Toyota’s Racing Viking Takes on Rosehill’s Winter Warriors

Going on his role in the Toyota Forklifts television advertising extravaganza, Bjorn Baker could well make wider on-screen exposure, particularly if sprouting a beard again in a Viking epic.

Alas for the time being he will settle for a racehorse trainer, and a reputation enhanced in his best season centred on improving horses that will be further tested with a recent five percent purchase of his rising seven-year-old Overpass, over the age for general improvement, for $30,000. Overpass has already topped prizemoney of $10 million.

With the more introverted Joe Pride, also noted for the remarkable consistency of his team when it strikes form, Baker is indicative of the new age Warwick Farm horseman, a far recollection from what it was when I kicked off 70 years back.

The reliability of their horses is a conundrum at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. To what degree others, tuned by them, striving for their best may have an impact.

Once Warwick Farm, an outer Sydney suburb, more bush than town, which also had a car racing circuit, was a legion of the desperate, characterised by Jim Barker, who had a penchant for diamonds, especially rings, also handy as knuckle dusters, adding power to his punch.

While Barker wasn’t noted for Group one triumphs, he figured in the category with Grey Ghost, winner of the Doomben 10,000, most of his successes, even on bush tracks, had big returns.

Folklore, albeit not the most reliable of sources, maintains Barker left a pile of gold bullion in New Guinea, only retreating because the Japanese army was on his heels.

Making up for lost revenue back home he plundered bookmakers. But Barker ruled with a diamond hand. If a jockey rode a bad race he was taken to the stable sand roll for corrective treatment. In one incident brother Jim, a kindly soul, attempted to intervene and received a backhander for his trouble.

Time and effort went into a Barker coup. On one occasion the trainer prepared a special for Rosehill. However, his punter did not arrive at the racecourse, being stuck in an all-night and most of the day card game. “Get this beat,” Barker told the jockey. A considerable feat because the horse had every assistance known to human to make it win. As the horse was taken onto the course proper the punter arrived. Barker went to fence and, waving a pocket handkerchief like a spinnaker, he gained the attention of the jockey. He switched the instructions. The horse scored.

For a sideline Barker was the manager for his son-in-law George Barnes, as good a welterweight boxer as Australia has produced. Barker liked a good stoush.

During Warwick Farm trackwork two trainers went hell for leather. Blood and teeth flowed. Humanitarians intervened.

“That’s the trouble today,” Barker mused, sucking on a cigar. “As soon as one gets on top, they want to stop the fight.”

Now Warwick Farm is more genteel. Usually, those responsible Group one successes supply prawns and champagne all round, hardly the situation at Rosehill on Saturday where Baker and Pride have strong chances in Saturday’s Rosehill majors: Winter Challenge, and the Schweppes Sprint.

In the Winter Challenge Baker will be hard to beat with Robusto who should have won last start when beaten by Pride’s Estadio Mestalla in the Winter Stakes at Rosehill. Had Barker prepared Robusto, jockey Josh Parr would have had a session in the stable sand role. Parr gets a chance to make amends on Saturday.

Estadio Mestalla goes up three kilos in the handicap, which gives Robusto an advantage on paper, plus the journey increase from 1400 metres to 1500 metres, but Pride horses progress. Pride’s Accredited, also in the Winter, was third behind his stablemate, Estadio Mestalla last start and should be respected.

Perhaps Thunderlips is the Baker second-string against them but he, too, was close up, beaten only 1.88 lengths, by Estadio Mestalla in the Rosehill clash and has a form line of 1-2-1-1-4. Maybe the jockey switch to Ash Morgan will make a difference.

The Pride touch is strong in the Schweppes with Storm The Ramparts recent runs being 2-1-1-2-1 while his stablemate, The Black Cloud, has been scratched. Baker takes Storm The Ramparts on with the resuming Disneck.

Certainly, Little Cointreau, a member of the Pride team, is favoured against the Baker pair, Highlights and War Eternal in the Toyota Forklifts, the final event on the program, and carrying a significant title of the Baker’s sponsors. Few if any, trainers have won more last races than Baker, but Pride’s Little Cointreau has four thirds and a fourth from his last four attempts. The gelding drops to 53kg and has Andrew Atkins in the saddle, so good on King’s Secret, from the same outfit, at Randwick last Saturday.

Beware of Pride’s Excelladus, who should have finished closer last start. Jay Ford will navigate. Opposed to the Pride pair Highlights and War Eternal don’t look flash, back after spells without fresh credentials. Highlights has had nine attempts first-up for one placings, a situation Jim Barker would have exploited to get odds. Highlights has been trialling well.

A success would lift the Forklifts Toyota exposure for the genial Baker. Toyota recognises top talent. Something could be in the wings for Baker along the lines of Russell Crowe, a fellow New Zealander. Baker, though, is more the younger Harrison Ford, no relation to Jay.