Latest News

By Ray Hickson

He’s shaken off the Randwick hoodoo and is Perth bound once again but Bjorn Baker is quietly confident his star sprinter Overpass can snare an overdue Sydney Group 1 on Saturday.

Trainer Bjorn Baker (Pic: Steve Hart)

The six-year-old’s two Group 1 wins to date have been the past two editions of the Winterbottom Stakes in WA but Baker feels the Group 1 $3m Asahi Super Dry TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) is a good opportunity to put one on the board at home.

But he’s wary they don’t hand out Group 1s at The Star Championships and has Overpass as fit as he can have him for a first-up run at that level knowing he’s headed for a third attempt at The Quokka later this month.

“He’s in great order, he’s had a gallop between races and two trials,’’ Baker said.

“We’ve done plenty with him and I’m pretty happy with him.

“We know he goes well fresh up and I guess what gives us more confidence is the way he handled the track when he won the Sydney Stakes in the spring.

“He knocked off the Randwick hoodoo to a degree. I think he’s spot on and he’s going to need to be too.”

The Sydney Stakes on Everest Day was Overpass’s first win at Randwick at his 10th attempt and, oddly, it was his first start in Sydney since the Everest of 2023.

Baker is adamant that Overpass, $6 with TAB on Friday, will be leading the TJ Smith and it’ll be up to his opposition to run him down.

“The last couple of years he’s been extremely genuine, he goes in there with a good hope,’’ he said.

“He’s got a good gate and Josh (Parr) knows him better than anyone. If he can run up to (the Sydney Stakes) he definitely goes in with a good chance.

“He’s not the best trackworker but his work was sound on Tuesday on a track that was on the wet side for him.”

Stablemate Shezanalister is back at Randwick after placing in the Birthday Card at Rosehill on Golden Slipper day and while she’s up in class she has won three from six at the track.

The Warwick Farm trainer has dual representation in the Group 1 $4m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) with Stefi Magnetica looking for a change of fortune and Iowna Merc out to complete an unlikely rise.

Stefi Magnetica hasn’t won since last year’s Stradbroke Handicap, but she has been unlucky on a number of occasions, and Baker is clinging to the hope she can produce her best run for the prep third time in as she’s done at her last two campaigns.

She finished sixth in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes two weeks ago where Baker said she had her chance.

“She’s got a good gate and that’s going to give her the opportunity,’’ he said.

“She was good last time without being great but she tends to perform better third-up.

“So from that point of view it gives us the chance. From the gate if she can get some luck she’s not out of it.”

Iowna Merc won his way into the race with his victory in the Ajax Stakes three weeks ago and if he happened to overcome a tricky gate and run out the strong mile he’ll have achieved a rare feat of winning at all black type levels in the same preparation.

After a narrow win in the Liverpool City Cup he wore down Willaidow to win the Ajax at 1500m.

“It’s been a remarkable preparation. He’s won a Listed race, a Group 3 and a Group 2 so if he happened to cap it off it’d be one of the most remarkable preparations in history,’’ Baker said.

Heat Missile wins at Kembla Grange on March 22

“He has an awkward gate and will need a fair bit of luck to overcome it. He looks as good as he ever has.

“You’ve got to be in to win and he’s up and going great. The mile at Randwick is definitely another question mark but more than likely we’ll ride him to finish the mile off.”

Bjorn Baker on Strada Varenna (race 1): “I thought she ran well second start into a Group race. Overall it was a good run and since then she’s worked very well. She’s drawn awkwardly but in terms of how she’s doing I think she can run a race.”

All the fields, form and replays for Day 1 of The Star Championships at Randwick