Aaron Sims believes the best is yet to come from his mare Double Time which tied the Bermuda-bred record and moved back up to the Free for All at Vesey Street at the weekend.

Racing on the rail in the Junior Free for All, Sims’s six-year-old pony went around twice in 1:03/1 to tie rival mare Reel Patrol’s record set during the Boxing Day stakes races.

“It was pretty exciting and we’ve been chasing it [the record] for awhile,” Sims said. “Reel Patrol had it last year and we tied it and then they broke it again.

“Double Time) has been very consistent all year. She’s probably done five or six four flats (1:04) and last week she did a 1:03/3, which would have tied the old mare’s record but Reel Patrol had already gone 1:03/1.

“We knew she was there and she had a rail this weekend, so I told Dylan [DeSilva, the driver], ‘Let’s go for it’. This is his second year with her and they seem to make a brilliant team.

“The mare is young and she’s moved up to Free for All, which is faster competition, which should only push her even quicker. I think she’s got more left in her and we’ll see what she and Dylan can do.”

Double Time is the daughter of former track record holders Best of Times and Big Red Machine.

Best of Times, also owned by Simsfield Stables, previously held the mare’s record while Colin Mello’s stud Big Red Machine held the overall track record for six years.

“Double Time’s mother and father were record holders and she’s starting to switch on now,” Sims said. “How fast will she go is the million dollar question.”

Sims had double reason to celebrate as his gelding Simsfield Hardtimes also moved back up to the Free for All after being granted a performance setback.

“I did get a performance setback for him and he has done the time so he has gone back to Free for All,” Sims said.

“He came out at the beginning of the year as fastest pony on the track and then he just hasn’t been himself. He had a little injury that we’re trying to take care of and he also had a cold and got a chest infection from. We had to lay him off and get that treated.

“It’s just been one thing after another with him. Hopefully it’s all sorted now and just a matter of him bouncing back for Champion of Champions.”

Tyler Lopes’s mare Google me produced the fastest time at the weekend of 1:02/1, with Cherokee’s Ironman producing the second fastest time of 1:03.