News

Bjorn Baker scores big quinella win at Warwick Farm

24th Dec 2012

Daily Telegraph - Ray Thomas - Sunday, 23 December 2012

When Bjorn Baker went to the sales to buy yearlings for his fledgling Sydney stable last season he struggled to find buyers but his judgment proved spot on after training the quinella in yesterday's rich $250,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m) at Warwick Farm.

Christmas arrived a few days early for Baker, who scored his biggest win since moving to Sydney last year when the filly Twilight Royale ($7.50) held off stablemate Fuerza ($5.50) in a thriller.

The heavily backed Sweet Kiss ($4.40 into $2.90) ran third after hitting the lead in the straight.

The 34-year-old trainer has been best known in recent months for the deeds of in-form stayer Cantonese but he said the importance of Twilight Royale's narrow win over Fuerza can't be quantified.

"It's my first two-year-old winner in Sydney and it's pretty important to me to win these races," Baker said.

"I bought these horses at the sales, one at the Melbourne sale and one at the Inglis Classic sale, with no buyers and I didn't have many horses at the time.

"This is just huge and they both have good futures."

Baker, a qualified pharmacist, established his own stable at Warwick Farm in mid-2011 after deciding to leave the training partnership he had with his father, champion New Zealand trainer Murray Baker.

Together they trained Lion Tamer to win the Victoria Derby in 2010 and while Baker has a proven record with stayers he has no qualms about preparing the youngsters."We're renowned for stayers in Australia but we've had some nice two-year-olds in NZ, myself and my father," Baker said. "It's nice to get a two-year-old winner and for me it's very important and hopefully I can get momentum for the sales - hopefully it can lead to getting better quality horses at the sales.

"I've got a bit of grief over here for stealing other people's horses so it is very satisfying."Twilight Royale, a $45,000 buy, enjoyed a nice run behind the speed and with the BOBS bonus added collected $165,000 for her owners.

Fuerza settled well off the pace, producing a big finish to get very close and Baker said he would progress to the $250,000 Inglis Classic (1200m) at Rosehill on January 19."She has a bit of developing to do, Twilight Royale, and we'll see how she goes but Fuerza is an outstanding type who has really developed into a nice looking horse and he has a lot of upside," Baker said. "I've got a couple of other nice ones still to be exposed but it's nice to get them to the track and win a race like this."

Jockey Brenton Avdulla said the margin might have been narrow but he felt Twilight Royal had a bit up her sleeve at the finish.

"I was always confident she'd run first three but once she really let down I was confident she would hold them off," Avdulla said.

The heavily backed Sweet Kiss appeared to have her chance in the run and jockey Peter Robl felt she performed right up to her ability in running third.