The Championships Day 2: Trainer Bjorn Baker takes trick from father Murray Baker’s book to win Sydney Cup with Arapaho

With a legendary father to call upon for some tricks of the trade, Bjorn Baker used one of Murray Baker’s old techniques to have Arapaho primed for an upset win in the Group 1 Sydney Cup.

Rachel King guides Arapaho to victory in the Group 1 Sydney Cup at Randwick. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Trainer Bjorn Baker relied on the successful methods of his legendary father Murray to help Arapaho score a famous two-mile Group 1 triumph at Royal Randwick.

Baker joined his dad on the Group 1 $2m Sydney Cup (3200m) honour roll when Arapaho produced a dominant staying performance on day two of The Championships.

It came more than three decades after Hall Of Fame training father Murray claimed the race with My Eagle Eye in 1992.

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

“That entails just doing a solid piece of ground work and he is a sound horse.

“We know he has got acceleration and that’s where having a father that won everything but the Melbourne Cup comes into it.

“He was so impressive and it was a great ride today by Rachel King, just held him up, held him, held him, held him, and he exploded, which he can do.”

Arapaho switched off beautifully for King in a midfield position as Alalcance ($3.50 favourite) led the field up on the seven-day back-up from last week’s Chairman’s Quality.

The favourite struggled to find under pressure and was gone at the top of the straight as King loomed in behind.

It's Arapaho's day today! 🎉

He's dominant in the G1 Sydney Cup with another feature going to @BBakerRacing and @RachelK11! 🏆@aus_turf_club | @WorldPoolpic.twitter.com/wT656JBZWF

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 12, 2025

• What the jockeys said: 2025 Sydney Cup

Arapaho ($20) let go with a powerful burst when he got into clear air, storming away for a commanding three length victory from the Matt Smith-trained Waltham ($51) with Chris Waller’s River Of Stars ($20) a further half-length away.

The slashing triumph came in a new track record time of 3:18.31 and provided King with her seventh career Group 1 and third in partnership with Baker.

“You can just see what this horse means to everyone, he’s just been a superstar,” King said.

“He’s won races we never thought he even should have been in at the start and to do what he did today.

“I probably had as many doubts as everyone else about 3200m, I wasn’t quite sure, you know, but the one thing I always say to everyone is I’ve never ridden a horse so honest, he just tries.”

Rachel King gets a kiss from husband Luke Hilton, the Baker stable racing manager. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

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Baker dedicated the win to Arapaho’s late part-owner Paul Griffin.

Griffin, a highly-respected rugby league identity from Sydney’s west, was the victim of a shocking one-punch attack in a pub on Melbourne Cup Day last year.

“I haven’t got my good friends in this horse, I’ve got my family, so it’s very special,” an emotional Baker said.

“We lost one of the part owners last year, Griffo, he’s a legend and what he did for Western Sydney and what he did for charities and what he did for rugby league, I’m never going to be able to replace that at all.

"You can just see what this horse means to everyone!"

Wonderful scenes after Arapaho's Sydney Cup win today! Here's what @BBakerRacing and @RachelK11 thought of it all.@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/dNXpjHrKqb

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 12, 2025

• What the jockeys said: Day 2 of The Championships

“He’s an absolute champ and just so much love to the family, we miss them.”

Arapaho, who finished fourth in the Sydney Cup two years ago, is now a two-time Group 1 winner after claiming the Tancred Stakes in 2023.

His latest Group 1 victory, his ninth as a solo trainer, continues what has been an amazing season for the Baker stable.

The Warwick Farm conditioner put his name up in lights last week with the biggest win of his career to date when Stefi Magnetica claimed the Group 1 Doncaster Mile before making it two majors in eight days on Saturday.

“I’m the luckiest man in the world, I’m just lucky to train good horses that are fit, healthy and well,” he said.

Alalcance’s jockey Tim Clark thought the mare might have come to the end of her prep.

“Just raced a bit keen in the blinkers and probably needs to conserve a bit more getting out to this trip,” he added.

Waltham’s jockey Reece Jones labelled the runner-up’s performance as a “super effort” while Tyler Schiller said River Of Stars was “super tough” after battling on for third.

Originally published as The Championships Day 2: Trainer Bjorn Baker takes trick from father Murray Baker’s book to win Sydney Cup with Arapaho