The always honest Benjamin Smith-trained mare In Her Time finally broke through for her maiden Group 1 victory first-up in The Galaxy 2018 at Rosehill Gardens.

2018 The Galaxy winning mare In Her Time posted a maiden Group 1 win first-up on Slipper Day. Photo: Steve Hart.

Just as the rain started to come down late on Golden Slipper Day, a gun field of sprinters lined-up for the Group 1 $700,000 The Galaxy (1100m) including known mudlark Jungle Edge.

Despite drawing wide and being perhaps vulnerable in the wet, the Newcastle-trained Time Thief four-year-old In Her Time still jumped favourite in The Galaxy betting.

Looking to continue her excellent first-up record, she backed-up from a four length winning trial at home from March 14 and had the Hong Kong-based Zac Purton aboard.

In Her Time crossed from the gate and sat off the speed set by front runner Ball Of Muscle with Jungle Edge settled second and Snitty Kitty also burning along in third.

The first three held a notable gap for a while on the rest of the pack and did all the work up front.

Ball Of Muscle led around the turn into the straight, but was quickly challenged by the swoopers.

There was a lot of pressure up front as those from the back of the field made up the ground, In Her Time ($4) going to the outside and sprinting up to hit the lead.

She held off a fast-finishing Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained mare English ($16) who missed the kick but ran a brave second improving her sixth in 2016 and seventh in 2017 in The Galaxy results.

In third was the James Cummings-trained Poet’s Voice colt Viridine ($4.20), the three-year-old improving on a first-up fourth in the Challenge Stakes to round out the trifecta after switching back to the inside late.

The Galaxy results put In Her Time in a nice position to possibly back-up at Royal Randwick on Day 1 of ‘The Championships’, April 7, in the Group 1 $2.5 million Darley TJ Smith Stakes (1200m).

In the spring she won back-to-back races over the TJ Smith Stakes track and distance including the $500,000 Sydney Stakes (1200m) in faster timer than Redzel won The Everest, which she missed out on a start in.

Following her The Galaxy win In Her Time has firmed in from $8 to $6.50 in futures TJ Smith Stakes 2018 betting at Ladbrokes.com.au led by the aforementioned Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Redzel ($2.40).

The last TJ Smith Stakes winner to come straight off a The Galaxy run was Bentley Biscuit (4^th in 2007) when the former was run at Warwick Farm.

To back In Her Time next race and to access all the best TJ Smith Stakes odds head to Ladbrokes.com.au today.

2018 The Galaxy Results & Finishing Order

Rosehill Race 8 – 24/03/2018