Latest news with #TheIngham
New Paper
19-07-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Robusto defies weight to win
Robusto defied his topweight to edge out Accredited in the A$200,000 (S$167,000) Listed Winter Challenge (1,500m) at Rosehill Gardens on July 19. Trained by Bjorn Baker, the Churchill five-year-old - who saluted in the Group 2 The Ingham (1,600m) on Dec 14, 2024 - was ridden by Joshua Parr again, after the pair finished an unlucky second to Estadio Mestalla in the Listed Winter Stakes (1,400m) at his last start on July 5. With Robusto shouldering the top impost of 60kg again, Parr made sure history would not repeat itself at the Winter Challenge Day meeting this time. After sitting Robusto in fourth on the rails - behind Accredited (Alysha Collett) and Robusto's stablemate Thunderlips (Ashley Morgan) while Winter Stakes winner Estadio Mestalla (Dylan Gibbons) raced three wide in third - the Sydney-based rider swiftly slotted his mount in between Accredited and Thunderlips upon straightening and went for broke at the 250m. Estadio Mestalla, who led all the way in the Winter Stakes, could not mount a challenge, but it was Accredited who would not go away. Parr had to pull out all the stops on Robusto ($11) before he eventually got the better of Accredited in a thrilling finish. Saltcoats (Zac Lloyd), who had been trailing behind the winner, punched home for third for trainer Chris Waller. Baker was rapt with the win and has picked out two feature races for the Darby Racing-owned galloper in the upcoming Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. "He's been a bit of a revelation," said Baker to Australian Turf Club. "He was unlucky last time, but he's won in The Ingham and it's good to see him back (winning) today with the weights. "We can try and head towards the Spring with a bit of fitness on our side. Great ride by Josh Parr. "His work on Tuesday was a really good winning workout. He definitely ran up to that. "We might even go to the Missile Stakes, back to 1,200m, and possibly look at a race like the Winx (Stakes) if he went well there." The Group 2 Missile Stakes (1,200m) is on Aug 9 at Royal Randwick, while the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1,400m) will be run two weeks later on Aug 23. Parr was glad Robusto showed great tenacity to win. "He's had to carry the weight. We got through and it turned out to be somewhat of a dog fight," he said. "I had him on the back of my mind all day when Timmy (Tim) Clark won The Ingham aboard this horse. (It was) the fight that he showed once in the battle, so I was relying on that, but thank god we got him to win." sharonzhang@
Courier-Mail
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Robusto too tough in Winter Challenge as Bjorn Baker eyes Group 1 target
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. 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. • Home-bred cheapie scores knockout win in July Sprint '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. • 'Put my neck on the line': Online buy 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. Originally published as Trainer Bjorn Baker considering Group 1 target for Robusto after his fighting win in the Winter Challenge at Rosehill
Sydney Morning Herald
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Red-hot Baker ready to strike with twin chances in Rosehill feature
Bjorn Baker has hit the mark more than just about anyone in metropolitan racing this season. So when the Warwick Farm trainer targets a feature with a horse attempting a seven-day back-up for the first time and another racing second up off a last-place finish, it would be dangerous to write him off. Baker, coming to the end of a breakout season, has last-start winner Thunderlips and Robusto tackling the listed Winter Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday. Five-year-old Robusto, which won the $2 million The Ingham at Randwick in December and was second in three other features in his first campaign with Baker, resumed in the group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) on June 14, where he faded to finish last after working forward early from a wide gate. With gate one on Saturday and 60 kilograms, Robusto is $8 with Sportsbet to hit back at Rosehill. Baker is confident of an improved showing back in grade. 'It was a tough ask, and he drew badly, which was always going to make it tricky,' Baker said of the Eagle Farm run. 'That work he had to do first up, he was always going to be vulnerable. It was a risky play, but you've got to be in it to win it.
The Age
03-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Red-hot Baker ready to strike with twin chances in Rosehill feature
Bjorn Baker has hit the mark more than just about anyone in metropolitan racing this season. So when the Warwick Farm trainer targets a feature with a horse attempting a seven-day back-up for the first time and another racing second up off a last-place finish, it would be dangerous to write him off. Baker, coming to the end of a breakout season, has last-start winner Thunderlips and Robusto tackling the listed Winter Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday. Five-year-old Robusto, which won the $2 million The Ingham at Randwick in December and was second in three other features in his first campaign with Baker, resumed in the group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) on June 14, where he faded to finish last after working forward early from a wide gate. With gate one on Saturday and 60 kilograms, Robusto is $8 with Sportsbet to hit back at Rosehill. Baker is confident of an improved showing back in grade. 'It was a tough ask, and he drew badly, which was always going to make it tricky,' Baker said of the Eagle Farm run. 'That work he had to do first up, he was always going to be vulnerable. It was a risky play, but you've got to be in it to win it.
The Australian
29-04-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Private Eye Warwick Farm trial: Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Private Eye, notable by his absence during the Sydney autumn carnival, takes a significant step towards a return to racing with a barrier trial at Warwick Farm on Tuesday. Trainer Joe Pride's rising eight-year-old, already the winner of $11.9 million prizemoney, is contesting an 800m heat against seven rivals. Pride has deliberately held Private Eye back this autumn after the gelding raced deep into the spring and early summer last year. Private Eye contested his third successive The Everest last spring, finishing sixth to Bella Nipotina – he ran second to Giga Kick in 2022 and third to stablemate Think About It in 2023 – before winning the Group 3 Festival Stakes and then finishing fourth in Robusto's Group 2 The Ingham in December. But Pride said the evergreen sprinter-miler was coming up well ahead of a Brisbane carnival campaign. • 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! 'Private Eye is going super,'' Pride said. 'He has been going from carnival to carnival for so long now and he finally missed a carnival during the autumn. 'But you wouldn't believe it, this was the only dry autumn we have had in Sydney for the last five of six years. 'He did race until mid-December last year so he needed a break and he is coming along really well.'' • Better than Black Caviar? Shane Dye's big call on The Everest favourite Ka Ying Rising The Warwick Farm-based trainer said he plans to give Private Eye two barrier trials before a scheduled return to racing in the Group 1 $1 million Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm on May 31 and then possibly the Group 1 $3 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at the same track two weeks later. Pride has nominated six horses for the Hawkesbury stand-alone meeting on Saturday including Winx's half-sister City Of Lights for the Group 3 $250,000 Hawkesbury Crown (1300m). The Pride stable has Dragonstone, In Flight and Testator Silens entered for the Listed $200,000 Hawkesbury Rush (1100m) and Cool Jakey and Excelladus will line up in the Benchmark 88 Handicap (1400m). • Richard Callander's best futures bets for Qld winter, Sydney and Melbourne spring The Hawkesbury Race Club has taken a bumper 212 nominations for the 10-race program which marks the 20th anniversary since the first Hawkesbury stand-alone race day. Trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman have entered Punch Lane for the Group 3 $250,000 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) after the gelding's brilliant win at Royal Randwick last Saturday. Punch Lane has been rated at $6 in early TAB Fixed Odds betting for the Cup behind only Tavi Time at $3.50 and Matcha Latte at $4.50.
