Bjorn Baker reflects on best year as he eyes more wins at Randwick on Saturday
Popular trainer Bjorn Baker proved himself in the big time in 2023 and he wants to keep the momentum going into next year.
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Major success was a need just as much as a want for trainer Bjorn Baker this year.
Baker has ranked among Sydney’s elite for several years now but Group 1 success has been the only thing eluding him regularly.
But this year the affable Warwick Farm trainer has got the top-level success he craved and as 2023 comes to a close, he’s determined to keep momentum going.
Baker has more than doubled his individual Group 1 tally this year after previously training a pair of Group 1s in Sydney.
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Arapaho claimed the Tancred Stakes in March with star sprinters Ozzmosis (Coolmore Stud Stakes) and Overpass (Winterbottom Stakes) both capturing majors this spring while the latter also won the inaugural Quokka.
“It’s a tricky one because it’s one of those things where you need the big results to get the horses,” Baker said.
“We’ve shown them we can produce in the big time now so hopefully that gets us a better quality of horse.
“You hope it’s going to come eventually but sometimes racing doesn’t work like that so it’s definitely a big part of it.
“I have been in the top five in the Sydney premiership the last five or six years but you have to be winning those big races.
“It’s been a really good year and we couldn’t be happier, it’s worked out very well.
“It’s hard enough to win races full stop at the moment, it’s tough going but we’ve got a couple of those headline horses that really help.”
Ozzmosis, Overpass and Arapaho won’t be seen until the New Year but little fish are still sweet.
Baker will be aiming to snare a couple at Royal Randwick this Saturday and his best chance comes with resurgent galloper Father’s Day ($5.50).
The imported son of Galileo has won two of his past three starts and can put another win on the board in the Kia Ora Prague Benchmark 72 Handicap (2400m).
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“He is going super and has really turned it around recently,” Baker said.
“We couldn’t be happier with him. He is in great order.
“There will be a little bit of cut in the track, I probably would have preferred him on top of the ground. He Is going very well.
“We have changed up his work a lot.
Baker has changed up his training methods with Father’s Day with the help of Group 1 jockey Rachel King, who has been putting the gelding over the jumps in training.
“It seems to be really helping him,” Baker said.
“Rachel King has been a big part of that and it’s definitely helping.
“He showed a lot of promise early on but then he just didn’t deliver on it but he is going a lot better now.
“The jumping certainly seems to be helping one or two of the older horses. You keep trying different things.”
Baker will launch a two-pronged attack in the Schweppes Benchmark 100 Handicap (1400m) with popular galloper Frosty Rocks joined by Magic Millions hopeful Battleton.
Battleton ($12) could put a trip to the Gold Coast on the radar with a strong first-up performance with Jay Ford aboard.
“We want to see him run well to get in the Magic Millions but he might have to run better than that to get in,” Baker said.
“I am not overly confident because 1400m, first up is a tough ask and we are mindful of that.
“He is coming along pretty well but he can be a bit hit and miss. When he is good, he’s very good and when visa versa. He can be a bit hard to catch.”
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Frosty Rocks ($41) has struggled to recapture his best in recent times and has failed to beat a runner home in his past three runs over two preparations.
Baker admits it’s approaching D-Day for the son of Your Song.
“We want to see Frosty Rocks show something on Saturday,” he said.
“We want to see him run a better race and in the next couple of runs we want to see something that warrants continuing.
“He gets through a bit of cut OK.”
Baker is hoping “improved horse” Don Pedro gets a run in the TAB Benchmark 78 Handicap (1300m) after the gelding landed among the emergencies.
Baker aiming high with Ozzmosis
Bjorn Baker is mapping out a plan for 2024 The Everest glory with Ozzmosis and has a pair of Sydney Autumn Group 1s in mind for his gun sprinter.
Ozzmosis chalked up the biggest win of Baker’s career when the three-year-old weapon raced away with the Coolmore Stud Stakes in November at Flemington.
The top son of Zoustar returned to Baker’s Warwick Farm base on Thursday to begin his build up for the autumn.
“He comes into the stable on Thursday and we will have a good look at him on Monday,” Baker said.
“He was down to Wild Oats farm and he is done really well.
“It was probably a career highlight winning the Coolmore.
“He is an exciting horse and I can’t help but think he will be better again in the autumn.”
While Ozzmosis was dynamic winning down the straight in Melbourne but a trip south is not on the cards in the autumn.
Baker wants to target the Group 1 The Galaxy and Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes as Ozzmosis looks to put his name up in lights for The Everest slot-holders.
“We didn’t have enough time to get him up for Melbourne and he didn’t have a big break heading into the spring carnival,” Baker said.
“We are very mindful of that so he will come back and go for The Galaxy and hopefully he does enough there to warrant going on to the TJ Smith Stakes. I would love to get him to The Everest.”
Ozzmosis is $11 for The Everest and the TJ Smith Stakes.
His smart stablemate Overpass, a last-start Group 1 winner, will be set for another trip to West Australian to defend his crown in the $4m The Quokka.
Overpass beat brilliant mare Amelia’s Jewel in the inaugural Quokka and is a $5 second elect to defend his crown this year.
“He is pretty much locked in for The Quokka so we will get back there,” Baker said.
“He has been a great horse and it’s amazing to think he is only five, I’d have to think his best is still in front of him.
“Hopefully he will around for a fair bit longer and we can pick and choose his races.
“He has been around some of the best sprinters going.”
Originally published as Bjorn Baker reflects on best year as he eyes more wins at Randwick on Saturday
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