The Kiwi training partnership of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman will open their New Zealand assault on the Sydney spring carnival at Rosehill on Saturday.
Baker and Forsman, New Zealand’s champion trainers for the past three seasons, are flying under the radar with two rising three-year-old entries for the G3 Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m).
The early arrivals Quick Thinker and Rhaegar are both stakes winners in New Zealand but have attracted little attention as spring contenders. That could change after Saturday as the pair have the form and pedigree credentials that make them likely types for races like the G1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) and G1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) and G1 Victoria Derby.
Australian-bred Quick Thinker, by So You Think and a half-brother to the good Sydney winner Seasons and the Group-placed Melbourne winner The August, has not been seen since he won the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie in April when having only his second career start.
View Quick Thinker’s Listed Champagne Stakes win below:
Regarded as a Champion Stakes/Victoria Derby prospect by the stable, he had finished second in a maiden at Rotorua on debut and geared up for his Sydney campaign with a recent hitout in a Cambridge barrier trial on August 20.
“Quick Thinker has plenty of untapped potential,” Baker said. “He appeals as a real staying type.”
Rhaegar, by Pluck, recorded his first win in three starts when he took out the Listed Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie at his latest start on May 25.
He has been given two trials in preparation for his Sydney campaign, finishing fourth at Te Teko on August 6 and third at Cambridge on August 20.
Quick Thinker is raced by Australian-based syndicators OTI Racing with hopes high that he can add to the success they have enjoyed with Baker and Forsman.
The training team have enjoyed a good run with OTI Racing owned horses having prepared Vin De Dance to win the 2018 New Zealand Derby.
Rhaegar, out of a half-sister to the ATC Australian Oaks winner Rena’s Lady, is raced Forsman and his parents with the owners of the stable’s ATC Derby winner Jon Snow.
Murray Baker has trained 21 Group One winners in Australia alone or in partnerships and is looking forward to another successful spring campaign.
“We have had good success in Australia over the years. I think we have some really nice young horses coming through and with some luck we might just be able to improve our record over there again,” Baker said.
Quick Thinker and Rhaegar contributed to a record-breaking black-type season for Baker and Forsman as their stable set a New Zealand record of 25 wins in Group and Listed races.
