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By Ray Hickson

Baker’s New Look Merc Ready To Climb The Ladder

Trainer Bjorn Baker says the decision to geld promising three-year-old Iowna Merc will give him his best chance to reach greater heights than a benchmark race at Randwick at the end of May.

On the back of stablemates Overpass and Malkovich making winning returns from having the “ultimate gear change”, Iowna Merc gave a glimpse of his upside with a gritty win in the Fujitsu Airstage Handicap (1100m).

Iowna Merc wins at Randwick (Pic: Steve Hart)

He was gelded due to “behavioural issues” but still has a way to go in that department given he was playing around and reared in the stalls not long before the start but Rachel King put him right on the back of the speed and took advantage of an inside run on the bend.

Iowna Merc clocked the race’s fastest last 600m (33.91, Punter’s Intelligence) and fastest last 200m of 11.67.

“He has a good racing pattern, he can go forward or back, and Rachel summed it up well,’’ Baker said.

“He’s come a long way, last preparation he went from running second in a provincial maiden to winning at Randwick which is hard to do. It gives you the impression he’s a pretty good horse.

“I think he is going to go on to better things, no doubt about it, he’s still not the finished product yet.”

Baker produced a throwaway line about the Golden Eagle in the excitement of the first-up win but, given he’s only had six starts and is in his second racing prep, said Iowna Merc’s next step will be another benchmark race.

The next Randwick meeting will feature the city debut of Baker’s youngster Ozzmosis who will appear in an 1100m two-year-old race on June 10.

Ozzmosis scored a soft win at Gosford last Thursday with James McDonald heading up the highway for the one ride.

Double Has Milestone Looming For Jones

Five city winners in seven days, including a double a Randwick, has Reece Jones on the cusp of an achievement all apprentices strive for – to outride his metropolitan claim.

While all the focus has been on the premiership battle between Zac Lloyd, Tyler Schiller and Dylan Gibbons, Jones has quietly chipped away at reaching the 80 win milestone.

Jones has now ridden 77 city winners following his victories on Mirra View and Conscript and still has over three months remaining before he becomes a senior jockey, if he doesn’t choose to prior to early September when his indentures are due to end.

“I’m having a bit of a change of luck at the moment so it’s definitely appreciated,’’ Jones said after Conscript’s win.

“I’m getting a lot of support at the moment and just trying to make those good chances winners.

“There was good speed in the race, I got a lovely little trail, was able to build momentum coming to the turn and he showed a nice turn of foot.”

Writing’s On The Wall For Naval’s Staying Future

Annabel Neasham is adamant there’s a “nice race” in import Naval College’s future after he handed apprentice Jett Stanley his first Randwick Saturday win in the Swysh Handicap (2000m).

Trainer Annabel Neasham (Pic: Grant Guy)

It’s not too early in the year to be thinking a race like the Group 1 Metropolitan (2400m) if the four-year-old can continue to progress though Neasham isn’t looking too far down the track yet.

“Hopefully he is the sort of horse we can take through his grades but he looks like he will end up in a nice race somewhere along the line,’’ she said.

“We know he gets further than this and that opens a lot of doors for him.

“He has good tactical speed and that’s going to help him down the track and he relaxes really well so he will get over further.”

Interestingly, Speed Gifted carried the same colours to win the 2009 Metropolitan with Corey Brown in the saddle - something that wasn’t lost on Brown when he stepped up to interview Jett Stanley.

The 19-year-old apprentice has been based with Neasham since April 1 and, aside from the traffic, said he’s loving life in Sydney as he looks forward to challenging for the apprentices’ title next season.

Spring Campaign Up In The Air For Learning To Fly

Learning To Fly could form part of Annabel Neasham’s spring team but the trainer said there’ll be no risks taken with one of the season’s top youngsters as she recovers from injury.

The filly started second favourite in the Golden Slipper but her race was over very early as she suffered a leg injury when badly checked in the first half of the $5m race, causing jockey Chad Schofield to be dislodged.

Neasham said Learning To Fly, who was unbeaten going into the Slipper including a dazzling win in the $2m Inglis Millennium, won’t be rushed back into work for the carnival.

“She’s having an extended break but she will be back at some point in the spring. I’m not sure when but whenever she’s ready she’ll be back,’’ she said.

Group 2 Percy Sykes winner Kristilli and Group 3 Kindergarden Stakes winner Libertad are just in the early stages of their preparations but Neasham hopes they will take the next step in the spring.

“There are no firm targets with Kristilli at this stage but she will be in the better three-year-old races,’’ she said.

“Libertad has had his break and just started work again and he’ll head towards those three-year-old races. You never know whether they will go on with it but I would imagine those three will.”

Gibbons Forgiving Of Karedada After Midway ‘Nightmare’

Jockey Andrew Gibbons says beaten Midway Handicap favourite Karedada should be forgiven for his disappointing showing at Randwick after nothing went right for the promising three-year-old.

Karedada could only manage 12th, beaten 6-1/4 lengths, behind Crafty Eagle as Gibbons struggled to find continuity in the run after the gelding sprung out of his wide gate.

“It was a bit of a nightmare from start to finish really,’’ he said.

Crafty Eagle wins at Randwick. (Pic: Steve Hart)

“He stepped well and I just couldn’t find a spot early, I tried plan B and that didn’t work either. Plan C only half worked and I never let him get into a rhythm, I was back and forward and in and out.”

Crafty Eagle’s trainer John Thompson described his three-year-old’s win as a bit of a bonus as he felt there was a chance he’d find the 1200m too short first-up. As it turned out he chimed in about 200m out and held over 2-1/2 lengths on the line over Ottilie and Oakfield Triumph.

It was his third win from six starts and Thompson said there’s so much upside if the horse can mature mentally.

“He’s a progressive horse, the ability is there as long as he works with us,’’ he said.

“I thought it was a bit short to be honest. I had him fresh and when he got into the parade he was very fresh which had me a little worried but he did it well.”

All the results and replays from Saturday's Randwick meeting