Jeff Hanson, Narrandera Argus

Narrandera harness trainer Ellen Bartley is preparing for one of the biggest nights of her young training career with Miss Chantilly set to contest the Group 1 NSW Oaks at Menangle on Saturday.

Bartley will team up with her partner and leading reinsman Blake Jones, with their three-year-old set to start from the middle of the row in the $200,000 final.

The 28-year-old was understandably over the moon to see her Captaintrecherous filly racing for Group 1 glory.

“We have had about six or seven Group 1 runners but we’ve not won one yet,” Bartley said.

“We are definitely looking forward to it and the one on Saturday night is really exciting because the other Group 1s we have raced in were restricted.

“They were either for Riverina only horses or Vic Bred horses but on Saturday night, the Oaks is for the best three-year-old fillies in Australia and New Zealand.”

Miss Chantilly kicked off her career in New Zealand, racing 10 times without winning before finding herself in Bartley’s care.

Earlier this month, Jones guided her to a maiden victory at Albury, before she came out and finished fifth in the heat of the NSW Oaks at Menangle on Saturday night.

While she will be one of despised outsiders in the rich final, her finishing burst in the heat made Bartley very happy, with the young pacer making up a lot of ground to finish inside the top five in the 2400m event.

“With her run in the heat, her individual time for the last half and quarter was the fastest of the night,” Bartley said.

“I know that they will go a lot harder in the final, but to run those times is pretty phenomenal.”

As far as expectations, Bartley was just happy to watch her go around in a Group 1.

“To be honest, I’m just happy she is in the final,” Bartley said.

“Whatever she does is a bonus and we don’t have any massive expectations.”

Miss Chantilly has been given every chance though, even spending the week in Sydney with James Rattray.

“She actually stayed with James Rattray for the week, and I’ve spoken to him every day to find out how she is going and to let him know what we want done with her,” Bartley said.

“He has been a big help and with all the travel, it was going to be a bit too much for her.

“We will both go down Saturday morning and take Nerano with us because he is racing too.”

It shapes to be a big night for Bartley and connections, with Nerano starting from the middle of the row in the 1609m Lady Drivers Invitational.

Another former New Zealander; the five-year-old has been a picture of consistency for the stable, winning seven times from 10 starts in Australia.

In fact, Nerano has become a country cup specialist, winning the Griffith Cup late last year, the Leeton Cup on New Year’s Day before finishing second in the Junee Pacers Cup and third in the Albury Pacers Cup in recent starts.

On Saturday night, Nerano will be driven by Grace Panella but will be jumping up in class.

“It is a tough race but he has nothing but improved since we have had him,” Bartley said.

“In the 10 starts he has had with us; he has never finished worse than third and it will be interesting to see how he goes handling the track and atmosphere.”

Regardless of Saturday night’s results, Bartley and Jones are riding a huge wave of success since making the move to Narrandera and Bartley said the duo were enjoying their good run.

“There is definitely a lot of hard work that goes into it and it’s not really a job but it’s a lifestyle,” Bartley said.

“We are loving it here in Narrandera and it doesn’t feel like work anymore now that we have our own place and as long as the winners keep coming, we’ll be pretty happy.”

This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 24 February 2022.