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By Adrian Sciglitano

The Bjorn Baker stable has been the talk of the summer with winners stretching right across New South Wales and they will look to continue that momentum when they saddle up a three-pronged attack in the $250K Group 3-Schweppes Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Disneck ($5 on TAB) will look to notch up his fourth win in a row this preparation with assistant trainer Luke Hilton suggesting there is no reason he can’t add a Group 3 to his resumé when he lines up this weekend.

“He’s [Disneck] going fantastic; he had a tick over trial in between runs and that’s kept him in good shape - he looks fantastic and the small field suits him,” Hilton said.

The Bjorn Baker stable believes roughie Cinque Torri has strong claims at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday - at the juicy quote of $34 on TAB. Image by Bradley Photographers

It may have been a surprise to a few with how quickly Disneck has progressed through the grades throughout the summer months in Sydney but Hilton says he always shown the Bjorn Baker stable early promise.

“He showed it early [good ability], he had plenty of promise and was a good run in the Inglis Nursery after he won a two-year-old race very early.

"We always thought he would get to Stakes grade but he just took a little bit longer.

“He is maturing now and has strengthened. If he measures up again Saturday we might keep him ticking over through the autumn and there is no reason to put him out at this stage,” Hilton said.

Hilton believes Iowna Merc ($9.50), the second of the Baker trio in the Southern Cross, is capable of sharp improvement coming back to 1200m and suggests the inside draw will help him improve.

“Inside draws are a big advantage for him [Iowna Merc],” Hilton said.

“He likes to get a little soft run midfield somewhere and Tim [Clark] knows him well, so he gets the right scenario to bounce back.”

Wategos ($11) makes his return for the Baker stable after a Queensland winter campaign and despite some of his better performances coming over further than 1200m, Hilton believes he is capable of a good run fresh.

“I think Wategos can run a cheeky race fresh,” Hilton said. “The small field will help him and it just depends [on] how quick they go.

"He may be fourth, fifth or sixth in the run which won’t be against him and he has run some good races at 1200m - I think he has come back as good as ever.”

Talented mare Spring Lee ($3.60 favourite) has notched four wins and five placings from her 11 starts and Hilton is adamant a crack at Stakes grade isn’t far away after she contests the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale 9-11 Feb Handicap (1200m) Benchmark 88 on Saturday.

“That’s the goal with her [black type] and it obviously opens up a lot of doors at the 1200m,” Hilton said.

“She is bordering on Stakes level at the moment and if she can knock this one out of the way she is going to be third-up and we will try and find a nice mares race.”

The Zoustar mare was a beaten favourite first-up over 1100m in the Rosehill Bowling Club Handicap (BM78) but Hilton is confident she can bounce back onto a firmer surface.

“She is much bigger and stronger than she was [last preparation] so I definitely think the firmer surface will help and I think she needed the run,” Hilton said.

“She has improved out of sight and the low draw is important for her. She just had to take her medicine and go back the other day, whereas Kerrin will be able to be wherever he wants from a good gate [barrier 4] and I think she is ready to hit back.”

Luke Hilton's thoughts on other stable runners including Our Anchorage (Race 6-$6): “He gets into the race well and is racing extremely honest. He is one of those Europeans who has improved out of sight in his second preparation. He will get every chance from a good gate and will be up there in the first four or five and the claim helps him with Anna [Roper].”

Infatuation (Race 7-$4 equal favourite): “Since she has got her fitness levels she is running consistently and her last two in Queensland have both been great. She gets into the race well from a lovely draw and I think she will be able to put herself in the first few and run another honest race."

Cinque Torri (Race 10-$34): “He’s actually going super. His run to Accredited was good and that form stacks up with Accredited being short in the market for the Southern Cross. He went to Queensland and had no luck whatsoever, he couldn’t get out when he wanted to and pretty much went down the straight under a hold. The gate is a little bit tricky but he will roll forward to offset that and I think he is a massive each-way chance."

Sandpaper (Race 10-$11): “We do have other options; Bjorn will have a good think about that between now and Saturday whether he goes around or not,” He said.

View final fields with full form & race replays for Rosehill Gardens here