Baker has punt on fitness of debutant

TRAINER Bjorn Baker is banking on Hide Your Heart’s natural ability compensating for her lack of race experience when she debuts in the $1 million Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

“She doesn’t have the ‘match fitness’ which counts for a lot with two-year-olds so it will be tough for her on debut,’’ Baker said.

“But it’s a $1 million race and got to be in it to win it. I think she will be able to get back, relax and I expect her to be finishing off strongly.

“It is hard to go in confident but she is nice filly with the ability to run a good race. She is not out of it.’’

Hide Your Heart is among a trio of first starters in the Golden Gift field and is at $16 in Ladbrokes’ betting behind $3.50 favourite Captivant.

Baker has given Hide Your Heart, a $260,000 Magic Millions yearling purchase, two barrier trials to prepare for her race debut. The filly impressed in both, including her late surge to win at Randwick on a heavy track.

“Both her trials were on rain-affected ground, she is by Sebring and they tend to get through the wet track conditions,’’ Baker said.

Understandably, Baker has more reason to be upbeat about the chances of classy mares Positive Peace and Irithea in the day’s other feature, the Group 2 $500,000 Hot Danish Stakes (1400m).

Positive Peace is back in winning form after taking out Group 3 The Nivison last start while Irithea will be improved by her first-up run when unplaced behind Trumbull in the Group 3 Sydney Stakes.

Baker was relieved Positive Peace bounced back to her best last start after three unplaced runs to start her campaign.

“She had such a good autumn winning five in a row including the Emancipation (Stakes, Group 2) that we had high hopes for her this spring,’’ Baker said.

“I thought she was going better than what she was showing us on race day – her Golden Pendant run (fourth to Subpoenaed) was actually very good – so we changed a couple of things and she’s back in form.”