By Glenn Davis
Sunshine Coast trainer Stewart Barr is hopeful Shadow Of Time can stake a claim for a Magic Millions campaign if successful at Ipswich on Wednesday.
Shadow Of Time, a Michael Cahill mount, will be chasing his fifth win from only 12 starts in the Class Four Handicap over 1350 metres.
The four-year-old has started twice this campaign since failing in the Group 3 Fred Best Classic over the same trip at Doomben in May.
The son of Time For War is coming off a last start second to the Jack Duncan-trained Chapelco in a 1350-metre Class Five on his home track at the Sunshine Coast on October 25.
“He should give this a red-hot go after a bit of a disrupted campaign,” Barr said.
“He’s very tough and from barrier one he won’t have to fight to lead and will be able to control the race.”
Barr believes Shadow Of Time will be at his top at his third run from a break.
“He didn’t jump well when he was well beaten at his first run back at the Gold Coast and fought his rider Tegan Harrison all the way,” he said.
“However, his second run back at Caloundra was superb when he fought on really well.”
Shadow Of Time was a walk through $2,000 buy at the Magic Millions sales and Barr hopes he can make it to the Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast in January.
“I’ll see how he goes tomorrow but I’d like to get him to town on a Saturday as soon as possible,” he said.
“He might get a shot at the Magic Millions Cup if he keeps improving.”
Shadow Of Time was Barr’s first Stakes runner when ninth to the Gai Westerhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Dawn Passage in the Fred Best Classic.
“It was a line ball decision whether to run him in the Fred Best and in hindsight we made the wrong decision,” he said.
“When he went out to the paddock after the race, we discovered he had bruised feet which probably contributed to his run.”
Barr is a well-known owner in Queensland with some top class horses including Shadow Of Time’s dam Endless Shadow who was trained by Peter Hulbert when she won the 2015 Magic Millions fillies and mares race.
He started training in the Burnett region in South East Queensland before moving to the Sunshine Coast in 2018.
He has a goal to start a training partnership with daughter, Katie, who currently works for Chris Munce at Eagle Farm.