Back-to-back stakes wins for Barb
The Jerome Hunter-trained Barb Raider (3 f Rebel Raider – Graebarb by Host) recorded successive stakes-race victories when she produced a career-best performance to win the Kewney Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) at Flemington yesterday.
Last seen winning the The Vanity (Gr 3, 1400m), the three-year-old bravely fought off the late challenge of Kevin Hayes Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Argentia (Frankel), eventually beating her by a nose, while Fillies Classic (Gr 2, 1600m) winner Mokulua (Redoute’s Choice) was a further three-quarters of a length back in third.
The filly also provided trainer Hunter with the biggest win of his career since acting as private trainer for Graebar Park’s Graeme Gathercole, his previous stakes triumphs coming with Warrior Of Fire (Bianconi) in the 2015 Hobart Guineas (Listed, 2100m) and Belwazi (Bel Esprit) in the 2019 Kensington Stakes (Listed, 1000m).
“It’s great to get a horse like this and to get a homebred for the owners is fantastic,” Hunter said.
“We’ll go home and have a think about what we do, but I do know that she likes the wet as well so looking at Sydney, it’d be nice. But it’s only going to get harder as we go up.”
Barb Raider finished third in the Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) in the spring and her trainer has not ruled out another crack at a Group 1, with the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) at Randwick on April 9 a likely target for the three-year-old.
“Last preparation I could see her have a kick and that worried me whether she’d be an out and out stayer,” Hunter said.
“But this time round I’ve held a bit more strength in her. You would have to have a throw at the stumps if she keeps improving.”
Bred by Gathercole, Barb Raider is the first foal out of the winning Host (Hussonet) mare Graebarb, who hails from the family of Listed winner Halo Again (Don’t Say Halo), the dam Group 3-winning pair Be Discreet (Euclase) and She’s Discreet (Euclase).
Graebarb currently has an unraced two-year-old colt by Our Wazi (Choisir) named Graewazi, while she foaled a Squamosa (Not A Single Doubt) filly last spring before being covered by Prized Icon (More Than Ready).
Right tune for Mozart in Phar Lap
Having failed to beat a rival home on his last two outings in the Rubiton Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) and Futurity Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), Mr Mozart (3 c Snitzel – Euro Angel by Rip Van Winkle) stormed back into form in yesterday’s Phar Lap Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) at Rosehill.
The Team Hawkes-trained three-year-old had previously won the Exford Plate (Listed, 1400m) at Flemington last spring and was clearly suited by the Heavy 8 conditions, staying on strongly to beat Group 1 winner Never Been Kissed (Tivaci) by two lengths with a further three-quarters of a length back to Character (Teofilo) in third.
“His runs in Melbourne have probably been a touch disappointing,” co-trainer Michael Hawkes said. “We just thought 1500, back to his own age, a bit of give (in the track), he went great.
“It’s good to see this colt back in a bit of form. He has raced well here in the past and that was the plan, for Willie just to take his time to get to the front. I thought they were going to roll along a little bit more than what they did and then when he kept rolling and got to the front, I thought, wow.
“He got to the 500-metre and when he gets out in front he actually likes doing it and he just kept rolling. The heavy track probably helped him and he’s a winner.”
A homebred for Windsor Park Stud, Mr Mozart is the first foal out of Euro Angel, who was also bred by the New Zealand-based nursery. A daughter of Rip Van Winkle (Galileo), Euro Angel was a $200,000 purchase at the 2014 NZB Premier Yearling Sale for Team Hawkes, who trained her to win the 2016 MRC Ladies Day Vase (Gr 3, 1600m).
Euro Angel is the fifth foal out of Listed winner and Group 1-placed mare Polish Princess (Polish Precedent), who was purchased by Windsor Park Stud for 75,000 guineas out of the Meon Valley Stud draft at the 2004 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
Mr Mozart has a sister named Angel Flight who is also in the Hawkes stable and she is yet to hit the track. Euro Angel foaled a colt by Pierro (Lonhro) last spring and has since again been covered by Arrowfield Stud stallion Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice), who stood in 2021 for $165,000 (inc. GST).
Duais too strong for rivals in Cup
Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m) heroine Duais (4 m Shamus Award – Meerlust by Johannesburg) grabbed a second top-flight stakes success yesterday when she upstaged more fancied rivals in the Australian Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) at Flemington.
The Edward Cummings-trained four-year-old was sent off the $7 co-third favourite behind fellow Group 1 winner Think It Over (So You Think) ($3) and last year’s Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) placegetter Spanish Mission (Noble Mission) ($3.75).
Coming from off the pace at the rear of the field, the daughter of Shamus Award (Snitzel) went on to beat Think It Over by a comfortable two lengths at the line with a further three-quarters of a length back to the pacesetting Spanish Mission.
In what was a first Australian Cup win for Edward Cummings, the grandson of the great Hall Of Fame trainer Bart Cummings, who won the Group 1 a record 13 times, the victory was also the first at the top level for jockey Josh Parr and he expressed his delight after the race.
“I’m elated and I’m struggling for words, which isn’t common for me. What a thrill to ride a Group 1 winner at Flemington, from the back of the field, I’m over the moon,” Parr told Racing.com.
“I was full of confidence and with a pinch of luck we would have won the Chipping Norton, that was evident with her final furlong, it was very strong.
“I was very confident when I saw her here today, Edward assured me she was in great shape and she certainly was. Once I got aboard, she was really relaxed.”
A homebred for Matthew Irwin and the Harris family from Queensland, Duais is out of the Johannesburg (Hennessy) mare Meerlust, making her a half-sister to Group 3 winner Baccarat Baby (Casino Prince).
Duais descends from the same family as influential producer Fanfreluche (Northern Dancer), the dam of Grade 1 winner L’Enjoleur (Buckpasser), Listed winner La Voyageuse (Tentam) and Grade 2 scorer D’Accord (Secretariat). Shamus Award stood at Rosemont Stud in 2021 for a fee of $33,000 (inc GST).