A positive ride by Craig Williams on Barb Raider saw the daughter of Rebel Raider repel the challenges of the royally bred pair Argentia and Mokulua in Saturday’s $300,000 Group II Kewney Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
Coming off a victory in the Group III Vanity Stakes (1400m) at Flemington, the Jerome Hunter-trained 3yo bravely held the fast-finishing Frankel filly Argentia by a half-head with the progessive Redoute’s Choice x Dear Demi filly Mokulua three-quarter of a length further back in third, with the So You Think filly So You see a fast-finishing fourth.
With her second stakes success, barb Raider advances her record to four wins, a second, and two thirds from eight starts with earnings of $482,250.
“It’s fantastic. I was a bit emotional a couple of weeks ago but just trying to hold it back now,” Hunter said.
“Great to get a horse like this. To get a homebred for the owners is fantastic.
“We’ll go home and have a think about but it the (ATC Oaks) is very enticing. I do know that she likes the wet as well so looking at Sydney, it’d be nice.
“It’s only going to get harder as we go up.”
“Last preparation I could see her have a kick and that worried me whether she’d be an out and out stayer but this time round I’ve held a bit more strength in her. You have to have a throw at the stumps if she keeps improving.”
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.
