WAS BACCARAT BABY REALLY A SURPRISE PACKAGE?

By Graham Potter with David Vandyke | Monday, May 27, 2019

Baccarat Baby’s name was tucked away deep in the race card last Saturday … number 16 in race 9, the Group 3 Fred Best Classic and, if you go by starting price, it would seem that many people didn’t give the David Vandyke trained runner her due consideration.

Was she really a surprise package?

The filly produced a run and a result that will mean that is unlikely she will be neglected in the betting again as she heads for her ‘Grand Final’, the Queensland Guineas, on June 8. Here David Vandyke talks to HRO’s Graham Potter and looks back at that Fred Best Classic performance.

“When I looked up and saw Baccarat Baby’s price … $81 … well, you know, they are usually better judges than I am … but they weren’t on Saturday.

“I mean, she got beat three quarters of a length in the Flight Stakes which is a Group 1 … and she was held up there and didn’t have a clear crack at them in the last 50 … so to see her in that field at that price was quite a shock.

“She had the bad barrier but Saturday was not her Grand Final. The Queensland Guineas is her Grand Final (on Stradbroke Day – June 8).

"I said to Michael Hellyer just keep her comfortable. There was no need to try to get in and I said just to try and keep her in a good rhythm and she should finish off.

“The winner did push us out of the way on the turn. If the margin (one length) was closer you might have heard more but, in the end, full marks to the winner.” (The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Military Zone did pull away to an impressive victory).

“Military Zone is obviously a very good horse and its nice not to have to meet him in the Guineas.” (Peter Snowden has indicated that Military Zone, whose win gave will now go for a spell).

“The Guineas is the target.

“Originally, the path was going to be The Roses and The Oaks, but I learnt she couldn’t get 1800 at the Gold Coast (when finishing fourth in the Bracelet) so we thought we would come back and head for the Guineas.”

The warning has been posted!

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*Baccarat Baby has an enviable fifty percent strike-rate, having won six of her twelve starts.

*Michael Hellyer has ridden Baccarat Baby in all but one of her race starts.

*She has won from 1200m to 1600 … with five of those six wins coming in succession as she moved from Maiden to Group 1 company in just seven starts.

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