Owner Sharon Harris Still Partying After Her Debut Win With Let's Party Marty!

Written on the 18 August 2017

Terry Robinson from Team Thoroughbreds caught up with Let's Party Marty owner Sharon Harris at Aquis Farm on Sunday, where she was still partying from her debut win at Doomben on Saturday.

The three-year-old colt, Let's Party Marty went in at $11 for 1200 metres after a fairly impressive barrier trial win by 1 length at the Sunshine Coast earlier in the month.

Perhaps the name Let's Party Hard would have been more appropriate for this David Vandyke-trained colt, after he worked hard right from the start til the end to keep the lead from about the 400 metre mark to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Let's Party Marty was up against more experienced horses such as Snitz who came in second and I am Impinge (NZ) close behind in third place.

It was all smiles for owner Sharon Harris who has been waiting more than a decade for this moment.

It all began for Gold Coast-based Harris in 2006 when she purchased the dam of Let's Party Marty, Mollycat (by Catbird) at the 2006 yearling sales for $34,000.

"She's my baby. She won a race at Kembla Grange, but she wasn't much good and we kept her to breed from," Harris said. "I didn't know what I was doing and I still don't know what I'm doing, but this is just the best. I had a lot of bad advice, but I moved her to Goodwood Farm and this was the first foal she had since she moved."

Harris mentioned that Vandyke was an easy choice to train Let's Party Marty, as well as booking jockey Tegan Harrison for the ride.

"I adore David and I always wanted Tegan to ride her," she said. "David has said for a long time he thought he might be a bit special. That goes back as far as October. So it's been a long wait, but it's been worth the wait."

Tegan Harrison couldn't have been happier to ride Let's Party Marty for Harris, even wearing a special undergarment just for Saturday's occasion with the words 'girl, you've got this' emblazoned across the front.

"David has told me for quite some time about this horse's ability and I'm very appreciative to the owners for putting me on," Harrison said. "I think they could be in for a few more parties with him yet too."

The Corbould Park trainer said that Let's Party Marty was a real "horse of the future" after the impressive debut.

"He raced against more experienced horses yet showed good pace from the gates, worked hard to get to the front and gave a terrific kick over the final stages," Vandyke said.

"It was no fluke he won. He did it hard both ends of the race and there's more improvement in him off the back of that performance.

"I have thought he was one of our better horses for some time," Vandyke said. He's excelled on the track and in his trials. I thought we may as well throw him in the deep end today and see how good he is. I do feel he's a horse with Group-race ability.

Vandyke has nominated the Duporth sired colt for the $2 million Caulfield Guineas in October but is erring on the side of caution, and may even spell him if he thinks the colt has had enough.

"I just really want to look after him because he's a horse of the future," Vandyke said.

"If he wins convincingly in his next start we will consider the Caulfield Guineas."

(Photo: Sharon Harris (Middle) with friends, celebrating at Aquis Farm)