Sandbar may sport a toff's pedigree but he has a streetfighter's attitude, which came in handy in the closing stages in Saturday's Listed The Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens.
In a bustling finish, Sandbar dug deep under his 59kg impost to defeat Charge (Zoustar) by a head with Golden Tycoon (Hussonet) a long-neck back in third. (photo Steve Har t) Sandbar spotted both placegetters 6kgs.
Last season, Sandbar mixed it with the best two-year-olds in the land.
The Brad Widdup-trained colt made a winning career debut at Canterbury on January 19 and three weeks later added the Listed Lonhro Plate at Warwick Farm.
Following a luckless sixth in the Group II Skyline Stakes at Randwick, the son of Snitzel stretched the neck of Blue Diamond Stakes hero Written By in the Group II Pago Pago Stakes at Rosehill.
He was far from disgraced in his season-ending eighth in the Golden Slipper.
"He's a tough horse, he showed that all along to get to the Golden Slipper after a long campaign," Widdup said.
"He drew bad, but he is such a tough horse. It was a fantastic ride (by Kerrin McEvoy). We had a couple of plans and it played out well.
"There's still a lot of improvement there. He had one trial and one gallop at Warwick Farm.
"We'll see how he pulls up, but we have a couple of options now. "
Consigned by Strawberry Hill Stud to the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Sandbar (pictured as a yearling ) was knocked down to Jadeskye Racing/BK Racing/Gerald Ryan for $650,000.
The son of Snitzel is the fourth foal and second winner out of the Group III Vanity Stakes winner Tallow.
A daughter of Street Cry (IRE), Tallow was an inspired $30,000 purchase by Strawberry Hill at the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale as she went on to win over $365,000.
Few would be cheering the win of Sandbar any harder than Phoenix Thoroughbreds after David Lucas made the winning bid of $250,000 to secure Tallow at last year's National Broodmare Sale.
She was carrying a colt by Not A Single Doubt and was bred back to Snitzel.
