Gatton trainer delighted with Cup win.
City victory a joy for Gatton man
RACING: Listed as a second emergency, there was a chance Baker Boy was not going to get a start in last Saturday’s Country Cup’s final.
The Brenton Andrew trained eight-year-old gelding had participated in several heats leading up to the Doomben feature race only to be pipped at the line.
But when two horses scratched giving the Gatton combination the green light, there was no holding them back.
With 19-1 odds, Baker Boy stormed to victory in the 1600m Country Cup final with jockey Ron Stewart, securing Andrew his second Saturday city victory.
Andrew described the journey as a “fairy-tale” overcoming injuries and challenges just to gain a place in the starting field.
“There were owners (of Baker Boy) just jumping on one another, one of the owners gave me a man cuddle,” Andrew said.
He praised Stewart for the race ride, saying it was a 10 out of 10 performance.
“He drew a bad barrier, but our plan was to go forward,” Andrew said.
“He crossed to the lead then let a couple horses pass but ended up with a beautiful run.
“You couldn’t have asked for a better ride.”
The victory was Andrew’s second win at Doomben.
The Country Cups Challenge included 16 non-tab races from September 22 to November 17 across Queensland, aiming to bring the best country horses to the city.
Horses gained a place in the final by winning one of the 16 heats and having raced in at least three non-tab races in the past 12 months.
Baker Boy gained his emergency acceptance when he finished third at the Kumbia Cup, with first and second failing to meet the entry requirements.
Andrew said the Country Cup Challenge was a great concept that gained a lot of attention throughout the racing community.
“The industry is starting to realise if you don’t have grassroots racing, there’s no racing it’s like any code,” he said.
“It proves to everyone you can win city races with a country trainer.
“You don’t have to have a horse trained in Brisbane to get the same results.”
However, four months ago Baker Boy’s racing career was nearly cut short when he crashed into a fence, fracturing his skull.
Andrew lost count how many stitches the horse had and feared he would not race again.
Baker Boy has since made a full recovery and has a small scar remaining from the indecent.
“He’s got a habit of continually hurting himself,” Andrew said.
“But he’s got a kind nature, he means well and always tries his heart out.”
Baker Boy arrived at Andrew’s Gatton stables three years ago, having previously raced in Melbourne.
Andrew plans to step the gelding up to 1600m races in the future.