Baker’s 1000 softens blow
CAMBRIDGE TRAINER Murray Baker suffered a blow when his previously unbeaten colt It’s A Dundeel was downed in Australia yesterday, but another three-year-old, Neo, brought up his 1000th New Zealand win with a game victory in the Group II $85,000 Wellington Guineas.
Baker was in Melbourne watching It’s A Dundeel finish second in the Group II Mitchelton Wines Vase, the final leadup to Saturday’s VRC Derby. The High Chaparral colt was expected to make it six wins from six starts in the 2040-metre event, but was beaten into second by Melbourne-trained gelding Super Cool.
Baker’s New Zealand training partner, Andrew Forsman, was at Trentham to saddle up Neo and said the One Cool Cat gelding will now head south for the Group I $300,000 New Zealand 2000 Guineas ( 1600m), at Riccarton on November 17. ‘‘He’d have to go now. He’s a good horse and is getting better all the time,’’ Forsman said.
‘‘What a great race for Murray bring up his 1000th win in.’’
It was Baker’s third success in the Wellington Guineas, the others being Ambitious Owner in 2004 and Rios in 2007.
Jockey Opie Bosson rode Neo positively from the barrier and had the horse disputing the pace throughout the 1500m event.
They skipped clear early in the home straight and Neo kept going strongly to win by a length from Zinko, with Batman a close third.
Neo has now had four starts for two wins, a second and a third.
He is owned by his Brisbane breeders Glen and Lisa Morton, who made a special trip to be at Trentham.
CAMBRIDGE TRAINER Stephen Marsh emulated his father Bruce when he produced exciting filly Ruud Awak-
to ening to win yesterday’s Listed $50,000 Wellesley Stakes.
Bruce Marsh was for years one of New Zealand’s leading trainers and is now plying his trade successfully in Singapore. He won the 1000-metre feature two years in a row with Shinnecock (2000) and Ultra Vires (2001).
Ruud Awakening made it two wins from two starts with another outstanding run and is rated by winning jockey Jason Waddell as ‘‘a superstar in the making.
‘‘She reminds me a lot of Naturo who has been one of the best fillies I’ve been on. And she is only going to get better. I could have ridden her anywhere in that race she was doing it so easily.
‘‘I just held her up for as long as I could and once I gave her a couple of flicks with the whip she took off,’’ Waddell said.
Marsh said he has the $1 million Karaka Million at Ellerslie on January 27 as Ruud Awakening’s main target.