Track-lover Sound Bar has given trainer Adam Trinder another strong chance of finally taking out his hometown cup after a thrilling win in Friday’s $25,000 Golden Mile at Tapeta Park, Spreyton.
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Sent out a $10.90 fourth-favourite, the six-year-old staged an epic battle to the line with Gee Gees Top Notch and Kanji to win by a nose.
The victory assures Sound Bar an automatic spot in next month’s Devonport Cup, although Trinder was confident of a getting a spot in the field through the ballot.
He has every right to be confident with the gelding taking his record to eight wins from 15 starts at the track after racing as a sprinter up until September.
“We had him as a sprinter who’s been through the sprint series at this track the last two seasons, but thought that he was too highly rated to be productive, so we elected to try him out over a bit more journey and it’s coming to fruition well,” Trinder said.
“He’s had the three runs over a mile so far for two wins and a placing, so he’ll progress now to the Sheffield Cup (on Boxing Day) and then onto the Devonport Cup in January.”
Ridden by Victorian apprentice Boris Thornton, Sound Bar settled second behind front-runner Kanji in the early stages of the race before making his move at the top of the home straight with Gee Gees Top Notch looming.
“It was a really good finish, and he’s been a horse that has never won a race by a big margin,” Trinder said.
“He’s quite reserved in his demeanour and takes a bit of encouragement right throughout his run, but he came here after running second on the turf at Hobart and I thought that would bode well for today’s run.
“Boris will ride him in both the Sheffield and Devonport Cup and has a really good record on him.”
After placing second in the Devonport Cup on two occasions, Trinder hopes he can finally break his duck in a race which carries a rich family heritage.
“We will line up with two runners at this stage in Sound Bar and Jerilderie Letter, so hopefully one of them is the right horse for us,” Trinder said.
Thornton backed up in the final race of the day, a Benchmark 72 Handicap, to land a winning double on the seven-race card, while fellow apprentices Raquel Clark and Nathan Punch also did the same.
