THE LAST-RACE ALCHEMIST: Kiwi Trainer’s Golden Touch Stuns Sydney

The incredible run of Bjorn Baker in final events, comparable with “last race Billy Cook” is bracketed on Saturday with the absence of Ann Hackett from the final Royal Randwick meeting before Christmas.

For the last 47 years Hackett, who holds a decision in a sprint over Betty Cuthbert on the track, has been the beaming presence, attending to the needy around jockeys, media and stipes.

With horses, people, trainers, jockeys, owners, punters and the racecourse staff, contribute so much to the occasion.

Like Cook, a saddle artist, Hackett gave much, a certain smile, a coffee when you were desperate and spread the joy far and wide.

So Baker, a New Zealander, is racing in top company here. It’s hardly news about his knack of scoring at the end of a program. However over the past week he won the final Randwick race last Saturday with Disneck, backed from $18 to $12 followed by Slinky ($4.20 to $2.90) at the end of the Warwick Farm program on Wednesday.

Can the run continue with the TAB Handicap at Randwick this week where the trainer has two acceptors Cingue Torri who drew 17 and the first reserve, Sweysive, from the one gate? Both are resuming. Influenced by recent events watch the market.

Historically New Zealanders have been prominent in Sydney racing but not as great as currently with Baker being a major contributor. He backs up Chris Waller and James McDonald. Should J-Mac be absent another, Jason Collett, so consistently good, would have strong prospects of being the leading jockey this season.

Around the time Billy Cook, the sweetest hands in the business inherited by his son, Peter, quit in 1959, Kiwis were noted more for their stealth and cunning than winning.

My favourite was V.P. (“Mo”) Bernard, astute to the degree the Australian Jockey Club refused his nomination. Horses trained by him could not race in New South Wales when jockeys from there were hardly in the Cook category.

Cook rode for 35 years and gained the last race tag riding in Great Britain. He continued to trend at home being much fancied by punters because of his knack to what was termed the Get Out Stakes”, similar to Baker.

Mind you Baker is going very nicely elsewhere and notched The Ingham, once The Villiers, with Robusto, a Waller discard, last Saturday.

For we of vintage The Villiers was better run the final Saturday before Christmas. Recent replacements have been a let-down.

Certainly on Saturday Randwick falls short of the corresponding Pakenham Cup program in Victoria with the $1 million Supernova featuring Nadal who produced an awesome finish last start. Was the gelding flattered by a hectic tempo or is he exceptional?

On face value Randwick is common but you never know from whence a topliner will sprout. Given a firm surface and the two kilo claim for Molly Bourke can Our Kobison, tuned by the canny Angela Davies, in the Toyota Forklifts produce the pace that enabled him to establish a Rosehill record?

Randwick will produce memories if not Ann Hackett. Remarkably her most vivid was only recently. “It was Reece (Jones) embracing Zac (Lloyd) after the protest.”

Land Legend, ridden by Jones, had beaten Zardozi after a hectic finish in The Metropolitan at Randwick. Lloyd lodged an objection which was dismissed.

Of all the passion and excitement Hackett, a 1939 twin foal, had experienced around her pitch, a hub of winning and losing, this resonated most.

Following the announcement of her departure from Randwick after Melbourne Cup Day, jockey Adam Hyeronimus approached her. “We would like to take you and (husband) John for a streak and a beer?” he said.

“Sixteen or 17 entertained us at the China Doll,” Hackett recalled.