Bary says Bohemian Lily competed through last spring and autumn but did not meet expectations.
Her owner, Kevin Hickman, of Christchurch, who has established Vilachi Downs stud in Matamata, decided to do the inevitable.
"The owners decided to bring her back to group one glory in New Zealand," says Bary as Bohemian Lily lines up at barrier 10 today in the feature race 7 of the Makfi Challenge Stakes Daffodil Raceday meeting.
The $200,000 sprint over 1400m at 3.46pm at the Hawke's Bay Racecourse is part of the first leg of the Hawke's Bay Bostock NZ Spring Racing Carnival. The emphasis in today's meeting is to raise funds for Hawke's Bay Cancer Society through guests of honour rowing double gold medallist Hamish Bond and fellow Rio Olympian and Black Stick Anita McLaren (nee Punt), who'll promote Sunsmart values.
Bary will be the first to admit the short distance today doesn't suit Bohemian Lily, who arrived here in late June following some pre-training from trainer Lance Noble in Matamata.
"She's not sharp enough for 1400m. She'll be better suited to the second and third group ones," he says of the $200,000 Windsor Park Plate over 1600m on September 17 and the finale, the $250,000 Livamol Classic over 2040m on October 1.
Bary reckons last year's champion and today's favourite in the field of 16, Kawi, is in the same boat.
"You've got to start somewhere and build up to 2000m and sit some place when you've got a few more minutes into your legs."
However, he doesn't want to be perceived as a trainer who lines up horses just to go around a track.
The Bay climate has provided ideal conditions for building up Bohemian Lily, who has a career earnings of about $350,000.
"She's a lovely runner and an absolute pleasure to deal with," he says of the Mrs M and V Trillo-bred mare out of Bohemian Blues, sired by O'Reilly.
"It's an uninterrupted preparation so for group one horses it helps so much although we're not expecting her to run the race of her life on Saturday," he says. Jonathan Riddell, 37, will be in the saddle today.
Bary says his stable at Mutiny Rd hasn't had any issues with the gastro bug crisis plaguing Havelock North for the past few weeks.
"We have our own bore and we haven't been sick for the seven years we've been there."
For what it's worth, he suspects an animal, such as a possum, must have crawled into the Havelock North system and died.
"My other thought is that we've had an unseasonal dry winter and then six inches of rain, which has obviously created some issues."
Bary says Northland trainer Donna Logan's stance of carting water to Hastings today isn't anything out of the ordinary.
"When I travel to some venues, I take my own water. In Wellington, they have chlorine in their water and my horses just don't like it," he says. He often lugs five 20-litre containers to Te Rapa, Hamilton, as well.
Today he has two horses, Lady Zafira (Riddell) and Xcuses Xcuses (Rosie Myers), in the opening race, the $30,000 Swiss Ace Sprint, at 12.15pm.
"They are looking for higher honours."
In race 2 at 12.50pm, $20,000 El Roca 3YO Sprint, also over 1200m, O'Reilly's Choice (Riddell) will try to follow up on the victory at Hastings on a dead 5 800m track on July 21.
"It'll be exciting to see where he fits in," says Bary of the C and K Russell-bred and owned colt.
Perfect Shock (Mark du Plessis) is in the line up of race 5, Westbury Stud - Proud to Partner the Cancer Society 1200m - at 2.33pm alongside fellow Hastings trainer Corrina McDougall's Tavijazz (Sam Spratt).
Last season's champion Bay co-trainers, Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen, are conspicuous by their absence until the final race 9, $20,000 Wishing You Well Sir Colin Meads, where they have Chic (Johnathan Parkes) and Kininmont (Robert Hannam) over 1400m at 4.59pm.
With 13mm of rain overnight on Thursday, the lefthand 1700m Hastings course was rated a slow 8 yesterday as the sun pushed through, although gusty westerlies were forecast today.
Today's entry will be through donations at the gate as HB Racing attempts to fundraise more than $20,000 to eclipse the target of the last two years.
