Mornington trainer Jerome Hunter had his decision vindicated to bypass a Group 1 race during the spring when Barb Raider returned to score first-up at Flemington.
Hunter did want Barb Raider remembered as horse that had run in the VRC Oaks (2500m) and then failed to come back as an older horse after the filly scored a first-up win in the Group 3 The Vanity (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday.
After finishing third in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield in October, Hunter stretched Barb Raider out to 2000m when fifth in the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
While there may have been enough to point Hunter in the direction of the Oaks, he made the decision to send Barb Raider to the spring grass for a well-earned spell.
That decision paid off with Barb Raider, the $2.90 favourite under Craig Williams, scoring by three-quarters-of-a-length from Cardigan Queen ($5.50) with Ancient Girl ($10) a head away third.
The victory of Barb Raider was Hunter’s biggest success from the best horse he has trained.
But Hunter will not be resting on his laurels and while he has not mapped out Barb Raider’s next outing, everything is pointing to the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 26.
“The Vinery is my Grand Final,” Hunter said.
“And a bit of rain up there at this time of year will help her.”
Williams said Barb Raider was a similar to Amphitrite who won The Vanity in 2019.
“Amphitrite won the Thousand Guineas and Barb Raider ran third in it, so they’ve got similar types of form references,” Williams said.
“I guess the difference is Barb Raider and Jerome Hunter came to this race with no penalties because she didn’t win a Group 1, but she trialled up and Jerome was mindful of getting her back.
“He had a good plan for her.”