Robusto too tough in Winter Challenge as Bjorn Baker eyes Group 1 target
Trainer Bjorn Baker is considering giving Robusto another Group 1 crack in early spring after his tough galloper came out on top in a dogfight with Accredited at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Robusto and Accredited went nose-and-nose for much of the straight as Baker's gelding got the nod in a photo finish to the Listed $200,000 Winter Challenge (1500m).
The tough performance had Baker ready to raise the bar higher again with a fit horse in the early spring.
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'We might even go to the (Group 2) Missile Stakes back to 1200m and then look at a race like the (Group 1) Winx Stakes if he was to run well there,' Baker said.
'He is up and going and fit and well.'
Baker caused a boilover to win the Winx Stakes in 2019 with Samadoubt, who also wore the white and navy blue colours of Darby Racing.
Robusto has already been valuable horse since joining Baker's stable after Darby purchased the gelding online for $160,000.
The son of Churchill won the $2m The Ingham in his first preparation for Baker last December and banked another $109,000 for his win in the Winter Challenge.
'He has been a bit of a revelation,' Baker said.
'Another horse Darby Racing have purchased and they just find them at all levels and found another two (online) during the week.
'I am lucky enough to get both of those and I am excited about that but he has been a really good horse and was unlucky last time.
'Of course he won The Ingham and it was good to see him back today with the big weight.
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'We can definitely try to hit the spring with a bit of fitness on our side.
'I am glad he fell in because I tipped him to the world.'
Robusto put the writing on the wall second-up when a luckless second in the Listed Winter Stakes after returning to Sydney looking to bounce back from a failed Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap run.
But the five-year-old was set a weighty task in his third-up assignment.
No horse had carried more than 58kg to victory in the Winter Challenge in its short 15-year history but Robusto was set the task of lugging 60kg on Saturday.
He was afforded an energy conserving run after jockey Josh Parr settled on the fence, in behind the leader Accredited.
Parr launched off Accredited's back early in the straight and the duo paired off to fight it out with Robusto ($3.10) doing enough to score by a half-head.
Chris Waller's Saltcoats ($5.50) was one-and-a-quarter lengths back in third.
'He has had to carry the weight and has earned that weight but we got through there and it turned out to be somewhat of a dogfight,' Parr said.
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'I had in the back of my mind all day, when Tim Clark won The Ingham on him, the fight he showed in the battle.
'I was relying on that but thank God we got him to win.'
Robusto's victory gave Baker a personal best ninth Listed winner of the season and 24th stakes triumph in a career best season that has delivered 154 winners.
It denied trainer Joe Pride a cleansweep of Sydney's sprinting-middle distance winter stakes races after he won the AO Bob Charley Stakes (In Flight), Civic Stakes (Headley Grange) and Winter Stakes (Estadio Mestalla).
However, Accredited, who finished third in the Winter Stakes at his last start, lost no admirers in defeat with Pride more than happy with his performance.
'He was good,' he said.
'It just highlights the difference with this fella on a wet track and a dry track.
'He is at least a two or three lengths better horse.
'There is a 1500m here in a couple of weeks' time so we will have a think about it and see how he pulls up.'
Pride's Winter Stakes winner Estadio Mestalla couldn't replicate his last start success after being caught deep in the run and battling on for fifth.
Originally published as Trainer Bjorn Baker considering Group 1 target for Robusto after his fighting win in the Winter Challenge at Rosehill
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