A SUCCESSFUL winter campaign could lead to promising four-year-old Sound Bar being aimed at Tasmania’s richest open sprint in the spring.
After Sound Bar scored an impressive win in a benchmark 82 handicap over 1150 metres at Spreyton yesterday with stable apprentice Boris Thornton aboard, the gelding’s trainer Adam Trinder said the $90,000 Newmarket Handicap could be a realistic target if he delivers during the winter sprint series on his home track in August.
“If I can keep this horse’s rating at a manageable level I’d like to think he could be a lightweight Newmarket horse,” Trinder said.
“He is a progressive type that has won his way through the grades and today he delivered in an 82 grade race and he did it coming back from 1350 metres to 1150 metres so that is no easy task.”
“When they get to this grade there is nowhere to hide and I thought he was brave where he had to be today,” he said.
Sound Bar had issues early in his career and developed a reputation as a barrier rogue.
“The horse was a bit hit and miss with form but he has to have a reasonably form surface and anything shifty and he won’t fire,” he said.
Sound Bar is likely to return to Spreyton in a fortnight for another BM82 sprint event after which he will be freshened up and be aimed at the sprint races on his home track in August.