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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Bjorn Baker can only wonder what might have been with Stefi Magnetica’s spring preparation so he’s hoping the classy mare has a change of fortune at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Bjorn Baker (Pic: Bradley Photos).

While she collected $1.25 million in her four start spring the memory of her luckless fifth in the $10 million Golden Eagle, where she was cut out of a run when about to burst through at a vital stage and protested unsuccessfully, is still fresh.

Baker, with a 23 per cent strike rate this season and 62 city winners to date, said the Stefi Magnetica that turns up in the Group 1 $750,000 Toyota Forklifts Canterbury Stakes (1300m) will be ready to rumble.

“She is a horse that has been unlucky throughout her career,’’ Baker said.

“We want a little bit of luck, she’s a bit more mature, she’s definitely up to it we know that.

“She’s more forward than she’s been previously so the Canterbury Stakes does suit first-up.

“She’s going well, I think the draw is good and there looks a bit of speed there. It’s going to be a tough race no doubt about it.”

Last season’s Stradbroke Handicap winner kicked off her spring with a narrow defeat in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m).

As Baker mentioned she’s a fitter horse to take on the 1300m first-up and he said for a horse that doesn’t often sparkle in her trials he couldn’t be happier with what he’s seeing.

“She’s never the greatest trialler, I think she’s going as well as she has for a while,’’ he said.

“There’s a bit of speed there so I think they will go quick enough and if she’s midfield or just behind in her comfort zone that’d be ideal.

“That’s what Zac (LLoyd) is very good at getting his horses to do. We know if she can travel and get a nice run in the race she has a good turn of foot.”

The Canterbury Stakes might just be the starting point for Stefi Magnetica, $8 with TAB on Thursday, but it’s also something of a fork in the road for where Baker might tread with her in the coming weeks.

He said he could keep her to sprints or step her out to a mile again.

“I think possibly the George Ryder is not out of her comfort zone, we have the option of the Queen Of The Turf or the Doncaster so we’ll put her in the most winnable of those and she’s also in the TJ Smith,’’ he said.

Little Baia has earned a shot at stakes company in the Group 3 $250,000 Mostyncopper Aspiration Quality (1600m) after back-to-back wins at Canterbury last month.

He scratched the mare from Warwick Farm midweek to give her the chance to reach a level he suspects she could be up to.

“It’s an open race and a race I’ve had a bit of luck in before,’’ he said.

“She’s in career best form, her work has been really good, and she’s a filly I always thought would get to Saturday grade but I think she’s going better than that now.”

Stefi Magnetica runs second in a Randwick trial on February 24

Baker won the Aspiration four years ago with $61 chance Missybeel.

Meanwhile, in-form stayer Our Anchorage will chase a fifth straight win in either the Listed $200,000 Tokyo City Keiba Randwick City Stakes (2000m) or Sunday’s Canberra Cup.

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