Trainer Ron Stubbs' phone has been running hot since the impressive debut win of Sparring at Albury last Thursday.
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Sparring had generated a lot of interest in the lead-up to the $24,000 Maiden Plate, (900m) after blitzing his rivals by 11-lengths in a trial on his home track last month.
Starting as the $1.40-favourite, Sparring lived up to the pre-race hype by scoring an arrogant six-and-a-half length win with jockey Nick Heywood aboard.
Stubbs said the dominant win had sparked a lot of interest from potential buyers, including several from Hong Kong.
"There's been some phone calls made but that's as far as it got," Stubbs said.
"But there haven't been any real eye-raising offers, so we will be racing on.
"It was an impressive debut considering the horse had only had one jump out and a trial previously.
"He won his trial by more than 10-lengths but you are always a bit nervous that the trial form won't stack up.
"But fortunately it did."
Sparring was bred by Phil Tobin and is sired by Fighting Sun out of the mare Lakemba Rose.
The Tobin family has a long history of breeding talented gallopers.
Both Brian Cox and more recently Craig Widdison have previously trained gallopers for the Tobin family.
Stubbs also previously trained for the family when he was a trainer in the late 1980s and early 90s before deciding to take an extended break from training.
Stubbs is a part-owner in Sparring alongside Tobin and said he has never trained a young horse that has commanded so much hype early on in its career.
"Somebody asked me the other day if Sparring was the best horse that I've trained and I said 'he certainly doesn't fill that category yet," Stubbs said.
"As for potential? He certainly is.
"I trained horses for Phil and his family many years ago.
"The family has had a lot of success breeding and owning horses and won a Golden Slipper.
"They have also won multiple group one races but that was more Phil's father and his uncle.
"But the family certainly knows how to breed a horse.
"In fact if you trace the dam line of Sparring it goes back to those original mares."
ALSO IN SPORT
Stubbs said he would now target a TAB Highway Handicap in Sydney with Sparring at the end of the month.
"At this stage, all going well there is a TAB Highway at Randwick over 1000m that we will target," he said.
Meanwhile, stablemate Tap 'N' Run will head straight to the Country Championships Qualifier at Wagga after also winning at Albury.
"Tap 'N' Run pulled-up fine and his rating went up after the win and he is now guaranteed a start in the Championships," he said.
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