Barry Garforth promised Decision Time to Clarry Conners' stable foreman Dale Harris years ago. He can't remember when, but reckons the pledge might not matter now.
"I said to Dale, 'I think Decision Time will see you out'," Garforth joked.
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Which is said with tongue in cheek, but it's almost not. Mainly because nobody really knows when Decision Time will actually be done with racing.
He's rumbled with the turf greats of recent years in Black Caviar and Winx, has long seen off the Golden Slipper class of 2010 – a race in which he was bettered only by Crystal Lily – and for something different he went down Flemington's straight for the first time in five years a fortnight ago – and won. As a nine-year-old.
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Punters cursed and tore up betting tickets. They should have sprayed the confetti over the old boy when he returned to the winner's enclosure. For Decision Time, now boasting $1.7 million in stakes, is one horse that should be celebrated.
"He just loves being in work and he gets plenty of attention because he's a bit of a pet around the stables," trainer Conners said before Decision Time steps out a fan favourite in the $150,000 Canterbury Classic on Saturday. "He gets about two kilos of carrots a day and he's right. He absolutely loves them."
The man behind the stable pet is actually a former pet supplier himself.
Garforth relishes the quiet life of NSW's South Coast these days, but is forever thankful he kept the third foal out of his mare Daunting Thought, herself "tough as an old boot" and one he gave away after she had Decision Time.
Garforth also raced Daunting Thought's mother Star Idea, but his broodmare band has been whittled down to one these days.
More than once he thought Decision Time was done. Even as recently as a few months ago after a winter yielding little return, Garforth told Conners he thought time was up after a career punctuated by two serious injuries.
"I said, 'enough's enough'," Garforth said. "But Clarry said, 'I just love having him around the stables'. I've been owning horses for a long while and once they tear a tendon you nearly pull stumps. Once you tear two you think there's no way [they will return]. They talked me into [continuing] and I'm glad they did.
"Right now he's as sound as he's ever been in his life. That's the sort of horse he is. I'll have a birthday starting with an eight next year and I'm very happy being retired down the South Coast [and racing Decision Time]."
There was no sign Decision Time would become the horse he was after stepping out in a post-Christmas barrier trial in his Slipper year. Conners wanted another trial, Garforth wanted to start seeing a return.
And Decision Time smashed the 900-metre track record at Kembla Grange which had the pair scrambling to come up with a late-entry fee for the world's richest two-year-old race a couple of months later.
Almost seven years on and perhaps no Canterbury Classic rival is going better. Conners always thought his old boy carried a bit too much pudding around the belly – not just at Christmas time – but has stripped 10kg off his frame after the successful trip to Melbourne.
"He's been in so many years and he does the same thing every day," Conners said. "It was just something different floating him down there and it's the old saying, 'a change is as good as a holiday'.
"The horse is going really well and James Innes Jnr is riding well at the moment – nice and strong."
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