Taming the aussies

New Zealand father-son training partnership Murray and Bjorn Baker are planning a rushed trip to Sydney with their exciting 2YO Lion Tamer (pictured).

Murray Baker said he was seriously considering running Lion Tamer in Saturday’s Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick after encouragement from his son that the field for this year’s race was not of a high standard.

Bjorn is in Sydney looking after Baker team’s Sydney Cup contender Harris Tweed.

“Bjorn has spoken to a few experts and his thoughts are that this is a good opportunity to win a Group 1 in Australia,” Baker said.

The Bakers have good advice as this year’s Champagne Stakes does look to be substandard. None of the first four home in the Golden Slipper – Crystal Lily, Decision Time, More Strawberries and Hinchinbrook – is running. Beneteau finished fifth in the Slipper and is the only Slipper runner entered for the Champagne Stakes, and the son of Redoute’s Choice has been in training for a long time after placing third in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m, Caulfield) in February.

Baker said it was not his usual style to back up a 2YO within seven days, but Lion Tamer had come through his New Zealand win in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m, Ellerslie) win on Saturday as if he hadn’t had a run.

“He’s very tough and he’s a genuine stayer. If any horse can handle the back up and the trip across (the Tasman ) it’s him. We won’t have to work him,” Baker said.

Baker said that Lion Tamer’s only poor run – ninth in the Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m, Awapuni) – was to be forgiven. “He was flattened at the start by his stablemate and it was a leader-biased track that day. He never got into the race.”

Lion Tamer is by the first-season sire Storming Home, a son of Machiavellian, from Lioness, a mare by Generous (GB). His third dam is the outstanding staying mare My Blue Denim, who was second behind Beldale Ball in the 1980 Melbourne Cup. This is the same family as Harris Tweed.