Latest News

By Ray Hickson

It’s already been a memorable preparation for emerging galloper Midnight Dynamite and trainer Bjorn Baker says further options will open up with a win in the Listed $200,000 Toyota Forklifts Winter Challenge (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer Bjorn Baker (Pic: Bradley Photos).

And rain late in the week has only lifted Baker’s confidence in the four-year-old’s chances, along with stablemate War Eternal who relishes wet conditions.

Baker won the Winter Challenge last year with Robusto and it wouldn’t surprise him if Midnight Dynamite winds up in a race like The Ingham, a race Robusto won in 2024 and ran third in last year.

“You can’t knock him at all. He’s done a really good job and he has a great win record,’’ Baker said.

“A race like The Ingham is one race we have pencilled in, he definitely has the rating to get into a race like that.”

Midnight Dynamite, $3.10 with TAB on Friday, has won eight of his 21 starts - he's moved from a Benchmark 78 first-up this campaign to a Listed Civic Stakes win - and six of them have come on soft or heavy ground.

He found himself a little further back than usual in the Winter Stakes (1400m) two weeks ago before running into third behind General Salute.

“I thought he ran well and I think he might appreciate maybe even a touch further now,’’ Baker said.

“It was a good run and he has a good gate so that gives us confidence.

“It’s a tough race, a very competitive race for this time of year, but I’m very happy with him. We’ve just had to keep him in the zone.”

War Eternal would have been dancing in his stable on Thursday night given seven of his eight wins are on wet tracks, though he’s shown versatility this preparation with a rare good track success three runs ago.

Baker elected to miss the South Grafton Cup last weekend and sees no reason why he can’t continue his good run of form which has seen him win three stakes races on end in Brisbane and was narrowly denied a fourth by Sun God in the Tatt's Mile.

“It was an awkward gate with a drying track (at Grafton) so we elected to stay at home,’’ he said.

“He’s had a marvellous preparation, he’s a lovely horse to have around and is very straightforward.”

It’s been on Baker’s mind how to get War Eternal to the Big Dance and if he doesn’t go to a race like the Coffs Harbour Cup he might wait until the Wild Card.

War Eternal is eligible for both a run in the Wild Card and the Little Dance out of his third placing in the Hawkesbury Cup.

Among Baker’s other Rosehill runners he feels Namaste will have a handy preparation after a promising return three weeks ago.

The three-year-old contests the Find Your Stakes Winner @ The Chase Handicap (1500m) on the back of running fourth behind Tarzing and stablemate Big Papa.

Midnight Dynamite runs third in the Winter Stakes

“I think he’s going really well and his first-up run was good,’’ Baker said.

“The key is putting him in his comfort zone and he’s definitely relaxed a little bit and couldn’t look any better. I’m hopeful the best is yet to come.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting