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By Ray Hickson

It’s been several months in the planning for Richard Litt to have talented sprinter Barber ready to fire in Saturday’s Group 3 $300,000 MCR The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange.

And to the trainer’s eye he has the former Godolphin galloper right where he wants him.

In one preparation for Litt, the gelding won the Listed Takeover Target Stakes and was placed twice including the Ramornie Handicap at his last start and he’d like to think this campaign can be even better.

“It was very successful and I feel we took a lot out of it too, learned a lot about him and his make up,’’ Litt said.

Trainer Richard Litt (Pic: Bradley Photos).

“He’s an unassuming horse. He’s had two good trials, I was very happy with his trials, he’s very fit.

“We’ve had him in for a good while now in preparation for this race.”

Barber, a Group 3 winner as a two-year-old who ran in both the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper, set his new owners back $215,000 but after five starts for Litt is well on the way to paying that back already earning around $180,000 for them.

Tyler Schiller, who won on Barber at Gosford, is back in the saddle and Litt said if the Kembla Grange track happens to dip into the soft range it would only enhance his chances.

First-up last preparation, on debut for Litt, Barber, $7 with TAB on Wednesday, was a close third behind Pisanello and In Flight with the latter winning three stakes races soon after.

“He’s drawn well, he’s got a rider on him that knows him and has won on him before so it’s a good race for him,’’ he said.

“It’s probably 100m short of his best distance but fresh he’s going to love that speed on.

“It maps well for him to run really well. It’s definitely not the strongest field he’s come up against but we can’t take these races lightly.

“They’re all dangers but we’re very much well in the race. If we can get a bit of a soft track it will help both my horses on the day.”

All going to plan, Barber could head to a race like the Listed Razor Sharp (1200m) at Randwick in three weeks.

Stablemate Huon didn’t quite get the favourable draw Litt was hoping for in the ABAX Civil Handicap (1200m) but if he does get that soft track he’s confident the seven-year-old can put himself in the mix.

Since his first-up heavy track winner at Kensington, Huon has mixed his form a little but Litt is very forgiving of his seventh behind runaway winner Midnight Dynamite three weeks ago.

“At home he’s absolutely low flying,’’ he said.

“He came from a wide gate the other day and ended up being exposed outside the leader and racing wide. He boxed on in a strong field really well for the run he had.

“He’s just got to get a nice run behind them and he’s a good chance of running well, I’m not going to say win, especially if he can get his toe in the track.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s meeting at Kembla Grange