IBLE’S BARRENGARRY READY TO STEP UP AGAIN

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HE’S up in distance and up in grade – but Joe Ible says Barrengarry is ready.

The Kembla Grange trainer’s stable star chases a hat-trick in the Benchmark 88 Handicap (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, and Zac Lloyd continues his successful association with the lightly-raced four-year-old.

The young gun has partnered the gelding in five of his seven starts, and has been aboard in all four wins.

Ible is keen to test Barrengarry in open company in the $750,000 Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m), ironically at Royal Randwick, on October 31.

“Saturday’s race will give us a good guide as to where we are at with Barrengarry,” Ible said this morning.

“No doubt quite a number of his rivals are on the same path to the Rosehill Gold Cup.

“Bsrrengarry has trained on really well since his latest win, and is a happy horse.

“Whilst this is his first attempt at 2000m, everything he has done points to him handling the extra distance.

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“I’m not concerned about it at all.”

Ible’s astute $10,000 purchase of the son of international star Ghaiyyath as an early unraced two-year-old at the 2024 Inglis Ready2Race sale in Sydney has indeed proven a great success.

Barrengarry has returned that outlay many times over already; his seven starts realising nearly $200,000 – with the promise of more to come.

He is in brilliant form this campaign as an early four-year-old, winning both his starts at Randwick on September 5 and 19, and doing it tough to achieve those victories.

The first was a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m) with 58kg, and then the same grade a fortnight later at 1600m with 60.5kg.

Market assessors are sharing Ible’s view that his gelding has the ability to continue rising through the classes.

He is currently heading markets for Saturday’s assignment at $3.10 with TAB.com.au, with Starzintheireyes next at $4.40.

Whilst Barrengarry is making headlines for Ible, he also has another lightly-raced four-year-old talent in the mare Cabbucio.

At her first metropolitan start last Saturday, she was a late finishing third to Philatelic (who won on protest) in a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1800m).

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The daughter of Too Darn Hot has won twice and been placed four times from the same number of starts as her stablemate.

“Cabbucio was great,” Ible said.

“She hung in in the early part of the straight after the fast pace set by the runaway leader Doradus, and really got going the last bit.

“She would have won in another few strides.”

Ible is freshening Cabuccio for an opportunity to win two features at the Golden Eagle meeting at Randwick on October 31.

Whilst Barrengarry is headed for the Rosehill Gold Cup, he is aiming Cabbucio at the $500,000 Four Pillars Midway (1500m) – restricted to eliglble metropolitan and provincial trainers – the same day.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, OCTOBER 8, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS