Eleven up as Barakey Extends Winning Sequence

The unbeaten Barakey extended his unbeaten run to 11 races when making every effort to impress in the closing stages of a thrilling Group 1 Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes recently, and could be set to bid for a round dozen in even more exalted company next time out.

Jim Taylor’s stable star certainly did not have things all his own way, and at one point looked to be staring his first defeat in the face, as Power Princess and Spirit of Boom both threw down strong challenges that looked as though they might prove good enough to land the $500,000 contest.

But, under a fine ride from regular partner, Jason Brown, Barakey rallied in superb fashion in the closing stages of the six furlong contest to edge out Power Princess by just half a length, with Spirit of Boom coming out on the wrong side of a photo-finish for the minor honour, just a nose further back in third.

Until Saturday’s big race, Barakey had generally found winning fairly easy, but in this first step up to the highest grade, he found out what it is to be in a battle and, to the delight of his connections, the five-year-old responded in the best possible manner having always been prominent from the starting gate.

The West Australian star may now head across to the east coast to seek to plunder more top prizes; he is reported by racing live betting pundits to have come out of the race in great shape.

Unlike most top sprinters, the son of Key Business was a late-maturing type and never saw a racecourse until the very back end of his three-year-old season, but it soon became evident once he reached the track that Taylor’s strapping charge could develop into something useful.

There is little doubt that he has already exceeded the expectations that were placed on him, but few who witnessed his guts and determination in winning at Ascot recently will be quick to discount the chance of him continuing his winning streak against the cream of the crop on the other side of the continent.

Prior to his big win, Barakey had hacked up in his usual nonchalant fashion when beating Werd by nearly four lengths in a Group 3 handicap over six furlongs at Ascot, easily justifying odds of 2/11 with the bet365 betting Australia to move into double figures without incurring any losses.