Sandbar under the radar heading into the Roman Consul Stakes
Brad Widdup only has to look at Sandbar's form to feel he might be a little underrated heading into Saturday’s Roman Consul Stakes at Randwick.
The winner of three races, including the Rosebud to start this campaign, has Written By, The Autumn Sun, Zousain and Graff in his form.
“If you look at it in the Golden Rose, he was beaten home by the Caulfield Guineas favourite, the probable Coolmore favourite and a colt that is running in The Everest next week,” Widdup said. “If they were here everyone would be expecting them to win.”
Sandbar is still favourite but a $4.40 chance for the group 2 sprint on Saturday. He has only raced at the highest level and almost beat Written By in the Pago Pago Stakes as a two-year-old before finishing midfield in the Golden Slipper.
After three runs this preparation, Widdup is confident he is fit enough to handle a wet track and he warned punters forgive his fifth in the Run To The Rose on a heavy Rosehill.
“That was a shifty track, where they were losing the confidence in their footing. I think this track on the weekend will be more deep and it will be a slog and I think he will really handle that,” Widdup said.
“He is very tough and he has always shown us that he is up to this level.
“The thing with a real wet track is no one knows how their horses go on it really because we haven’t had one for so long.”
Brisbane trainer Steve O’Dea brings Sesar down to start his preparation in the Roman Consul after an extended break following the Brisbane carnival.
The Sebring colt was fourth in The Autumn Sun’s JJ Atkins after winning the Ken Russell Memorial to start his winter preparation.
“We thought this was the right place to start him after the Golden Rose,” O’Dea said. “He had a little maturing to do and the extra time in the paddock only helped him.
“He handled the heavy track in the JJ Atkins and we thought we would wait and target this race on our way to the Carbine Club Stakes on Derby day.”
O’Dea has put the blinkers on Sesar in an effort to have him a little sharper over the 1200m first-up.
“They have always been an option with him because he is the sort of horse that can drop the bit in his races,” he said. “When he was going so well in the winter I decided to wait to use them.
"First-up at 1200m looks the right time to get him a bit more focused. I think he can be closer in his races with them on and only being a couple of lengths from The Autumn Sun and Zousain [in Brisbane] looks pretty good [form].”