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Baker Springs Mare Into Action With Stakes Targets Ahead

By Ray Hickson

Trainer Bjorn Baker says he'll probably need to roll the dice on a wet track first-up with Spring Lee at Rosehill on Saturday, a mare he feels has a stakes win in her near future.

Trainer Bjorn Baker (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The four-year-old already has a Listed placing against her name and Baker said it may be a blessing that her latest trial win came on a heavy track as she returns in the Rosehill Bowling Club Handicap (1100m).

On paper he says it’s not an ideal scenario to resume on a wet track from an outside barrier but she is in the final race, so the pattern will be established, and feels if she’s comfortable in the ground she’ll be hard to beat.

“We’ve been patient with her, she’s got a heap of ability and she goes well,’’ Baker said.

“It’s a bit of an awkward gate but there’s not a lot of races for her so we’re in a position where we’ve got to get her underway, looking to possibly get her back into that black type grade.

“We want her to get underway well and look for better races. The best is definitely yet to come from her.”

Spring Lee, $3.90 with TAB on Thursday, notched her stakes placing in the Denise’s Joy at the Scone carnival where she ran into second behind Commemorative on a soft 6 track.

Baker has given the mare two barrier trials and while she only beat three rivals in her latest at Canterbury it was on a heavy track and she appeared to travel well.

He said he’d like to see Spring Lee find a position where she can use her best asset even if it’s not the most ideal conditions.

“My gut feel is she’s probably better on top of the ground but she gets through it okay,” he said.

“She has got a good turn of foot so if we can use that she’s definitely a chance.”

In-form filly Perfumist was placed on a heavy track at Goulburn before embarking on her winning streak and she’s in line for four straight in the Racing And Sports Handicap (1500m).

Given she’s five runs into a preparation Baker feels she has a good base to try her again on a wet track.

“She’s fit and that’s a big positive, she gets in with an okay weight and she was dominant last time,’’ he said.

“Her work on Tuesday was very good, she’s going well and she’s got tactical speed.”

Another in-form stablemate Disneck may not line up in the Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1300m) unless there’s improvement in the track with Baker saying he’s going so well with a hat-trick of his own to ask him to carry 61kg on heavy ground.

It’s likely Hezdarnhottoo will take his place in the Precise Air Handicap (1100m) after a narrow defeat when resuming at the Sunshine Coast two weeks ago.

The gelding tackled heavy ground in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes back in April and failed but Baker said he has a better platform to try it coming off that soft 6 track fresh.


Spring Lee wins a Canterbury trial on January 9

“He was very good first-up, just ran into a better one on the day,’’ he said.

“He’s only had one wet track run where he failed as a two-year-old so it’s a little bit of an unknown but he’s going super.

“We’ll probably look at finding out once and for all.”

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

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