Saracino
Trish Dunell
Cambridge trainer Murray Baker has won 18 Group One races in Australia and he will be reaching for the stars again at Caulfield this weekend.
Now in his fifth successful season in partnership with Andrew Forsman, he will have a crack at a top-flight double on Saturday with Saracino and La Luna Rossa respective form runners for the Caulfield Guineas and the Thousand Guineas.
The dual Group Two winner of the Foxbridge Plate and in the Danehill Stakes at his Australian debut, Saracino was a last-start fifth behind Sacred Elixir in the Gr.3 Guineas Prelude.
"He was only a length from them and didn't get much of a go," Baker said. "He would have gone very close with the right run and we think he will run out the mile okay."
La Luna Rossa, who races in the same ownership as the Gr.1 Livamol Classic runner-up Humidor, was having just her second start this term when second in the Gr.2 Guineas Prelude at Caulfield in her first Australian appearance.
"We hadn't done a lot with her going into her last start and we are certain she has improved with the race," Baker said.
He had two three-year-old runners at Flemington last Sunday with the Listed Wanganui Guineas winner Highlad wilting late to finish third in the Listed UCI Stakes while Eleonora was blocked for a run when unplaced in the Gr.2 Manifold Stakes.
"Eleonora is still trying to get out," Baker said. "She got no run at all until she was pulled out across heels at the end and hit the line well.
"Highlad will be a big improver. He hadn't run for a month, drew the outside and had to do a bit of work early into a strong wind."
Highlad, who is heading to the Gr.1 Victorian Derby, will race next in Gr.3 Caulfield Classic on October 15 and Eleonora is scheduled to tackle the Gr.3 Ethereal Stakes on the same day. – NZ Racing Desk.
Now in his fifth successful season in partnership with Andrew Forsman, he will have a crack at a top-flight double on Saturday with Saracino and La Luna Rossa respective form runners for the Caulfield Guineas and the Thousand Guineas.
The dual Group Two winner of the Foxbridge Plate and in the Danehill Stakes at his Australian debut, Saracino was a last-start fifth behind Sacred Elixir in the Gr.3 Guineas Prelude.
"He was only a length from them and didn't get much of a go," Baker said. "He would have gone very close with the right run and we think he will run out the mile okay."
La Luna Rossa, who races in the same ownership as the Gr.1 Livamol Classic runner-up Humidor, was having just her second start this term when second in the Gr.2 Guineas Prelude at Caulfield in her first Australian appearance.
"We hadn't done a lot with her going into her last start and we are certain she has improved with the race," Baker said.
He had two three-year-old runners at Flemington last Sunday with the Listed Wanganui Guineas winner Highlad wilting late to finish third in the Listed UCI Stakes while Eleonora was blocked for a run when unplaced in the Gr.2 Manifold Stakes.
"Eleonora is still trying to get out," Baker said. "She got no run at all until she was pulled out across heels at the end and hit the line well.
"Highlad will be a big improver. He hadn't run for a month, drew the outside and had to do a bit of work early into a strong wind."
Highlad, who is heading to the Gr.1 Victorian Derby, will race next in Gr.3 Caulfield Classic on October 15 and Eleonora is scheduled to tackle the Gr.3 Ethereal Stakes on the same day. – NZ Racing Desk.
