Border trainer Craig Widdison is banking on winning race experience being beneficial when Jarbardar heads to Caulfield.
A debut winner at Wagga last month, Jarbardar is set to line up in the Sportsbet Feed Handicap (1100m) on Saturday.
Widdison also had the two-year-old engaged in the Group 3 David Coles AM Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday, but the Caulfield race was always his preference.
“The better draw and shorter trip certainly made up our mind, but the preference was Caulfield all along,” Widdison said.
“With a two-year-old, it’s a long way to go from here in Wodonga and the barrier made the decision pretty easy for us.”
Jarbardar was taken across the border from Wodonga to Wagga for his debut where he went around a heavily backed $1.35 favourite.
Widdison said it was no surprise to see the support for the gelding.
“He’s done everything right and he’s a nice type of horse and his trial at Corowa was really good beforehand,” Widdison said.
“He ran faster time than the open trial that day.
“He was still very new doing it all, but the time was there and we thought he would be pretty hard to beat at Wagga.”
While two of his three public appearances have been right-handed, Widdison said Jarbardar was well-versed going left-handed.
He said being Wodonga based most of the gelding’s work had been left-handed but added they become adept going either way.
Widdison said he would learn more about Jarbardar after Saturday’s outing but believes the gelding to be as smart as any young horse he has prepared since setting up base at Wodonga in 2016.
“He shows great ability here, as much as any young horse I’ve had up here, and now he’s got to take that step to city grade,” Widdison said.
“We’ll learn a lot more about him after Saturday as there has been a fair few that have trialled well.
“It’s always hard when you go down the line, but he’s exciting for us, anyway.”
Jason Lyon remains the rider of Jarbardar having ridden the gelding to his debut win.
Lyon rarely makes the trip to town, having 10 metropolitan rides in the last five years, all priced at $31 or longer.
But Widdison said Lyon does a fair amount of riding for the stable and he did nothing wrong on the gelding at Wagga.
“Going down there, it’s nice to have someone on that knows the horse,” Widdison said.
“He can be a bit of lad, the horse, so any little help is a bonus.”
Jarbardar is rated the $7 second favourite with debutant Natural Fling, from the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable, the $2.40Â top pick.
