DAVID CONQUERS GOLIATH AGAIN

• 

IT was a David v Goliath battle – and David won again!

This time David, alias the talented Kembla Grange four-year-old Barrengarry ($1.65 favorite), didn’t need to use a stone as a slingshot, but instead his ability and power carrying 60.5kg to “knock out” Goliath, alias Hawkesbury four-year-old All Star ($7), in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick yesterday.

The David v Goliath comparison arose because both were sold in 2024, and at vastly contrasting prices.

Barrengarry was a $10,000 yearling “cheapie” for trainer Joe Ible at an Inglis Ready2Race sale as an early unraced two-year-old, whereas All Star fetched $1.2m at the Inglis Australian Easter yearling sale.

When the latter failed to greet the judge in three Sydney starts, he was on sold online for $60,000 in May last year, with one of his former owners Spartus Bloodstock and Paolo Martino (father of the horse’s new trainer Fabio Martino) buying him.

As well as All Star, who is a credit to his trainer, ran yesterday, he couldn’t hold off Barrengarry despite a 4kg weight advantage.

• 

The latter through his deeds is indeed putting his Kembla Grange trainer firmly in the metropolitan spotlight.

Barrengarry, a son of multiple overseas Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath, has now won four (three of them in town) of his seven starts, and earned nearly 20 times his purchase price.

And he has his trainer looking at loftier goals this spring.

“Barrengarry has pulled up well, and will go next to a Benchmark 88 Handicap (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on October 10,” Ible said today.

 “Provided he runs up to his best again, we will have a crack in open company at the Rosehill Gold Cup another three weeks after that.”’

Whilst the Listed Gold Cup (2000m) carries a $750,000 purse, it won’t be run at Rosehill as the name implies.

Being on the same October 31 program as the $10m Group 1 Golden Eagle (1500m), it will be run at Randwick.

“I don’t know yet where Barrengarry’s ceiling is,” Ible said.

“He did another terrific job yesterday to make it two in a row at Randwick, having to race wide and still win.

“I’m confident he will run at least 2000m, and perhaps even manage 2400m.

“We’ll have to wait and see on the latter.”

Ible says he will probably give Barrengarry a break after the Rosehill Gold Cup, and look ahead to next autumn.

Whilst Barrengarry has raced himself out of Midway Handicaps in town, his trainer still has another card to deal.

That is Cabbucio, a mare but like her stablemate, another lightly-raced four-year-old.

A daughter of Too Darn hot, she has won two of her six starts, and never finished further back than fourth (when on debut at Goulburn in an 1100m Maiden 12 months ago.

Cabbucio has been runner-up both times this preparation at Kembla Grange, finding rival local trainer Kerry Parker his nemesis.

• 

She was beaten by Parker’s Equilibrist in a Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1400m) on August 29, and then edged out by Tom Cruising in a Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m) a week ago.

“It’s time to go to town with Cabbucio, and hopefully Kerry doesn’t have a runner against us, Ible joked.

“There is a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1800m) at the Epsom meeting at Randwick on Saturday week, and that should suit her third run back.”

. Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees returned from an overseas trip to land an impressive winner at yesterday’s Randwick meeting.

Lees won the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m) with Night Agent ($4.40), who followed up an eye-catching first-up fourth from well back at the same track a fortnight earlier.

Jockey James McDonald put the four-year-old into a winning position soon after the start, and the gelding quickly put the issue beyond doubt with a turn of foot in the straight.

Night Agent posted the fourth success of his so far eight-start career in easily defeating other fancied runners Unleeshing ($4) and Castlejohn ($4.40).

STORY JOHN CURTIS, SEPTEMBER 20, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS