ELLERSLIE MARKETS
New Zealand Derby, 2400m (run February 28): $2.50 Volkstok’n’barrell; $5 Mongolian Khan; $10 McQueen, Gaultier; $12 Sound Proposition, Rockfast; $18 Platinum Witness, Margin Trader, Dee I Cee; $21 Midnitemagicman, Giant Turtle, Vavasour; $26 Tavy; $31 Nymph Monte; $41 Saint Emilion, Kolonel Kev. Others at $51 or longer. Auckland Cup, 3200m (run March 4): $6 Show The World; $7 Blizzard; $8 Perfect Start; $9 Rock Diva; $12 King Kamada; $14 She’s Insatiable, Graphic, Pondarosa Miss; $16 Duquesa, Dubai Shuffle, Delveen; $18 Saint Kitt, Blood Brotha; $26 Grand Admiral; $31 Colonel Carrera; $41 Mako, Arizona Jazz, The Fire Inside, Lion Red. runner, was never clear in the straight. The Te Rapa hat-trick gave the stable six wins in the space of three days and a 19-win advantage, over Lisa Latta, in the trainers’ premiership.
The Waikato Guineas was the ninth group win this season for Baker and Forsman and their stable houses the Auckland Cup favourite (Show The World), the co-favourite for the New Zealand Oaks (Saavoya) and the second favourite for the Derby (Mongolian Khan).
Show The World, who had finished third in the City Of Auckland Cup at his previous start, is a $6 favourite for the Auckland Cup after his grinding Te Rapa win.
The High Chaparral four-yearold is from the 2005 Auckland Cup winner Bazelle and has won five of his 11 starts in New Zealand.
He won the Group II Championship Stakes (2100m) at Ellerslie as a three-year-old but could not reproduce his best form when tried at the Sydney autumn carnival.
“We have always thought he was good but he’s probably more a handicap type than a classic type,” Baker said. “He’s a big horse and might have lacked a bit of strength when we took him to Sydney.
“He’s a bit one-paced but he will stay. He will keep going, especially if the track has the fire out.” Victor Hugo, a four-year-old by Fastnet Rock, came from last to record a spectacular win and might back up at the premier meeting at Te Rapa next weekend.
Baker and Forsman will be well represented on the second day at Te Rapa. They will have Atlante and Diademe in the Group I Waikato Sprint and Saavoya, Charmont and De Kensington Oval in the Group II Sir Tristram Classic (2000m).
Meanwhile, their Two Thousand Guineas winner Turn Me Loose is scheduled to be flown to Sydney today and will trial early next week, before tackling the Hobartville Stakes (1400m) on February 21.
Hugh Bowman will handle Turn Me Loose in his trial but no decision has been made on a rider for the Hobartville.