farm.

The level of competition In Her Time is set to face in the TJ Smith Stakes field is top class and includes the likes of The Everest winner Redzel and three-time defending champion Chautauqua.

“Redzel is obviously the best sprinting horse in the country, but other than that we’ve been beating or been highly competitive against the rest of them,” Smith said.

“She’s definitely a high-end sprinting mare, but a Group 1 has eluded her so far.

“It’s not the be all and end all, but she deserves it. She’s been luckless in a few [Group 1 races].

“As long as she’s been racing well we’ll be happy, it’s just a privilege to race to her.”

To get in on the upcoming Group 1 autumn racing action at the right price this season head to Ladbrokes.com.au today.