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By Ray Hickson

There’s still time for lightly raced five-year-old Deel With Me to live up to Bjorn Baker’s hopes and a good way to do that would be to add his name to the trainer’s team heading towards the rich Big and Little Dance races via Sunday’s Bathurst Cup.

Trainer Bjorn Baker (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Baker already has Orange Cup winner Shameonus heading towards the $2 million Big Dance (1600m) on November 1 at Royal Randwick while Ita, via her second in the Orange Cup, is also eligible but more likely to run in the $500,000 Little Dance on the same day.

Deel With Me, $5.50 with TAB on Saturday, is the Warwick Farm trainer’s lone representative in the $50,000 Daffodil Cottage Bathurst Cup (1800m) and he said this is a big chance for the gelding to repay everyone’s faith.

“If he could get to the Big or Little Dance we’d be happy. We’d love to be there, that’s the plan of attack,’’ Baker said.

“He’s a horse that’s always shown a lot, he probably hasn’t delivered quite as much as I would have expected at this time.”

After placings at Goulburn and Kembla Grange in his first two runs this time around it may appear that Deel With Me’s last start ninth at Rosehill in an 1800m Benchmark 78 isn’t the ideal lead up to such an important race.

But Baker saw merit in it, the gelding was jumping from 1400m second-up to the 1800m and he did make some ground from last on the turn.

“I thought his run last time was good, he was just warming up through the line,’’ he said.

“He had a little bit of an interrupted passage and I thought he was quite good late.

“He’s got a pretty good gate and he’s generally good on all tracks. He’s ready to run a really good race.”

Three-year-old Loud is a likely improver, according to Baker, on her debut performance when she steps out in the MBA Wealth Solutions “The Barb” Ida Trail Cup (1200m).

The Ocean Park filly finished midfield at her first outing at Hawkesbury where she settled well back and made some ground to run seventh.

“I think she’s really promising, she didn’t have a lot of luck first-up in a really tough race,’’ he said.

“So 1200m suits, she has a good gate and should be very competitive if she does everything right.”

Deel With Me's second-up run at Kembla Grange

There’s also expectation of more from Motion Legend and Iknowastar in the McIntosh McPhillamy & Co Rising Prince Cup (1200m) as both come off midfield finishes at Hawkesbury at their latest attempts.

Motion Legend has won a trial since his debut in mid-August.

“We’ve put the blinkers on, it’s definitely sharpened him up and he has ability. His run first-up was pretty good in a tough race so he will be well suited,’’ Baker said.

“Iknowastar hasn’t shown a lot yet but his run last time wasn’t bad, and his work at home has been improved, but he does need a good track so we’re mindful of that.”

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday's Bathurst Cup meeting