Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Bjorn Baker knew it would be tough to top his career-best 2024-25 season, and on numbers alone, this campaign will fall short.
The Warwick Farm trainer had 157 winners nationwide, including 90 NSW city victories, and $25.8 million in prizemoney at a winning strike rate of 20.7 per cent last campaign.
With just over a month to go, Baker has 55 Sydney wins, 127 nationally, racking up $19.1 million at 17.5 per cent.
He can, however, better last season on one key statistic, but he believes Within The Law will need luck to pull it off on Saturday in the final group 1 on the calendar, the Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) for fillies and mares at Eagle Farm.
Baker claimed three group 1s last season and has three this time thanks to Caballus (Newmarket), Pericles (Futurity) and Green Spaces (Australian Derby).
Three-year-old Within The Law was an $8.50 (TAB) chance to make it four for Baker, after finishing off well to place in the Fred Best and Gunsynd against her own age at her most recent starts.
A draw in gate 10 on Saturday was the trainer’s only concern.
“The blinkers go on, she’s in good order and looks fantastic,” Baker said.
“She’s done well up there, but the question is we might just need a bit of luck from the gate.
“Back on an improving track definitely suits her as well. Last time she was on a heavy track and it didn’t really suit.”
Regardless, Baker said it had “been an absolutely fantastic season”.
“We’ve won a couple of group 1s in Victoria, been very competitive in Queensland and of course winning the Derby in Sydney was a big highlight,” he said.
“We’ve had the overseas experience with Overpass as well, so it’s been a great season and in some ways, maybe not as good as last year, but in other ways, every bit as good.”
Stable stalwart War Eternal gives Baker another chance in the Eagle Farm features after winning his past three, all in listed company, in Queensland. The seven-year-old has gate three for the Tattersall’s Mile, where he was $4.40. Tommy Berry rides Within The Law and War Eternal.
“He’s probably just found the right races and produced good runs,” Baker said of the purple patch.
“He just likes a little bit of cut in the track so it’s definitely been advantageous for him. I don’t change a lot with him. He’s a very straightforward horse. He does a lot of swimming and he’s been very good fun.
“He’s got to be a hope. He’s in great form, and he should be able to get a gun run.”
Baker scratched Hollywood Hero from the Tattersall’s Mile on Thursday to race him instead in the last, a 1500m benchmark 88 race, at Rosehill along with Mawjood ($6).
The six-year-old ($7.50) was third first-up over 1300m behind Cool Jakey and stablemate Midnight Dynamite, which then easily won the Civic Stakes.
“It was a pretty good form race, so you could definitely take a line through that,” Baker said.
“He’s probably going as well as ever.”
Baker also has a strong hand early in the program with last-start winners Jarrito (race three, $5) and Big Papa (fourth, $4.20).
“She’s a filly we’ve got plenty of time for, so it was good to get her back the other day,” he said of Jarrito, which returned from a bleed and cardiac arrhythmia.
“I think a good track is better for us, so the rain around is a bit of a concern.”
He had the same worry with Big Papa.
“I think he appreciated getting back on top of the ground last time, but he’s a very promising horse,” he said.
He said Miss Kim Kar (race five) and Stardeel (nine) would appreciate a wet track.
