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By Ray Hickson

It’s a fair call to say Time To Target isn’t going to reach the heights of the former champion sprinter whose colours she carries but trainer Jim Jarvis is confident she can win her share of races.

Trainer Jim Jarvis (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The red and black checks and white sleeves are of course synonymous with Takeover Target, who retired in 2009 with 21 wins from 41 starts having catapulted former cab driver Joe Janiak into the spotlight and taken him around Australia and the world.

Time To Target, owned and bred by Janiak, has her fifth race start in the Port City Breakers RLFC Handicap (1206m) at Port Macquarie on Sunday.

Jarvis said while she’s showing promise with three straight placings she’s still learning what it’s all about.

“She’s only had a few starts and showed us enough to say she will win a couple of races,’’ he said.

“She’s one of those horses, she’s a bit new and a bit of a handful at the races but in time she might become a racehorse.

“She’s all go and even in her trackwork she likes to get out there and get it done.

“She might only have this one more run and go out for a bit of a break and next preparation she would have benefited from the preparation.”

The three-year-old filly had to do a bit of work in her latest start, a close third over 1210m at Lismore on January 17, and after hitting the front she was only reeled in over the last 50m.

Jarvis expects her to look to find a spot on the pace from gate seven and it will be up to what sort of run she gets in transit.

“That’s her pattern of racing. She goes forward and sometimes they have to do it hard,’’ he said.

The Coffs Harbour trainer has prepared a number of horses for Janiak, who retains an interest in racing despite no longer training, over the years and still houses a couple of mares with foals on his property.

He’s expecting his other Port Macquarie runner Yarrinup Flyer to take benefit from a solid first-up performance when she steps out in the Great Northern On Tap Handicap (1506m).

The mare resumed with a fourth at Lismore last month and Jarvis said she may have to give away a start but will be hitting the line strongly as she looks for more ground.

“She has to work her way up around the 2000m, she’s a handy horse and there’s still a couple of races in her around this area,’’ he said.

Time To Target runs third at Lismore on January 17

“She’ll try her little heart out, she’s drawn wide so she will go back but at Port Macquarie it’s a fair run in and gives every horse their opportunity.

"Hopefully she can get somewhere in the prizemoney.”

Meanwhile, Jarvis said he will consider running Gangika in the $150,000 Northern Rivers Qualifier of the Newhaven Park Country Championships (1400m) at Coffs Harbour on February 13.

He initially thought the mare wasn’t eligible but she’s had 19 starts for five wins so he may deviate from his plan to send her to Brisbane for her next start.

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday's Port Macquarie meeting