Racing: Bakers prepare for transtasman feast

Mackadoo wins Race One the Le Pine Funerals Handicap during Underwood Stakes Day day at Caulfield Racecourse. Photo / Getty Images.

It's like Melbourne Cup week for trainers Murray and Bjorn Baker.

If all goes well for the Cambridge stable today and tomorrow on both sides of the Tasman there will be a call for champagne parties.

The Bakers have a royal chance with Lion Tamer in the A$400,000 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick this afternoon.

Tomorrow Murray Baker will be at Flemington to saddle Mackadoo in the A$150,000 UCI Stakes and Harris Tweed for the A$250,000 The Bart Cummings.

And on the local front We Can Say It Now makes a long awaited resuming run in the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Hawkes Bay Guineas this afternoon.

Lion Tamer surprised Australians when he made a stunning last-to-first debut in Sydney to win the 1400m Ming Dynasty at Randwick.

He then finished only seventh of the 11 runners to the Peter Snowden-trained Retrieve in the 1800m Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill, but Murray Baker was not disappointed with the performance.

"It was a leader's race and he got back in running."

Bookmakers were clearly unimpressed because Lion Tamer is fifth favourite at $12 for today's big Randwick event.

He will once again be ridden by former South African Glyn Schofield.

Retrieve is the Spring Champion favourite at $2.15.

Stablemate Mackadoo will get his chance to prove to the Australians he is a stayer in the making when he contests tomorrow's A$150,000 UCI with Michael Rodd on his back.

At his first start beyond 1400m, Mackadoo last start won a 1700m 3-year-old handicap at Caulfield.

He should have gained considerable experience from that and the 1800m of tomorrow's race from a handy No 3 barrier looks perfect.

"He's trained on really well," says Murray Baker.

Harris Tweed's 58.5kg equal topweight will not be easy over the 2500m of The Bart Cummings, but Baker says he is happy with the Melbourne Cup runner's progress.

"He's improving all the time. He came out of a very wet New Zealand winter and was a bit behind the other two.

"He's starting to come to it."

So, too, says Baker, is highly talented filly We Can Say It Now.

The stable has been reluctant to run the giant filly on the wet New Zealand tracks so far this preparation which might have her at a slight disadvantage against some of the colts and geldings in today's Hawkes Bay Guineas because most of them have already had a race.

Murray Baker warns not to totally dismiss the Starcraft filly on that basis.

"We're very happy with her, she's been doing well lately."

It might pay to remember We Can Say It Now made a stunning winning debut last season.

Strong representation

* The Murray and Bjorn Baker stable have strong chances at Randwick, Flemington and Hastings this weekend.

* Lion Tamer will give a good sight in the A$400,000 Spring Champion Stakes despite his long odds.

* Mackadoo in Melbourne and We Can Say It Now at Hastings are big chances.