Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Baker’s big day with a pair of 3-year-old colts
Trainer Bjorn Baker’s stable is flying with exciting 3-year-old filly Blue Door (Stay Inside) booking her ticket to The Everest with a last start victory, and on the same day, 3-year-old colt Warwoven (Sword Of State) won the G1 Golden Rose.
The colt heads south to the time-honoured G1 Caulfield Guineas on Saturday with the stable confident he can pull off the double following Ole Kirk and The Autumn Sun who are the two most recent winners of the Golden Rose/Caulfield Guineas.
Warwoven | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He has come through the Golden Rose great,” Baker said.
“He has got a great attitude – he is really bombproof. He had a nice gallop left-handed on Thursday (1 October), it wasn't about breaking the clock. But he has been very, very good, arguably a once-in-a-lifetime colt.
“He (Warwoven) has got a great attitude – he is really bombproof. But he has been very, very good, arguably a once-in-a-lifetime colt.” - Bjorn Baker
“Caulfield can be a bit tricky but Rachel (King, jockey) has been really happy with Warwoven and how he has handled the couple of gallops left-handed we have given him. Warwoven is bombproof, he's switches off well in his races and I think barrier six of 11 is just about perfect for him.”
It has been much publicised that Baker believes Warwoven will easily stretch to the mile of the Guineas as his dam, Needle And Thread (Makfi {GB}) won the G2 Royal Stakes at Ellerslie over 2000 metres as a 3-year-old.
His sire, Sword Of State, was more of a sprinter, never running further than 1200 metres in his 11 start, six win, career. The son of Snitzel won the G1 Sistema Stakes as a juvenile, and Warwoven is from his first crop.
Bjorn Baker | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The Baker stable will be keeping an eye on Sydney when fellow Ridgmont part-owned colt Paradoxium (Extreme Choice) runs in the G2 Roman Consul Stakes. His other owner is Yulong Investments who have yet to announce their runner for the G1 The Everest, fuelling some speculation he could end up there.
“There has been no mention to me of Paradoxium going to The Everest,” Baker told racingandsports.com.au.
“I don't think a back-up would be ideal for him, either. We are aiming this horse at the Coolmore Stud Stakes and he is really good order. He has looks great and I can't fault his work this week, he's flying.”
Sheza Alibi to stretch out in trip in Might And Power
Last start G1 Makybe Diva Stakes winner Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) has three Group 1 wins over a mile and on Saturday, she steps up to the 2000 metres for the first time in her career for the G1 Might And Power Stakes.
“I’ve been really, really pleased with her. I think this is probably the best she’s been all preparation, she just seems very happy within herself and her work leading into Saturday has been really good,” co-trainer Katherine Coleman told racing.com.
Sheza Alibi | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Obviously, it’s going to be our first go at 2000 metres, which is always a little bit of a question mark until they tick that box under race conditions, but she’s given us every indication that she’s going to come here in tip top shape.”
Normally, punters would assume the run will test her ability over the trip ahead of the G1 Cox Plate, but she’s not headed that way.
“It’s always tempting, especially when it’s at Flemington this year, which is a track that really suits our girl, but they only get one chance to run in the Golden Eagle, so the plan is to still head there at this stage.”
Katherine Coleman | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Only five other horses have braved taking on the super mare with Chris Waller-trained Birdman (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}) second in the market behind Sheza Alibi.
“He’s a pretty seasoned campaigner and our mare is still only relatively lightly raced and is still building through it, which is an amazing thing to say when you look at her resume,” Coleman said.
“We’ve got a lot of respect for these seasoned old campaigners because they can be very tough to beat at times.”
“We’ve got a lot of respect for these seasoned old campaigners because they can be very tough to beat at times.” - Katherine Coleman
Four of the six runners are already Group 1 winners with the other elite level winners being Land Legend (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) and Kingswood (GB) (Roaring Lion {USA}).
Jigsaw primed to extend seven-race winning streak
Cindy Alderson-trained Jigsaw (Manhattan Rain) has won seven in succession over his last two campaigns including the G1 Auckland Railway Stakes, G1 William Reid Stakes and a last start win in The Quokka.
He resumes in Saturday’s G2 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield over 1100 metres.
“He's brought me a lot of pleasure and everyone in our stable has had a lot of fun out of him, and he's certainly given Logan (Bates) the ride of a lifetime,” Alderson told skyracing.com.au.
“He's (Jigsaw) brought me a lot of pleasure and everyone in our stable has had a lot of fun out of him, and he's certainly given Logan (Bates) the ride of a lifetime.” - Cindy Alderson
“He's a funny little horse. He's always been a little bit quirky, but if he gets his confidence up, which he seems to have at the moment, and he has confidence in the rider, and Logan has confidence in him, I think it's a great partnership.”
Jigsaw | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
When asked which run of his last season stood out, Alderson couldn’t pick.
“Every race was good for different reasons. Winning the Meteorite at home, fighting back to win the William Reid was pretty amazing. When he went to the Quokka, he had had a few races and he was over eager.
“He worked really fast on the Tuesday morning, probably too fast, and I thought he was going to be vulnerable. To see him overcome a slow start for him, and some rivalry from Tommy Berry's riding, and still hang on and win the race, I thought was a really courageous win.
“For a lot of different reasons, they were all remarkable wins, and that was the beauty and the joy of the campaign.”
Cindy Alderson | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
One of the exciting challenges in the race comes from 3-year-old filly Streisand (Magnus) who won the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes last season. She resumed with a mid-field effort in the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes last start. She’s drawn eight for this race which isn’t idea but trainer Clinton McDonald is not overly stressed.
“We’d have love to drawn in, camp there with no weight, and just be stalking Jigsaw,” McDonald told racing.com.
“She’s there to run well, but you can’t help the barriers, they’re out of your control. We’re not going to cook her in trying to burn across and take up the lead - that would be a concern to me.
Streisand | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I think she’s the forgotten horse of all the 3-year-olds, to be honest. Her run first-up was very, very good. We were always going to ride her quiet… through the line, she was excellent, she was starting to really get motoring.
“She’s come on big time, so we’ll let the little ones play in the little playground, we’ll play in the big playground, and hopefully we can be there on Coolmore Stakes Day.
“Our whole target is to get to Flemington, 1200m down the straight. Whether that’s the Coolmore or the Champions Sprint, that’s up to Yulong.”
With the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes field beginning to step into formation, and several exciting colts headed that way, Streisand will have to step up to demonstrate that her brilliant juvenile form has held strong at three.
Clinton McDonald | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The juveniles spring into action
Eagle Farm sees the first juvenile race for Queensland for the season with eight youngsters set for their first outing. Mike Crooks’ private trainer Donna Stanbridge has four runners in the field including the filly Mishani Tyzone (Stronger) who is the first runner for her first season sire. Stronger, a Group 1 winner in Hong Kong, is by Not A Single Doubt.
Anamoe is represented by Kristie Clark-Peoples-trained Ruthven Street and the filly has been through the sales ring twice. Initially sold by Durham Park at the Inglis Great Southern Sale for $75,000 and bought by Harry McAlpine, she was offered by Eureka Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Mark Currie paid $110,000 for her there.
Ruthven Street as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Nine juveniles step up for their debut runs in the first at Ascot in Western Australia. First season sire Aysar, a half-brother to Home Affairs, will see his first runner with Luke Fernie-trained filly All That Class. Aysar, a son of Deep Field, was a winner at two, improving at three to place in the G1 Caulfield Guineas before adding a Listed win later in his career.
All That Class was purchased by Peter and Luke Fernie for $70,000 from Willow Dale Farm’s Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale draft.
All That Class as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Marine One also gets his first runner as Mack Hall-trained filly Steel My Ship debuts in the same race. The son of Capitalist won the G2 Rubiton Stakes and is a full brother to Group 3 winner Cannonball.
The first runner for first season sire Best Of Bordeaux lines up in the first at Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand on Saturday. Trained by Mark Brooks, the colt Bordeaux Fire is part of a field of eight runners in the 800 metre dash.
Rheinwood Pastoral sold Bordeaux Fire to Brooks for $25,000 at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale. Two other Australian bred horses take their place in the field, being Kurtis Pertab-trained filly Captive Audience (Captivant) and Peter and Shaun McKay-trained filly Aquila Veloce (Capitalist).
