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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Bjorn Baker couldn’t be happier with the way his stable is travelling at the moment but concedes there is something missing in life – that’s a “big winner”.

Trainer Bjorn Baker

Samadoubt’s Winx Stakes win two years ago was the popular trainer’s last Group 1 win but he says with class mare She’s Ideel and honest stayer Harpo Marx engaged in Saturday’s Group 1 $750,000 Heineken Metropolitan (2400m) that elusive major may not be far away.

There’s a bit of history weighing against She’s Ideel but Baker said the six-year-old mare has had the perfect build up capped by a confidence-boosting last start win.

“I think she is very well suited, I wouldn’t swap her for anything, and I think Harpo Marx is in there as a really good back up,’’ Baker said.

“I thought she would always get to stakes company, with her relaxed racing pattern over ground I was confident she would be very competitive.

“She’s continued to improve. I know she might be six but we’ve looked after her and she’s relatively lightly raced.

“She’s the sort of horse I always hoped could get into these big handicaps with a light weight and be a chance.”

She’s Ideel carries 55kg at Randwick, a rise of 1.5kg on her comfortable Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) win over Montefilia two weeks ago and 3kg more than the last mare to win the Metropolitan which was Coco Cobanna in 2000.

Two years earlier In Joyment won the race as a six-year-old mare.

But the win broke a run of eye-catching performances since her previous win in a 2000m Benchmark 78 on Spring Champion Stakes day last year.

In the ensuing 12 months, though, she’s recorded two Group 1 placings and three other stakes placings highlighted by a game changing second in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) in April. She also ran fourth in the Sydney Cup.

“I’m very happy with her, in some ways you could argue the Tancred weight-for-age form she is bringing is strong for a Metrop and she still gets in well,’’ Baker said.

“Even though she had a bit of luck in the running Sir Dragonet was a different level of horse so suddenly you look at her differently.

“As much as anything I thought it was a soft win the other day, just a sprint home, and we know she is going to be well suited at 2400m

“It was nice to see her put them away. She’s a little bit more flexible, without the blinkers this preparation she has a bit more tactical speed.

“When you’re slow away and get right out the back door it makes things difficult but with the blinkers off her racing manners have been so much better. I think she is ready to run a really big race.”

Jason Collett rides She’s Ideel, who was $6.50 with TAB on Thursday, while stablemate Harpo Marx is a $17 chance and Baker said he shouldn’t be overlooked despite being unplaced in the Newcastle Cup last start.

The import has always shown some talent but when you consider he won a Class 1 back in December he has been a revelation in the past few months winning three races, including one with 62.5kg over 2400m at Randwick.

She's Ideel wins at Randwick on September 18

“When I gave him his first few gallops I thought we were in a bit of trouble because he didn’t show too much at all,’’ Baker said.

Harpo Marx, to be ridden by Rachel King, is having his eighth start this preparation and has worked his way through the grades to win the Group 3 Premier’s Cup in August before his sixth placing at Newcastle.

“He’s been up for a long while but he still looks fantastic,’’ he said.

“I thought in his run in the Newcastle Cup, even though he wasn’t in the money, he finished really well in a race they didn’t go that quick.

“A big race at Randwick with plenty of tempo will really bring him into his own. With the weight of numbers they will go quicker and that suits his racing style down to the ground.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's TAB Epsom meeting at Randwick