A brilliant young staying star, Sobar won the Caulfield Guineas/Cup double as a 3yo

Sobar was foaled in 1969 and was by Sobig out of the mare Miss Filou (by Le Filou). True to his pedigree as a grandson of Summertime out of a Le Filou mare, Sobar excelled from a mile up to 2400m. Before undertaking a very successful stud career, his sire Sobig had plenty of work to do on the track and much to live up to based upon his fabulous pedigree. He was sufficiently precocious to win the Musket Stakes at Ellerslie as early as October of his two-year-old season, but at three quickly rose through the ranks in the spring, taking out the Waikato Guineas, Thames Valley Stakes and Great Northern Derby (in race record time) on Boxing Day. Remaining at Ellerslie, on New Year's Day of 1965 he faced the older horses scoring the King's Plate, then Gloaming Stakes. Needless to say he was named Champion Three-Year-Old of his year. Sobig ticked all the boxes, possessing an excellent race record backed with a superb pedigree.

The big question regarding Sobig's first crop, to be offered at the 1969 Trentham Sales, was whether Australian buyers would be at all interested. Historically, colonial-bred sires were passed over in preference of the GB sires. The fact that Sobig raced exclusively in New Zealand might also have been considered a negative. A huge positive was his sire, Summertime, whose yearlings they purchased in large numbers. Also, Summertime's final crop had been offered the year before Sobig's first - almost an accession to the throne.

Any doubts were proven to be misplaced because among his first three crops that were exported across the Tasman were Gr.1 stakes winners Sobar (Caulfield Cup and Guineas), Knee High (Doomben Cup), Gladman (Australian Cup) and South Australian Oaks winner Little Papoose. In New Zealand, those same first three crops included Kirrama and Corroboree, each winners of the Gr.1 Great Northern Derby, plus Rustler (Wellington Cup) and the classy fillies Devante and Reachfar. Such a strong start laid the foundation for increased demand from Australia and further afield. His fourth crop included back-to-back Melbourne Cup winner Think Big and the top class filly Sobeit while his fifth crop included Soliloquy.

Similar to his father, Sobar demonstrated exceptional abilities among his senior equine counterparts at the age of three, possessing a robust and powerful physical structure. He was huge for his age with an impressive and striking hind quarters. However, it is possible that pushing such a young horse to compete in major endurance races over long distances within a short timeframe may have been a strategic oversight. He started his career at Flemington in March of his 2yo season running second, beaten only a short half head by Arabian Breeze when ridden by Len Hill. His second start came only a few weeks later when he won the Caulfield Orrong Handicap over 6 furlongs. Trainer Ken Hilton had believed in Sobar's potential before the colt had even raced, and as an early three-year-old his opinion was justified. At only his 5th start in the Craiglee Stakes, he managed a 3rd after being tucked away, a certainty beaten. In the 1972 Underwood Stakes Sobar was just too good for them, taking over on the turn and powering up over the final stages to win convincingly. With an easy WFA win to his credit, Sobar was spelled and set for the Caulfield Guineas

Bart Cummings and jockey Roy Higgins believed their horse Century was the best 3YO that season, but Harry White had other ideas. Both horses matched strides until the 1000m mark in the Guineas, before Harry got sick of this and just let Sobar stride away 800m from home. He careered away to beat Century by 4 lenghths and in doing so equalled Vain's record of 1:36.2. In the Caulfield Cup a week later it was a similar scenario. Sobar was anxious to get on with it and Harry just let the horse stride freely from the 800 metres and track along the rail from the 500 all the way to the post, which led Bill Collins to exclaim as Sobar crossed the line,

“He might'n be a Tulloch, but he's not far short of it."

Sobar blitzed a strong field in the1972 VATC Caulfield Cup, equaling Tulloch’s weight carrying record for a 3-year-old (7st 8lbs) trouncing Stormy Seas, Gunsynd, Grand Scale and Gay Icarus in course record time of 2 mins 27.1 secs for 2400m. In 1972, Sobar had pulled off the remarkable Caulfield Guineas/Caulfield Cup double in the space of a week. It was a rare feat.

Harry White never believed Sobar should not have run in the Victoria Derby as he didn't feel himself. From a wide draw White was unable to find a decent spot behind the leaders and proceeded to hang wide as the horse fought him all the way down the back straight. It was a massive head to head battle over the final stretch, with Dayana just finishing the better over the top of him. Sobar tragically broke down in the Victoria Derby when a long odds on favourite. He was beaten by Dayana who was no slouch winning the Western and South Australian Derbies and the following year the Perth Cup. Harry White took the rap and claimed he offered a poor ride on Sobar without disclosing the horse had an injury.

Sobar never really recovered from the break down, despite connections trying to get him back to the track, and ran his last race in 1974 when 100/1 in the Toorak Handicap. Other wins included the Underwood Handicap in 1972 and the Blamey Stakes in 1974 ridden by Mick Manyon. Sobar, one of the enigmas of Australian racing also grabbed the 1974 St George Stakes reclaiming some of that old magic. In the Australian Cup he was smashed around and despite trying a new trainer, his leg injuries got the better of the horse. For a time in his 3yo season, he was rated as the equal to the mighty Tulloch. Sadly, the tendon injury saw him fail to recapture his form but he would show glimpses at times of what might have been.