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By Brad Gray
At Royal Randwick

Music Magnate was simply too classy for his rivals in the $150,000 Listed Christmas Classic (1200m).

It came as no surprise to Bjorn Baker who spoke confidently pre-race about the resuming six-year-old having had bone chips removed from both front legs. He even declared the Group One-winner to his growing legion of ‘Bjorn’s Best’ followers on Twitter.

Music Magnate made a winning return

“It’s been a great team effort to get him back and he’s been a great horse for the stable,” Baker said of Music Magnate who stopped the clock at 1:08.88s.

“Big effort. He still had to work a little bit to get across and you’d think he is still a three-year-old sometimes the way he races. He has been a bit like that with a mind of his own. He has a few intricacies that’s for sure.”

Baker, who flew back from Hawaii with his family on Friday night, deflected plenty of the credit to his team who produced the son of Written Tycoon in outstanding order first up off a 30 week spell.

Bjorn's Best: MUSIC MAGNATE. R7. N.1. A Group 1 winner resuming off the back of two good trials. His work is super at home & I expect him to win this. pic.twitter.com/QHBK8FoRB5

— Bjorn Baker (@BBakerRacing) December 29, 2017

“I must say I’ve been away for week and only turned up this morning. He is in great order which is a credit to my team. Jason (Patrick) in particular, my Foreman, who has known him as long as I have. He said he has never looked better and he raced accordingly,” he said.

Baker was reluctant to commit to Music Magnate defending his Expressway Stakes title next time out but said the Group Two feature on February 3 was certainly worthy of consideration.

“We’ll just have a bit of a think about it. We’ll see how he comes through, won’t panic and give him an easy week. It was good to see him do that with the big weight,” Baker said.

“Obviously the Expressway is there. He is a top class horse no doubt about it. He has overcome a number of hurdles.

“He was $45,000 buy and the sales are coming up. I’m hoping to buy a few more of these ones.”

Blake Shinn, who rode three winners on the card, said they were never getting past Music Magnate in the straight.

“Great effort. Obviously he was a little while off the scene with a big weight. It was a really tenacious effort and class shone through,” Shinn said.

First look at Music Magnate for a while @BBakerRacing @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/MEs6lW51Ks

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) December 30, 2017

Check out all the results and replays for Saturday's Royal Randwick meeting.