Three-year-old filly Barb Raider on trial for Sydney trip in Sunline Stakes

Barb Raider will tackle the older mares in the Sunline Stakes at The Valley which will give trainer Jerome Hunter a good guide whether to send her to Sydney.

Barb Raider will take on the older mares in Friday night’s Group 2 Sunline Stakes at The Valley. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Trainer Jerome Hunter is happy to take the harder path to test Barb Raider’s Sydney credentials at The Valley on Friday night.

Hunter has decided to run Barb Raider against the older mares in the Group 2 Sunline Stakes instead of against other three-year-old fillies in the Group 3 Alexandra Stakes.

Both races are over 1600m but Barb Raider will carry 54kg in the Sunline Stakes instead of 59kg in the three-year-old race.

Testing Barb Raider against older mares would also give Hunter a guide on her chances in a Group 1 race during The Championships next month.

“I thought we’ll go to the Sunline with only 54kg and see how she goes against the older mares,” the Mornington Peninsula-based Hunter said.

“This will give us a good idea whether she’s up to going to Sydney.

“All being well, she’d probably head to the Queen Of The Turf after this.”

Barb Raider is unbeaten this time in.

She won the Group 3 Vanity over 1400m last month before lasting to win the Group 2 Kewney Stakes over 1600m at Flemington on March 12.

While Barb Raider only held a narrow margin over the smart filly Argentia at the end of the Kewney Stakes, Hunter said his charge was short of full fitness in that race.

He said Barb Raider would be fitter at The Valley.

Trainer Jerome Hunter will test Barb Raider as a Queen Of The Turf Stakes contender on Friday night at The Valley. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.

“I didn’t want her peaking second-up and we’ve got not much left for the rest of the campaign,” Hunter said.

“If we go to Sydney or go over to Adelaide and have a couple of runs there, we want to make sure she’s getting fitter with every run.”

Barb Raider raced near the lead before prevailing in the Kewney Stakes.

Hunter said the small Sunline Stakes field would give jockey Craig Williams the chance to repeat those tactics in the $300,000 feature.

“That was one of the main reasons for running, I think there were only seven acceptors in the Sunline and there doesn’t seem to be many on speed horses,” Hunter said.

“I think that’s the advantage of a small field at The Valley because at Moonee Valley, not always the best horse wins.

“We’ve got 54kg in a smaller field so hopefully she’ll be out of trouble.”

Barb Raider is the $3.80 second favourite behind the $1.70 chance Flying Mascot in TAB’s early Sunline Stakes market.

Hunter said Flying Mascot was a deserved favourite despite carrying 5kg more than Barb Raider under the weight-for-age conditions of the race.

“I guess Flying Mascot will be the one to beat but with 54kg, I hope our filly is competitive against her,” Hunter said.

Originally published as Three-year-old filly Barb Raider on trial for Sydney trip in Sunline Stakes