Kelley full of Beans after the Barn Dance

Bad barriers have thwarted I’ve Bean Tryin’ this preparation and while his run of outside alleys continued at Randwick, he was finally able to overcome it.
The gelding jumped from gate 13 of 14 in the $250,000 Barn Dance (1300m) on Tuesday and after settling with the backmarkers, Jason Collett brought him with a storming finish to nab Cavalier Charles by a half-neck in the final bound.
“I needed every yard of the 1300 there,” Collett said.
“I couldn’t quite travel comfortably through the middle section, I had to let Cavalier Charles pop and go mid-race and just bank that he’d get him late and thankfully he did.”
I’ve Bean Tryin’ ($5.50), who finished third in this years’ Country Championships Final (1400m), arrived at Tuesday’s race off a fifth to Front Page in the Kosciuszko (1200m) where he was forced to go well back from an outside draw.
Kelley said the horse’s run of wide gates had been frustrating and he was relieved to see him turn things around.
“We just get so upset with these barriers all the time, he keeps drawing the carpark,” Kelley said.
“Sometimes he just runs out of distance in the race and today was kind of in the same boat but we had Jason (Collett) on, he’s got a good feel for the horse and he’s a bloody good jockey.”
The Barn Dance is Kelley’s most significant win since taking out his trainers’ licence a couple of years ago.
Later in the day, the Jason Deamer-trained Hard To Say ($11) extended his winning streak to four in the Choisir Handicap (1100m), giving jockey Ashley Morgan a rare win in town.
The four-year-old had taken out a Sydney Midway in August before landing back-to-back victories in Brisbane and Deamer felt it was the right time to roll the dice in harder grade.
“We thought we’d have a crack,” Deamer said.
“The horse is flying, no weight on his back and Ashley Morgan was prepared to lose a little bit of weight to stick with him so it all worked out very well.”
More Racing News
War Machine to target the 2026 Australia Stakes
Top-class sprinter War Machine will resume in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Pakenham on Friday night as connections eye a strong autumn campaign. The race, traditionally held at Moonee Valley, has been moved due to redevelopment works and shapes as an ideal launchpad for the Lindsay Park galloper. War Machine...
2026 Golden Slipper Stakes favourite Incognito nearing return to the races
The absence of Incognito from the Magic Millions 2YO Classic did little to dent his standing in Golden Slipper markets, with the colt edging closer to a raceday return. Michael Freedman elected to sidestep the Gold Coast feature with the $1 million purchase, instead opting for a controlled trial as the...
Antino to target 2026 Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the Autumn
A strong trial session at Deagon on Tuesday will be highlighted by the return of Antino as Tony Gollan begins plotting another autumn campaign for the talented gelding. Antino has not raced since his disappointing effort in the Group 1 Cox Plate, where he finished last after failing to fire on...
Torque To Be Sure breaks maiden in 2026 Magic Millions Guineas, survives protest
Torque To Be Sure finally lived up to his promise with a breakthrough victory in the $3 million Magic Millions 3yo Guineas, though his success came with a nervous wait in the stewards’ room. The Matthew Dunn-trained gelding drifted under pressure in the closing stages, bumping race favourite Ninja as the...
Mile no issue for Merrigold in 2026 Vobis Gold Distaff
Trainer John Sadler admitted a touch of stubbornness delayed Merrigold’s step up to 1600 metres, but the mare made him look wise with a dominant Flemington victory. The five-year-old was having her first start beyond 1400 metres and handled the rise in distance with ease when taking out the Vobis Gold...
Big Sky surges into 2026 Blue Diamond Stakes calculations
Big Sky’s dominant debut at Flemington has propelled him straight into calculations for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), giving Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr the top two runners in early betting. The Bivouac colt overcame a wide draw in the TAB We’re On (1000m), travelling strongly under Jordan...
Future History too strong in the 2026 January Cup
Future History showed his class and toughness when landing the $200,000 Listed January Cup at Rosehill, giving Ciaron Maher another feature race success. The eight-year-old almost didn’t take his place in the race after heavy rain downgraded the track, but connections elected to press on despite concerns about the conditions. Ridden positively...
Unit Five powers home in the 2026 Magic Millions Classic
Unit Five announced himself as a rising star with a powerful victory in the $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic, overcoming far more seasoned rivals despite limited race experience. The Ciaron Maher-trained colt, ridden confidently by Thomas Stockdale, held off Tornado Valley by a length, with By Choice finishing just behind...
Golden Slipper Stakes 2026 plans for Godolphin’s Outspan
The Godolphin-trained Outspan has thrust himself into Golden Slipper calculations after a commanding win at Rosehill on Saturday. After settling just behind the speed in the 1100m contest, the Michael Freedman-trained colt finished strongly to defeat Long Throw ($15) by 1-1/2 lengths, with Miss Chanel ($4.60) another half-length back. The performance marked...
Mile test for Harry’s Yacht in 2026 Vobis Gold Reef
Will Larkin is confident the timing is right to test Harry’s Yacht over the mile when the gelding contests Saturday’s Vobis Gold Reef at Flemington. The four-year-old has enjoyed a strong preparation to date, registering two wins at benchmark level and adding two placings in Vobis races over 1200 metres. Training in...









