Gary Harley
Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker currently in seventh place in the Australian Trainers Premiership with 73 winners for this season sent four gallopers to the Newcastle Jockey Clubs Legends Race Day meeting on Saturday and the stable went home with two winners. And a second. While Baker himself is currently in his homeland preparing for this weeks Karaka Yearling Sales the stable produced a potential Metropolitan winner in Monte Veebee a 4.21 lengths winner of the 1250 metre Legend Kris Lees Benchamrk 68 Handicap. There was stable confidence on Saturday morning that Monte Veebee would win the race. The 4-year-old drifted in late betting form $1.90 to $2.70. Hawkesbury based jockey Chad Lever steered the gelding to the front from the outset and he careered away for the easiest win of the meeting. Montee Veebee a son of the great sire Snitzel had a win and five seconds before being transferred to the Baker stable and he had two impressive barrier trials for his new trainer in December.
Earlier in the day Bakers, 3-year-old Kiwi bred gelding Sinister, led all the way to narrowly win the Legend Robert Thompson Maiden Plate (1500m). The $4.80 chance was only beaten half a length om debut at Orange on January 6. Lever also had the mount on Sinister, and the former South Australian jockey was aboard Baker’s mare Cuesta runner up in the 1850 metre Legend Jack Newton Benchmark 64 Handicap.
It was a successful day for Warwick Farm based trainers with Richard Litt also leaving Newcastle with a winning double. The pair October Star in the 900 metre Legend Paul Perry Midway Maiden Plate and Tutto in the 1850 metre Legend Gary Harley Super Maiden Plate were ridden by Mitchell Bell. The double brought up Bells 50th winner of the current season.
Champion trainer Ciaron Maher and Irish jockey Adam Farraher combined to win the Legend Jack Newton Benchamrk 64 Handicap (1850m) with Kiwi bred mare Twisted Love. The 4-year-old put the writing on the wall when she charged home to go down by a nose at Nowra last start. She was easy in the betting winding up as a $10 chance.
Well backed Rockbarton Angel was the only locally trained galloper to won at Newcastle when she bolted on with the 1400 metre Legend Lauren Parker Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap.
Local apprentice Shannen Llewellyn rode the winer along early in the race and she sat outside the leader’s heels until 300 metres from home where the mare dashed away to win easily. David Adkins trains Rockbarton Angel and she was his second winner of the day albeit the other Promitto was successful at Randwick with 6.5 kilograms on his back.
The NJC race again on the course proper this Saturday.