Fred Kersley is one of those horsemen who have always been advocates of giving horses time to mature, and being patient when waiting for that pay day.
It has long been regarded as the cheapest recipe for success. AÂ former brilliant reinsman in the harness racing world, Kersley in recent years has turned his hand to racing, with considerable success.
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But even the quietly spoken Kersley admitted this week that his two carnival horses Respondent and Ihtsahymn had more than worn out the patience of those involved with them.
It all started in 2014 when Respondent, then trained by Grant Williams, defeated Kersley's Ihtsahymn in the Western Australian Derby, leaving the connections of Respondent delighted by the success and Kersley, who at the time only trained Ihtsahymn, understandably downcast at coming so close to a big race win.
![Fred Kersley is overseeing former rivals in the Perth carnival.](/web/20161208042453im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/1/j/d/4/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gt1glu.png/1480562593705.jpg)
"I was disappointed of course, we all like to win but that was the way it went and Respondent proved better than Ihtsahymn on the day, but it's always in the back of your mind when you get beaten in a Derby ," Kersley said.
But since then, both have proved costly conveyances. Itsahymn, a 2013 winner of the Kingston Town Classic, a race he will contest on Saturday, was sent to Victoria to be prepared by Paddy Payne not long after his Derby defeat.
Payne and Kersley had formed a strong partnership following the deeds of champion West Australian galloper Northerly in years gone by.
"After the Derby we felt Ihtsahymn was being weighted out of races here in Perth, so I sent him over to Paddy," Kersley said.
"He struggled there and perhaps it was the weight that was again a concern for him and he didn't win a race."
Earlier this year, Ihtsahymn arrived back in Perth to be prepared for its rich summer carnival which includes the Kingston Town Classic and the Perth Cup.
At his third start back for Kersley, Ihtsahymn was successful, and not before time, as the horse had not been in the winner's stall for 750 days.
"It was a fair time to wait, but, it looks like he's back and the weight-for-age conditions for Saturday's race will very much play into his hands as he won't be giving his rivals any weight," he said.
Just a month before Ihtsahymn arrived back on Kersley's doorstep, a group of owners got together and purchased Respondent at a dispersal sale for $55,000.
The group chose Kersley to reinvent the horse's career and last Saturday week Respondent won its first race in 960 days when successful at Ascot, with Kersley elated after such a long drought with a quality stayer like him.
"I've got to say it was nice to win but I've still got mixed feelings about him beating us all those days ago. But, there is very much an upside. I think Ihtsahymn will be competitive in the Kingston Town Classic, a race he's won before, and then we can ago on to the Perth Cup," he said.
"And when he gets to the Perth Cup he'll be competing against Respondent and this time under the same roof. They'll be stablemates and hopefully those years on the outer have ended and we see both of them produce their very best."