Mornington trainer Jerome Hunter will bypass an autumn campaign in Sydney with Barb Raider to concentrate on gaining a start in the Caulfield Cup.
The two worst runs of Barb Raider’s career have been in Sydney, so instead Hunter has his sights on the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) on April 22, which if the mare is successful in will gain her a start in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) in October.
After finishing fifth in the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes (1400m) at Sandown on February 25, Barb Raider will progress her campaign towards the Mornington Cup in the Group 3 Matron Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Barb Raider has won five of her 15 starts for Hunter and only had one start last spring after a successful autumn and winter campaign last year that saw her successful twice at Flemington, finish second in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville and win over 2100m at Eagle Farm in the Group 2 The Roses.
However, it was her performance when second in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm that convinced Hunter to look towards this year’s Caulfield Cup.
“She showed me in the Queensland Oaks that she might stay,” Hunter said.
“There was a lot of speed, and she was the only horse in the first half of the running that held on.
“She stayed on to finish second while the others finished in the second half of the field, so it gives you an idea that she can sustain a hard run over that distance.”
Hunter said Barb Raider would take a lot of improvement from her performance at Sandown.
He felt before the Mannerism Stakes that Barb Raider would be vulnerable in the last 100m.
“I think she held on really well,” Hunter said.
“She wasn’t stripped up, ready to go first-up because we’ve got a long campaign. It wasn’t her Grand Final, hopefully that will be the Mornington Cup.
“We’ll stretch her out to 2400 metres and see whether she might be a Caulfield Cup horse later on.”