A perfectly timed ride by Craig Williams on Barb Raider paved the way for the admirably honest three-year-old daughter of Rebel Raider to open her stakes account in Saturday’s Group III The Vanity (1400m) at Flemington.
Trained by Jerome Hunter, Barb Raider ambushed the leaders in the final 200m to defeat the Sebring filly Cardigan Queen by three-quarter of a length with the Turn Me Loose filly Ancient Girl a head further back in third.
Third in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield last spring, Barb Raider advances her record to three wins, a second and two thirds from seven starts with earnings of $302,250.
It was the biggest win to date for an emotional Jerome Hunter.
“It’s just sensational. So much hard work at home, all the staff and track riders, we’re a good team,” Hunter said.
“It’s paid off. We’re not the biggest stable but we certainly try our hardest.
“You hope they come back and this whole preparation she’s done everything one hundred per cent. Just her demeanour as well.
“We’ll keep going. Find a mile race and hopefully go to Sydney if she is good enough.
“We will think about the Australian Guineas, but I like winning races easy rather than knocking on the door.”
Williams believes that the daughter of Rebel Raider has progessed from the spring.
“I do love her maturity and her natural progression from her first preparation until coming into the autumn. She goes around to the start with no pony, is still a bit inclined to want to go lefthanded, but nowhere near as bad as she was at the end of her first preparation.
“She’s very effective on soft ground as well and today’s track is absolutely perfect. I think the options are there for the owner and Jerome and looking forward to seeing where they target her.”
A homebred for Graebar Park's Graeme Gathercole, Barb Raider is the first foal of the winning Host (ARG) mare Graebarb, who hails from the family of the wonderful producer's Halo Again and her daughter She's Discreet.
Graebarb has a 2yo colt named Graewazi, one of four foals left by the obscure Our Wazi an unraced half-brother by Choisir to the Listed winner Belwazi.
Graebarb foaled a Squamosa filly last spring before being covered by Prized Icon.
