Record win for top stable

THE Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman training partnership set a new record for the most victories at stakes level in a New Zealand season when Quick Thinker took out the

Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie yesterday.

The win by the So You Think colt was the 21st black-type winner for the season for the Cambridge duo, who prepare him for well-known Australianbased syndicators OTI Racing.

Racing in OTI’s familiar goldand-black striped colours, Quick Thinker did plenty of work early in the race to loop the field threewide before settling outside the muddling speed set by Ranger.

Rider Matt Cameron had Quick Thinker travelling easily approaching the home turn before asking for an effort as the field straightened for the run home. Quick Thinker quickly burst to the front and maintained a solid gallop to hold out Ranger, who fought back gallantly, with Rendition running on strongly for third.

Baker admitted he was keen on the colt’s chances after he had taken plenty of benefit out of his debut run for second at Rotorua a week ago.

‘‘He’s bred to be a staying horse and we were confident he would go well today at the mile,’’ he said.

‘‘He might be a middledistance horse in the spring where we might get him to Melbourne or something like that.’’ The Baker-Forsman team have enjoyed a good run with OTI Racing owned horses having prepared Vin De Dance to win the 2018 New Zealand Derby (2400m).

‘‘He’s going to be a very very good horse,’’ Cameron said.