Trainer Carly Thomas chasing first city win at Caulfield on Saturday
The circumstances weren't ideal but Carly Thomas knew the time had arrived to finally secure her trainers' licence.
Thomas's partner Kane Harris was suspended for six months, leaving her to dive into training in her own right.
However, Thomas had a deep grounding working for Group 1-winning trainers Pat Carey and Jason Warren on the Mornington Peninsula and spent time caring for a former star sprinter on his travels.
'I got my trainers' licence last September,' Thomas said.
'We'd originally bought the horse together as a yearling and we worked together but unfortunately Kane sustained a suspension so I took over the training.
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'I spent 10 or 11 years at Pat Carey's and five or six years at Jason Warren's.
'I travelled around with old Bel Sprinter and that was a fantastic experience to travel around Australia and to Singapore with him and have that responsibility.
'It was always something in the pipeworks and it has definitely been a different perspective having your name on everything but I guess it's the next progressive step when you've been in the industry so long.'
Thomas has produced five winners from 55 starters in the early months of her training career but will chase her first city success in Saturday's Sportsbet Race Previews Handicap (1000m) at Caulfield.
Just Remember It has won two of his three starts this time in, breaking his maiden at Pakenham last month before saluting on the Ballarat Synthetic track at his last appearance on June 11.
Thomas decided against running Just Remember It at Flemington last Saturday and nominated the son of Hellbent for interstate contests before settling on the Caulfield option.
'It turned out to be a good choice because I don't think anything would have beaten that She's An Artist (at Flemington) last Saturday,' Thomas said.
'I think he deserves a crack at the stumps at Caulfield on Saturday.'
Just Remember It has firmed from $23 to $19 in early betting on the $150,000 race in which he will take on eight rivals with jockey Craig Newitt aboard.
Thomas said Just Remember It could exploit a fitness advantage on most of his opposition should a strong early speed prevail in the three-year-old sprint.
'I think he's a really nice horse but he just does a few things wrong,' Thomas said.
'This prep, I think he's learned a lot and he's definitely a city type of horse.
'It's a strong race as you'd expect but there's a lot of speed in it so if he can just sit off them and finish it off.
'He's the fit horse in the race and he'll have a nice crack at them.'
The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Manolo Bling is the well-backed favourite to post her second win this time in, firming from $3.50 to $3.10.
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