THE PETLEY REPORT: THE BAKER / BOWMAN COMBINATION ON THE HUNT FOR MORE GROUP 1 SUCCESS

By Jack Petley | Saturday, April 3, 2021

That highly successful combination of ace Kiwi trainer Murray Baker and champion jockey Hugh Bowman will be out to gain a major or even two at Rosehill today with The Frontman Tulloch Stakes) and The Chosen One (Tancred Stakes).

The pairing have tasted many a big race win over the years including this race with Harris Tweed and the Victorian Derby with Lion Tamer. "We have had quite a lot of luck together," said Murray Baker, who these days of course trains in partnership with Andrew Forsman, who will be trackside today.

Frontman, a placegetter in the NZ Derby, is a brother to Bonneval who Bowman rode to success in both the Australian Oaks and the Underwood Stakes. Frontman bumps up against a strong field in the Tulloch including Young Werther, formerly from NZ, Favreau, trained by Kiwi John Sargent and the mount of James McDonald, and Patrick Payne’s Cherry Tortini.

Said Murray Baker of The Frontman, who is by Makfi: "He is a proper horse and he comes off a very good run in the Derby (third). He is similar to Bonneval and she did win the Oaks and the Underwood." Baker has won the race five times already with Palliser, The Bill, Harris Tweed, Jon Snow and Quick Thinker and Jon Snow and Quick Thinker went on to win the Derby a race Baker has also won five times.

Chosen One sits at around $14 in the market for the Tancred over 2400metres, and remember he did run third in the last Caulfield Cup and fourth in the Melbourne Cup … not bad form for this as he builds to the Sydney Cup. He has had two runs under his belt since resuming, so he should be ready for this, but Kiwi fans won't be following him as much in the race as they will the 14 times Gr1 winner Melody Belle (James McDonald). There was a hiccup mid-week with the mare when it was reported she had been "tying up" in her work. But explained Jamie Richards: "We have had episode like this before and we know what we need to do to get her right." The great mare was vetted and found to be suitable to race. This will be her final race in Sydney then she is off to Brisbane for races like the Hollindale Cup and the Doomben Cup and then, I gather, she will be sold.

There is much interest for Kiwis in the Vinery with the smart filly Force of Will running for the O'Suillivan-Scott Matamata yard and for owner and breeder Sir Owen Glenn. She hits Sydney with four wins from five starts. Also in the field the former Team Pittman filly Impecunious, now with the Busuttin-Young yard, and third last time in the Phar Lap. Harmony Rose is the favourite at $2.70 then Hungry Heart for Chris Waller at $5.50.

The Brisbane mare Krone is hot favourite for the Emancipation and will certainly be tough to beat with main rivals Nimalee and NZ bred Icebath.

California Zimbo has had heavy support in the last 24 hours in the Star Kingdom with POandemic and Prime Candidate tough rivals and one for odds, the John Sargent, Brandenburg.

Champion NZ bred Zed Em, by Verry Elleegant's sire, Zed, failed narrowly in the Von Doussa to the Maher-Eustace trained Yensir during the week and he runs today in the Great Eastern at Oakbank and is a red-hot favourite at $1.75 with Aaron Kuru the rider again for Patrick Payne.

Interesting news from the Catalyst camp. The trainer of the smart galloper Clayton Chipperfield has decided to step down from training because of personal reasons and so the horse will have a new trainer for the coming season. Said Rick Williams, who manages The Oaks Stud and racing interests for Australian Dick Karreman, said that "finding a trainer is one of the easiest jobs we have to do" but he did add: “He will be trained in Cambridge, we do have five people who train for us there."

Catalyst has had a good spell following a setback and he is likely to trial at Taupo in August and then plans for next spring will be finalised either for NZ or majors in Australia.

Matamata trainer Graham Richardson says he expects a bold run from the filly Bonny Lass in the Sires at Awapuni today. The filly is a $10 chance behind On the Bubbles ($2.80), I Wish I Win ($3.40) and Quicken Away ($9). "It is really exciting heading to a Group One with a filly like this," said Richardson who trains her in partnership with Rogan Norvall. Last time out she ran second to the highly regarded colt Sword of State in the Sistena and before that had had been successful in the Matamata Breeders Stakes. The trainer feels that the 1400 metres will suit her ideally.

The stable also has Triptronic at Awapuni, in the Gold Cup who goes into the race with a last start third behind Melody belle and Avantage at Ellerslie in the Bonecrusher.

Favourite for the Gold Cup is the John Bary trained Callsign Mav. Said Bary of the star galloper: "Everything indicates that he will be fine at 2000 metres … and if he gets 2000 metres successfully then that opens up a few more doors for us next season.”