Baker gives Arapaho ‘the Murray treatment’ to land first Sydney Cup

Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker took a page from his father Murray’s playbook to help Arapaho dominate the Sydney Cup (3200m) and give him a second major group 1 victory at the Championships on Saturday at Randwick.

Baker, the toast of day one of the Championships last Saturday after Stefi Magnetica’s $4 million Doncaster Mile win, repeated the dose when $20 shot Arapaho burst out of the pack at the 300m mark before powering to a three-length win under Rachel King.

Rachel King salutes on Arapaho in the Sydney Cup.Credit: Getty Images

“It’s a massive thrill,” Baker said of his first Sydney Cup win.

“So many of my great friends are in this horse, and it’s my boy’s 15th birthday, Sven Baker, so it’s a special day regardless.”

Bjorn Baker lifts jockey Rachel King after the Sydney Cup win.Credit: Getty Images

Baker was emotional when paying tribute to part-owner Paul Griffin, who died from an alleged one-punch attack in November last year.

“He’s been a great horse ... we lost one of his part-owners last year, Griffo, and he’s a very special bloke,” he said.

“Everyone misses him.”

Baker said a piece of work for eight-year-old Arapaho on Thursday proved a winning move and was a leaf out of Murray Baker’s training manual. Murray won the 1992 Sydney Cup with My Eagle Eye.

“We gave him a bit of Murray Baker treatment on Thursday and he relaxed beautifully,” he said.

“That entails just doing a solid piece of ground work, and he’s a sound horse and we know he’s got acceleration.

“And that’s where having a father who won everything but a Melbourne Cup comes into it.”

Ryan savours comeback victory

Wyong trainer Sara Ryan has had a bigger win, but comeback galloper Matcha Latte delivered “something special” when he lifted to fight off Lord Of Biscay and win the $1 million Provincial-Midway Championships final (1400m) on Saturday by a long head.

Ryan, who won the $3 million Big Dance with Attractable in 2023, picked up stakes performer Matcha Latte from Hong Kong-bound Mark Newnham in March 2023, but he raced just once for her before sustaining a career-threatening tendon injury.

He spent almost 16 months on the sidelines, returned with a second in the group 3 Cameron Handicap at Newcastle in September last year only to suffering a bleeding attack the following month. The five-year-old returned for a close third, then a victory in the Provincial-Midway qualifiers to go into Saturday’s decider as the $4.20 second favourite with Sportsbet.

“This is something special,” Ryan said.

Ashley Morgan rides Matcha Latte to victory on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images

“When you are told he’s not going to be coming back to racing, and for him to still come back and perform at his absolute best, I couldn’t be prouder of him.”

Ryan was now looking to the Hawkesbury or Scone Cups, to qualify for the Big Dance, before a potential run at the Stradbroke Handicap.

The win continued a rich run this year for jockey Ash Morgan, who won his maiden group 1 on Private Harry in the Galaxy and the $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight slot race.

Newcastle trainer Kris Lees and Australian Bloodstock got some consolation for Lord Of Biscay’s loss, taking out the group 2 Sapphire Stakes with Infancy to end the day.

Tempting targets ahead

Godolphin trainer James Cummings was looking to spring targets, including the Run To The Rose, with Tempted after the filly powered to a second group 2 win of the autumn.

The Reisling Stakes winner, which was a close third in the Golden Slipper, stormed down the centre of the track to take out the Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) by one and three-quarter lengths for jockey James McDonald.

“She’s an outstanding two-year-old filly, she got another opportunity to prove it at the Championships here this afternoon, so I was most pleased that she got the chance to show that,” Cummings said.

“I like bringing her back for the Silver Shadow and the Furious, maybe she’s a good enough filly to got to the Run To the Rose against the boys and she might just skip the Furious, but for now she can enjoy her break.”

James McDonald wins on Tempted.Credit: Getty Images

In the group 2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m), Enriched made the most of Autumn Glow’s absence to add to a great autumn carnival for Randwick trainer Michael Freedman. Arrowfield-owned Autumn Glow was an odds-on favourite before being withdrawn because of a temperature.

Enriched, an I Am Invincible colt, overhauled Imperial Force late by a neck to score a second black-type win, after his Fireball Stakes victory.

“The guys are quite keen to race him on, so whether we run him again or bring him back for the spring, we’ll wait and see,” said Freedman, who won the Golden Slipper with filly Marhoona three weeks ago.

Olive lines up group 1 shot

Queanbeyan trainer Nick Olive was weighing up a shot at the group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) next week with Spicy Lu after the filly jumped from two country wins to dominate the listed Fernhill Mile on Saturday at Randwick.

The $30,000 yearling, coming off victories at Cowra and Albury to start her career, led under Rachel King and kicked clear in the straight for an almost two-length win from Tupukara in the race for two-year-olds.

Olive said he told King before the race “take off at the 600m and they won’t catch you”.

“We’ve always thought she’s had good ability, but you win two country races, it’s a big step up to a stakes race, but she stepped up and got the job done, and it was a fantastic ride from Rach,” Olive said.

“To win on this day is great, but this filly has got a bit about her. She keeps stepping up to the mark.”

Maher eyes Major goal

Top trainer Ciaron Maher was eyeing a potential campaign at the group 1 Stradbroke Handicap with Sergeant Major after he held off rivals in the listed South Pacific Classic (1400m) at Randwick.

Under Ethan Brown, Sergeant Major led then kicked at the 300m to steal a break before holding off favourite Nostringsattached by a third of a length in the race for three-year-olds.

It was a first win in six Australian starts for the Kiwi import, which was fourth last time out in the Darby Munro Stakes.

“Just the extra little bit of trip, he just travelled that little bit easier from the good draw and Browny really took the race by the scruff made it his own, backed the horse,” Maher said.

“The horse has always improved each run and he’s going to continue to do that.”

Maher indicated Sergeant Major could shape as a lightweight contender for the June 14 Stradbroke at Eagle Farm.