The Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) delivered the tightest finish of Gosford’s feature program on Saturday, with just half a length separating the top five runners in a thrilling conclusion to the $300,000 sprint.
It was Barber who proved toughest at the line, the former Godolphin galloper edging out Brudenell and late-charging Spacewalk, with Warnie and Accredited finishing close behind in fourth and fifth respectively.
Barber, now trained by Richard Litt and owned by Monarch Bloodstock after being secured through the Inglis December digital sale, overcame a wide run to notch his first stakes win since his two-year-old days with Godolphin.
“The pace came out and myself and Brudenell quickened up and just pulled ourselves to the front,” jockey Tyler Schiller said.
“It was just a war from there. It was a ding-dong battle but glad to come out on top.”
Sent out at $8, Barber didn’t get much cover after jumping from a tricky gate, but showed grit to grind out the win ahead of Brudenell ($11) and Spacewalk ($18). The $300,000 feature lived up to its billing as the most competitive event on the card.
Trainer Richard Litt admitted it wasn’t easy viewing as Barber sat wide throughout, but was full of praise for the colt’s tenacity.
“He’s a wonderful horse. He ran extremely well first-up at Canterbury and was probably a little bit unlucky,” Litt said.
“Today, I couldn’t watch when he was three-wide. I bowed my head and thought, oh well, what will be will be, and it was good to see him tough it out.”
Barber now heads to Queensland, holding nominations for both the Doomben 10,000 and the Stradbroke Handicap, where he’ll face his sternest test yet during the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Litt, whose stable is best known for Group 1 winner Castelvecchio, has made a habit of rejuvenating former Godolphin horses, with Morton’s Fork, Sedition, and Huon all notching wins under his banner.
“They (Godolphin) are wonderful to buy off. You know what you’re getting, they’re great horses, James (Cummings) is a wonderful trainer and they have a great team,” he said.
“They’re very transparent and from my point of view I’m very lucky to be able to buy them.”
The Takeover Target Stakes was one of three black-type races on the Gosford program, joining the Gosford Gold Cup won by Les Vampires and The Coast, taken out by Know Thyself.
With Barber firming in markets for Brisbane’s biggest sprints, punters can stay ahead of the game by checking the latest odds and offers at Australia’s leading betting sites.
