Latest news with #BjornBaker
News.com.au
an hour ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Jason Collett has an appetite for more Group 1 success after breakout year
The evolution of Jason Collett sits on the precipice of entering its most significant phase. Collett, one of racing's quiet achievers, has been riding in Sydney for the past decade but there's a sense the Kiwi-born hoop is riding as well as ever. This week alone, the 34-year-old has ridden seven city winners – headlined by a four-timer at Royal Randwick last Saturday. It helped cement Collett's best-ever finish in the Sydney jockeys' premiership, a second behind James McDonald, with a new career benchmark of 74 city winners for the campaign. Add in his biggest ever Group 1 triumph aboard Stefi Magnetica in the Doncaster Mile in the autumn and a career-best 18 stakes winners, it's easy to see why now more than ever Collett is considered among Sydney's elite. Behind it all remains a laid-back and calm demeanour with an insatiable appetite for more. 'I want more Group 1s,' Collett said. 'I want bigger race wins and those stakes wins help lead to that. 'That's what you need. To get on more of those better horses in those better races but it's evolving nicely.' Collett is quick to identify Stefi Magnetica and Group 1 Champagne Stakes runner-up Within The Law as two of those 'better horses'. Just this week, he got the chance to jump back aboard Within The Law as the Bjorn Baker-trained filly had her first trial this preparation at Rosehill Gardens on Tuesday. Baker has aspirations of aiming Within The Law at Sydney's Princess Series with a Group 1 Flight Stakes tilt on the agenda on October 4 where she is an $8 third elect. • Rosehill Turf Talk: Mitch's big throw at stumps on $151 shot Within The Law saves her best work for race day with Collett keen to see her back at the races. 'She doesn't show a lot in trials or a lot in trackwork either so there isn't really a great deal to get excited about after a trial,' he said. 'We gave her a nice hitout and she was pushed out, that's the norm with her. 'It would be great to get a Group 1 with her and the Flight Stakes would be the target and we know she will run the mile. 'The 1400m and a mile is going to be her and those early races could potentially be a bit sharp.' Stefi Magnetica gave both Baker and Collett the biggest wins of their careers when she won the Group 1 Doncaster Mile on Day 1 of The Championships. Another big spring campaign looms. 'She is going to head towards weight-for-age racing now because she has won two of the biggest handicaps (including the Stradbroke),' Collett said. 'I have no worries she will be able to do it. 'Hopefully she can win another Group 1 now.' While Group 1s are sweet, Collett has made a habit of making his presence felt on regular occasions in town in recent seasons. He isn't one to set specific premiership targets at the beginning of a season but the carrot of finishing second in the Sydney title race for the first time added fuel to his late form surge. A midweek treble at Warwick Farm helped Collett eclipse his previous season best of 72 Sydney winners and edge out Zac Lloyd (67 winners) for the runner-up spot. 'When it got to the last month and a half and I thought I was obviously close enough to Zac, I thought we will try and get second if we can,' Collett said. '(wife) Clare and I had a family holiday booked in early July but in saying that, as it evolved, I thought if we were close enough it would be good to get. 'As it turned out it ended up being quite comfortable in the end.' Collett can pick up where he left off and get the new season off to a flying start aboard the Chris Waller -trained Narbold in the Capitivant @ Kia Ora Benchmark 72 Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Waller runners will make up half of the field in the opener with Narbold ($4.20) only shaded by Amusing ($2.90 favourite) in betting. Collett partnered Narbold two starts ago when a close second behind Centenario in a 1550m event at Canterbury before the gelding finishing fourth behind Amusing at the same track and trip last start. 'He just seemed to find one better when he loomed up two starts ago off a good tempo,' Collett said. 'His run last start was good when he was ridden on speed and I think he is better when he's ridden a bit quieter. 'From the barrier he should get a soft run in what looks to be a small field.' The Richard and Will Freedman -trained Cold Brew mirrors Collett's hot streak with the emerging talent set to hunt three straight wins in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m). Cold Brew, a $4.80 chance, has put together victories at Hawkesbury and Newcastle and deserves another crack in town. 'He's in a Midway horses where there is a few older horses there but he's progressive,' Collett said. 'I am looking forward to him. 'The ground will no doubt be a question mark for every horse but he is going well and when I rode him two back he won easily. 'He was tough last start when they got to him and he was a bit green but he is going well.' • NSW racing in the hands of weather gods Collett is hopeful King Taurus ($15) can bring his polytrack form to town in the TAB Highway Class 3 Handicap (1200m) while he's happy to wait patiently for the chance to pilot Catch The Glory ($15) late in the card. The Jason Coyle -trained Catch The Glory ($15) is second-up in the Congratulations Chris Waller Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m). 'I think Catch The Glory is a good ride,' Collett said. 'She was out of her grade last start but had been trialling up really well. 'She is out of Zousain so should handle the wet and I think she is going well this horse.' Racing is expected to take place on another heavy track in Sydney with rain forecast on Friday and race day. Few ride wet conditions better than Collett. 'I don't have any secret to it, it's just get them to travel and balance and if they get through it, they get through it,' Collett said.
The Australian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Australian
'Bit of a feel about her': New level Within reach for Baker filly
Trainer Bjorn Baker is quietly confident exciting filly Within The Law can go to another level in the spring as he sets his sights on the upcoming Princess Series. Within The Law is one of several spring contenders set to step out at Tuesday's barrier trials at Rosehill Gardens with the filly set to line up in a 900m heat. PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The daughter of Lucky Vega is on the third line of betting at $8 for the Group 1 Flight Stakes with Baker keen to follow the tried and true three-year-old fillies path through the spring, which kicks off with the Group 2 $300,000 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) on August 23. 'She is going super,' Baker said. 'We will go through the fillies series and I think she has come back a little bit bigger and stronger. 'You don't get carried away but she has the temperament and everything about her suggests maybe she can be a filly that can go on to that next level. 'With two-year-olds, it's always a bit of a question mark but I have a bit of a feel about her.' It was a remarkable two-year-old season for Within The Law that could have ended in disaster. She won the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes before escaping serious injury when she went through the running rail and lost her rider in the Group 1 Golden Slipper. Within The Law was able to get back to the races to finish third in the Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes and then came a close second to Nepotism in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes. 'She did a great job and is more of a raceday racehorse rather than a trackworker,' Baker said. 'From that point of view I think, she may be able to step up another level.' She won't be the only two-year-old stepping out on the morning with a plethora of youngsters lining up, including Skyhook, West Of Swindon, State Visit, Blitzburg, King Of Pop, Memo and North England. Baker also has last start Group 1 Sydney Cup winner Arapaho having his first trial over 1000m in a heat that also includes stablemate Perfumist. Group 1 performer Lindermann is among the Chris Waller-trained spring hopefuls set to step out while Canadian Group 1 winner Moira is in the same 900m heat. Waller will also saddle up his first trialist in the Godolphin royal blue with Commemorative in a 900m heat.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Bjorn Baker predicting big things for exciting filly Within The Law this spring
Trainer Bjorn Baker is quietly confident exciting filly Within The Law can go to another level in the spring as he sets his sights on the upcoming Princess Series. Within The Law is one of several spring contenders set to step out at Tuesday's barrier trials at Rosehill Gardens with the filly set to line up in a 900m heat. The daughter of Lucky Vega is on the third line of betting at $8 for the Group 1 Flight Stakes with Baker keen to follow the tried and true three-year-old fillies path through the spring, which kicks off with the Group 2 $300,000 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) on August 23. 'She is going super,' Baker said. 'We will go through the fillies series and I think she has come back a little bit bigger and stronger. 'You don't get carried away but she has the temperament and everything about her suggests maybe she can be a filly that can go on to that next level. 'With two-year-olds, it's always a bit of a question mark but I have a bit of a feel about her.' It was a remarkable two-year-old season for Within The Law that could have ended in disaster. She won the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes before escaping serious injury when she went through the running rail and lost her rider in the Group 1 Golden Slipper. Within The Law was able to get back to the races to finish third in the Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes and then came a close second to Nepotism in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes. A huge win for Nepotism in the G1 Champagne Stakes, coming from last! ðŸ'° @G1TySchil | @HawkesRacing | @aus_turf_club — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 19, 2025 'She did a great job and is more of a raceday racehorse rather than a trackworker,' Baker said. 'From that point of view I think, she may be able to step up another level.' She won't be the only two-year-old stepping out on the morning with a plethora of youngsters lining up, including Skyhook, West Of Swindon, State Visit, Blitzburg, King Of Pop, Memo and North England. Baker also has last start Group 1 Sydney Cup winner Arapaho having his first trial over 1000m in a heat that also includes stablemate Perfumist. Group 1 performer Lindermann is among the Chris Waller-trained spring hopefuls set to step out while Canadian Group 1 winner Moira is in the same 900m heat. Waller will also saddle up his first trialist in the Godolphin royal blue with Commemorative in a 900m heat.
News.com.au
19-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainer Bjorn Baker considering Group 1 target for Robusto after his fighting win in the Winter Challenge at Rosehill
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. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! '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. A robust win to Robusto! A thrilling battle in the Listed Winter Challenge, with the @BBakerRacing galloper victorious! â›'ï¸� @JoshuaParr8 @Darby_Racing @aus_turf_club â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 19, 2025 • '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. "He's been a revelation!" Hear from @BBakerRacing and @JoshuaParr8 after Robusto's win in the Listed Winter Challenge ðŸ'� @Darby_Racing @aus_turf_club â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 19, 2025 • 'Put my neck on the line': Yoshinobu repays Archibald gamble '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.
Courier-Mail
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Bjorn Baker aiming to end record-breaking season with another feature win at Rosehill
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. The curtain closes on the 2024/25 racing season in 11 days and Sydney racing's mover and shaker Bjorn Baker reflects on his best ever season in Australia's most competitive jurisdiction of thoroughbred racing. Back in 2011 he left the nest, branching out on his own after making a name for himself in Sydney in partnership with his father, New Zealand Hall of Famer Murray Baker, with dreams of mixing it with the best Australian racing has to offer. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'Sydney racing is not easy, there is no kidding yourself, you need quality horses to win races,' he said shortly after commencing Bjorn Baker Racing. 'You need to be improving all the time and working out ways to get better. It is the only way to ensure you can be competitive in Sydney racing.' Fast forward to 2025 and Baker has been true to his word as his best ever season nears the end. A career-best 153 winners, he's second on the Sydney trainers' premiership with 87 winners, almost 30 more than his previous best result and his haul of $3.9m in two-year-old earnings is more than any other Australian trainer. Bjorn Baker claimed the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January with O' Ole. Picture: Magic Millions Twenty-three stakes winners this season eclipses his previous best of 10 in 2021/22, while 15 two-year-old wins matches his 2022/23 result, but his five two-year-old stakes winners is his best result. 'It's been an amazing season, beyond my wildest dreams,' Baker said. 'I'm very lucky to have a great team of staff and what's been achieved is largely down to their hard work and to the support I get from our owners. 'We've also had a lot of fun along the way. I think it's important to have fun. 'It's not easy getting winners and people don't go into horses not to have fun so race a horse with Bjorn Baker Racing and when we win, we're going to have a good time. 'The two things I'm most proud of this season have been the stable's record in two-year-old races and our performance at Saturday metropolitan meetings.' Bjorn Baker hold Tyler Schiller aloft after they combined with Belclare to win The Invitation at Royal Randwick last October. Picture:On Saturday at Rosehill Gardens, Baker heads into the Listed Winter Challenge (1500m), Sydney's last black-type contest of the season, with two strong chances – race favourite Robusto and inform galloper Thunderlips. Robusto joined the stable in September last year and claimed the $2m Group 2 The Ingham to give Baker one of his biggest wins of 2024/25 and he's heads into Saturday's feature off a luckless second in the Listed Winter Stakes (1500m) three weeks ago. • Pride primed to continue winter hot streak at Rosehill 'I think he goes close with clear air in the straight in the Winter Stakes,' he said. 'He's in great condition, come on from the last run, drawn well and even though he's got 60 kilos, I think he's well weighted. 'His work on Tuesday was definitely the best we've seen from him this preparation so from that point of view, back onto a good track from a good gate, he's going to be very hard to beat.' Robusto, winning The Ingham in December last year, is the favourite in Saturday's Winter Challenge. Picture: Getty Images Stablemate Thunderlips has won three of his last five starts and continues to please his trainer with how he is coping with the workload as a rising five-year-old. 'I just wonder if we should have been a bit more positive last time and if we had, would he have finished closer?' Baker said. 'Wet or dry, he'll handle it, Ash Morgan jumps back on and he's suited at 1500m. 'He's not out of the race.' • Rosehill Turf Talk: Cohen spies a $3 special on Saturday Another prolific horse to the stable this season has been Disneck which resumes from a spell in the Schweppes Open Sprint Handicap (1100m). A three-time Saturday winner from his precious five starts over the summer, Baker declared the Trapeze Artist gelding is coming up well ahead of his five-year-old season. 'The one thing we did learn last preparation is you have to put him where he's comfortable and that means do absolutely nothing early which means he's usually well back in the field,' he said. 'Fast pace and a good track is what he needs and he looks like he'll get that on Saturday but it's never ideal getting back over 1100m at Rosehill.' Disneck won three times during his last campaign in the summer. Picture: Getty Images The stable's other two runners are stable stalwarts Highlights and War Eternal, both resuming from a spell in the Toyota Forklifts Benchmark 88 Handicap (1300m). 'That would be a good race to win, they're great forklifts, I can vouch for that,' he said. 'Both horses are probably more forward than I've had them resuming in the past. 'Two old war horses that will both be over the odds and don't be surprised if they run better than the market expects.' • Truck-driving hobby trainer sets sights on Sydney first With the 2025/26 season less than two weeks away, how does Baker plan to match or eclipse his achievements over the past 12 months? 'Things are shaping up well and we're up for the challenge,' he said. 'There's going to be more pressure on to continue our success and there are also going to be more opportunities with the bloodstock we have. 'We're getting some horses from Godolphin and only this week Darby Racing bought us another couple of nice, tried horses in Mayfair and Snack Bar on the Inglis Digital platform. 'We've also got the best team of yearlings we've ever had. 'I've definitely got more, and I've also got much better quality than what we've had in the past.' Originally published as Bjorn Baker has rewritten his record books this season and is chasing another feature at Rosehill on Saturday
