Trainer Richard Litt believes Barber is well suited to the Listed Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton on Wednesday, having specifically targeted the $200,000 sprint.
Barber won the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) in 2023 but only managed one more victory under the care of James Cummings and Godolphin, with the Exceed And Excel gelding moved on in December 2024.
Purchased for $215,000 by Jason Micallef’s Monarch Bloodstock, Litt has only had Barber for less than six months but is learning plenty about the early favourite for Wednesday’s race.
“He’s always a horse that’s shown us a fair bit of talent,” Litt said.
“It’s just been trying to get inside his head that’s been the hardest part, he’s not a straightforward horse.
“Maybe forced the issue with him a little bit early days and that probably happened a little bit too soon for him but he certainly seems to be coming of age now.”
Monarch Bloodstock also purchased ex-Godolphin galloper Bacchanalia in 2024 to be trained by Litt, who prepared the horse to run second as a $51 chance last year’s Ramornie Handicap, with connections keen to go one better this year.
Litt has deliberately spaced Barber’s runs having trained the horse to win the Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) at Gosford second-up on May 10.
Since then, he’s finished eighth in the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes (1100m) and fifth in the Group 3 WJ Healy Stakes (1200m), but Litt says the Ramornie has been the aim for a while.
“This has sort of been a target for us, we thought we’d let the Eagle Farm carnival go by and throw him in at the tail end of it and have him peaking at the right time for this race,” Litt said.
“Given the ownership group, there’s a bit of romance to that.
“He’s in good shape, and he’s going to turn up there as one of the favourites, if not the favourite.”
Barber is a $4.50 chance for the Ramornie after drawing barrier four with Dylan Gibbons booked to ride.
