Chosen One in Caufield Cup
New Zealand trainer Murray Baker says he is addicted to Melbourne’s spring carnival – and with good reason.
The Cambridge-based horseman has been training for more than 40 years and has won more than 20 group 1 prizes in Australia, including the Caulfield Cup in 2015 with Mongolian Khan.
And he might just add to that haul – and snare another Caulfield Cup next week – with The Chosen One, who guaranteed himself a start in the $5 million Cup with his cosy victory in the group 2 Herbert Power Handicap.
The four-year-old entire was given a patient ride by Damian Lane, who was always travelling smoothly and produced him at the right time to run down the equal top weight Prince of Arran, last year’s Melbourne Cup third-placed runner, ridden by Michael Walker.
Sully, from the Cranbourne stable of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, con- tinued the Kiwi theme when he ran third with Wall of Fire, an English import, producing a much improved effort to finish fourth.
But the first two drew well clear of the remainder in a race Walker described as having been run at a muddling pace which didn’t suit his galloper, who had just come out of quarantine on race morning. Not that that bothered Baker.
The veteran trainer has been landing
major Australian prizes for three decades, since his first big star, The Phantom, ran third in the 1989 Caulfield Cup and second in the 1990 Melbourne Cup. He also masterminded the career of top line gallopers such as AJC Derby winners It’s A Dundeel, Nom De Jeu and Jon Snow, along with Victoria Derby winner Lion Tamer, amongst others.
Baker says that he excels with stayers such as The Chosen One because New Zealanders cannot be competitive in Australian races with sprinters.
‘‘I think as a New Zealander you have to breed staying horses. ‘‘Our industry still produces them, if you are prepared to wait. We don’t mind waiting, as long as I get a trip,’’ he joked.