Fit and rested Harry’s Bar chases second success at Canterbury

If Harry’s Bar was a shade vulnerable first-up, that will not be the case when the reliable mare chases her second career win at Canterbury on Wednesday.

Trainer Paul Murray said the four-year-old will be significantly fitter going into the Vinnie Three Time Champion Sire Handicap (1200m) on the back of a third at Rosehill at the end of May.

On that occasion, Harry’s Bar finished 1-3/4 lengths from Lady Extreme, and Murray said the most promising part of the run was how she rallied when the pressure went on.

“I was very impressed with it, on a heavy track, and she only had the one trial,” he said. “I wanted to give her another one but we ran out of time. She’d had enough probably about the 250m but, at the 100m, you could see her really dig deep and have a crack.”

Murray said the run was tough on Harry’s Bar which is partly why he elected to give her a few extra days by opting not to race in Midway company again last weekend.

“I was going to go Saturday but it was a similar sort of field as the other day and this one popped up without the three-year-olds,” he said. “It gave me a few extra days, I could get a bit more work into her and she’s drawn ideally.”

Jean Van Overmeire rides Harry’s Bar for the second time and Murray feels the race sets up well for her on paper.

She has six top-three finishes but has won only one race from eight starts, which was at Canterbury last August. But the way she’s recovered and come on from her run has made the Kembla Grange trainer a little bullish that win number two isn’t far away.