Bjorn Baker and Dylan Gibbons star at Randwick
It might have been an off-season winter meeting in Sydney, but it proved prolific for trainer Bjorn Baker and apprentice Dylan Gibbons with both celebrating significant milestones.
Baker took seven horses to Randwick and five of them won, giving the Warwick Farm-based horseman his first quintet.
Gibbons too had a day to remember, the top junior rider booting home four winners, the first quartet of his burgeoning career.
Trainer and apprentice combined for three of their respective triumphs courtesy of smart two-year-old Ozzmosis ($1.85 fav), up-and-coming gelding Iowna Merc ($3.10) and speedy filly Passeggiata ($1.60 Ladbrokes fav).
Baker’s remaining victories came with tough mare Ita ($11) in the 50 year And Life Member Handicap (1600m) before Lady Of Luxury produced a sweeping run down the outside to claim the TAB Handicap (1300m).
While Baker has regularly trained multiple winners on a program, it was the first time he had produced more than a treble.
“It’s a funny game, when it goes bad, it goes bad and when it works out it can go amazingly well,” Baker said.
“What a great day. I’ve got a lot of good friends here today, a lot of very important owners.
“It’s very, very special and Randwick, it’s the best racecourse in the world.”
Gibbons’ remaining win came aboard the Sara Ryan-trained So Good So Cool in the Midway Handicap (1200m), the 21-year-old delighted with his haul.
He admitted he started to feel the butterflies after landing the first two races, knowing he had odds-on favourite Passeggiata still to come.
“When I won the first two races and knew I had a $1.60 favourite coming up, I thought ‘this might be the day’,” Gibbons said.
“This is my first ‘four’ ever. I’ve never had four on any track.”
Baker has spring carnival aspirations for several of his Randwick winners, including Passeggiata who made it three wins from four starts in the Furphy Handicap (1000m).
Blessed with abundant speed, the filly set up a six-length lead and while she tired late, she had enough in reserve to hold on by a neck over Miss Ostend ($31).
Baker said she was still a work in progress but had the scope to develop and improve.
“We are going to have to work on harnessing that speed, she has so much speed,” he said.
“She is really promising and gets the job done. She isn’t the finished product and she’s not straightforward.
“But a win is a win, you are never going to turn down a win.”
Or a five-timer.
More Racing News
Caulfield Cup winner Duke De Sessa share up for grabs
A share in last month’s Caulfield Cup winner Duke De Sessa is being offered on Inglis Digital. The five percent share is one of the headline lots that form a Halo Racing unreserved reduction, offered on behalf of the late Colin McKenna, who died last month. Also up for grabs is five percent...
Despite rating, 2024 WA Guineas hope high for Andrews
As a three-time champion of the WA Guineas (1600m), top line trainer Trevor Andrews has a good handle on what it takes to win the Group 2 feature. Trevor Andrews will have two bites of the cherry at winning his fourth WA Guineas on Saturday and despite what the market says he...
Cranbourne Cup 2024 wait and see for Maher quartet
The Ciaron Maher stable is still deciding which of their quartet of acceptances it will take up the challenge with in the Listed Cranbourne Cup. Three of the runners in Saturday’s 1600m contest are also among acceptances for the Listed Kilmore Cup (1600m) on Sunday. Nugget, Cosmic Vega and Flash Flood have accepted for Kilmore...
Sydney form to pay off for trainer Chris Waller
To run or not to run is a question hanging over many stables as a heavy track presents itself at Doomben. The two listed race features – the Recognition Stakes and the Tattersall’s Classic – could yet be impacted by scratchings but it is in another race on the card where...
Rey shooting for stars in The Meteorite
From the time two slot races were announced by Southside Racing, the Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock stable knew they wanted to be a part of it. Griffiths was born and bred in the Cranbourne area and was one of the first to establish a barn at the Cranbourne Training...
Air of confidence surrounds Maher’s The Gong squad
Big Dance winner Gringotts is the clear top pick of Ciaron Maher’s squad for the $1 million The Gong, but the leading trainer won’t be surprised to see the horse’s biggest threat comes from of a stablemate. Gringotts had three-quarters of a length to spare over barn mate Vivy Air in the Big...
Dan Morton keeps faith with 2024 Railway Stakes mare
Trainer Dan Morton has shrugged aside Super Smink’s horror barrier draw and still thinks she can win the Group 1 Swan Draught-Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday. A layer of complexity was added to Super Smink’s Railway Stakes bid after she was handed barrier 18, but Dan Morton is keeping the...
Timing right for Port Lockroy in G1 Railway Stakes bid
He’s one of five interstate raiders and the outsider of the quintet, but co-trainer, Rob Archibald believes there is a sense of timing about Port Lockroy in Saturday’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot. Rob Archibald, who shares training duties with Annabel Neasham, says Port Lockroy put himself into Railway Stakes...
Royal task for Gilded Water at local debut
A benchmark race on The Gong undercard will add some Royal flavour to the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting when a horse owned by His Majesty King Charles III makes his local debut. Four-year-old Gilded Water has been sent to Australia to continue his racing career, having started just four times in the...
Jason Collett hoping to find Express lane in The Gong
Jason Collett is resigned to the fact that he will be more reliant on luck than good management as he tries to coax another win out of Territory Express in the $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange. The Provincial-Midway Championships Final victor in the autumn, Territory Express has a get-back racing pattern...