The Bandit looking to grab loot

WARATAH Thoroughbreds hope to emulate Sir John Hawkwood’s Metropolitan Handicap-winning exploits with a former Japanese stayer who is set for his first Sydney start at Randwick on Saturday.

The NSW Southern Highlands-based breeding enterprise sent The Bandit to trainer John Thompson two months ago with the aim of capitalising on their farm at Moss Vale.

“They like utilising their farm. The horse has a run and then goes back to their farm for a week or 10 days and then comes back and runs again,” Thompson said.

“They’ve had a lot of success with that strategy. They won the Metrop with Sir John Hawkwood doing that and I think they want to do the same thing with this horse.”

After three races in Japan, The Bandit was bought to run in Australia and sent to Caulfield trainer John Sadler but struggled after a second-up win over 1800m at Sandown in March 2016.

“They were trying to get him to the Melbourne Cup, but didn’t have much luck there,” Thompson said. “I don’t know what sort of heights he’s going to reach but he gallops like a good horse does.”