Superhard takes the prize again at Sandown

Trainer Robert Smerdon won’t be rushing Superhard deep into the spring after the colt remained unbeaten at Sandown.

The All Too Hard three-year-old, a debut winner on the synthetic track at Pakenham last month, finished strongly in Wednesday’s Sheamus Mills Bloodstock Handicap to show he’s a galloper of quality.

Ridden by Ryan Maloney, Superhard ($6.50) ran down the $2.90 favourite Written Choice to score by a half head with Wait For No One ($5) two lengths away third.

Smerdon rates the colt a future Group performer for connections that include former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting.

Whether that’s this campaign he’s not sure because the Caulfield-based horseman fears Superhard’s barrier manners may count against him.

“From day one he’s got into this bad habit of falling out of the barriers,” Smerdon said.

After standing flat-footed in his debut win, Superhard’s manners improved on Wednesday when he was one of the first to begin before being restrained to third place.

“His manners were so much better today and I’m hoping that’s the way it’s going to be going forward,” Smerdon said.

“I’m really pleased to beat, what I thought, was a race of quite some depth.

“In the months to come we’ll look back and think it’s quite a good form reference.”