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Bjorn Baker could back up Spring Lee in next week’s Group 3 Wenona Girl Stakes after her determined win at Randwick

Spring Lee continued the impressive form of the Bjorn Baker stable when she returned to winning from at Randwick and earned a shot at a Group 3 feature next week.

Spring Lee scored a timely win at Randwick on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images
Spring Lee scored a timely win at Randwick on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

A little help from champion jockey James McDonald thrust Spring Lee back in the hunt for black type honours with a timely win at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

McDonald helped the Bjorn Baker-trained mare score over 1200m for the first time in the Asahi Super Dry Benchmark 88 Handicap.

“We needed James’s help today,” Baker’s racing manager Luke Hilton said.

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“She has been a little bit frustrating this preparation. She probably didn’t travel as well as we would have liked, they didn’t go as quick we wanted to.

“She got the job done.”

McDonald landed in the perfect spot in the one-one but Spring Lee made his life more challenging when over-racing in behind the leaders.

Spring Lee still had plenty to offer when McDonald asked for an effort with no shortage of challengers in the run to the post.

Spring Lee ($2.50 favourite) did enough to hold off David Pfieffer’s Glint Of Silver ($26) by a long head with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Les Vampires ($3.30) a half head away in third.

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“Even though the tempo suited me, she was overdoing it,” McDonald said.

“She didn’t allow herself to adapt to that situation but she did enough.”

Spring Lee, a Listed placegetter during her three-year-old season, is set to get another shot in stakes grade.

The Baker stable are considering backing up the four-year-old in next week’s Group 3 $250,000 Wenona Girl Quality (1200m) at Royal Randwick.

“We were going to go straight there but this race came up really well today and we were able to get James,” Hilton said.

“She looks like she has gone well. The race wasn’t really run to suit but we would be keen to give her a chance if she pulls up well.”

Originally published as Bjorn Baker could back up Spring Lee in next week’s Group 3 Wenona Girl Stakes after her determined win at Randwick

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/horse-racing/bjorn-baker-could-back-up-spring-lee-in-next-weeks-group-3-wenona-girl-stakes-after-her-determined-win-at-randwick/news-story/8aa0ccbe22ab208c821df80e674f44d6