Baker hoping for more Magic Millions memories
Richard Edmunds - Raceform • January 9th, 2025 3:30 PM
The Gold Coast’s mega-rich Magic Millions meeting holds a special place in the heart of expat New Zealand trainer Bjorn Baker, who will have live chances in both of the A$3 million age-group features on Saturday.
After learning his trade in Cambridge alongside his Hall of Fame father Murray, Baker took the plunge and moved to Sydney more than a decade ago to launch his solo training career. His first big impact came in the 2014 edition of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, which he won with Unencumbered.
Baker took a break from his busy schedule at the nearby Magic Millions sale grounds this week to film an Instagram video that reflected on the significance of that win and also previewed this weekend’s runners.
“The Magic Millions is where I had my big break with Unencumbered in 2014,” he said. “I’ve actually had only three runners in the two-year-old race. Unencumbered won it, Goodfella was an unlucky fourth in 2017, and Infatuation was fourth again in 2023. I’m really looking forward to seeing O’ Ole represent the stable this year.”
O’ Ole is by Vinery Stud’s first-season sire Ole Kirk, a Gr. 1 Caulfield Guineas and Golden Rose-winning son of Written Tycoon. Baker paid A$325,000 to buy O’ Ole from the draft of Gilgai Farm at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and the talented filly has had four starts for a win, a second and two fifths.
She finished second on debut in the Gr. 3 Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick on October 5, then ran fifth from a wide gate in the A$1 million Golden Gift at Rosehill in early November. O’ Ole opened her winning account in the A$200,000 Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic on December 11, followed by a fifth from another outside gate at Randwick on December 28.
O’ Ole has drawn handily in gate three for Saturday’s 2024 edition of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, in which she will be ridden by Tommy Berry, whose late brother Nathan rode Unencumbered to victory in 2014. She is rated a $14 chance in the TAB’s Final Field market.
Invincible Woman holds favouritism at $5, with Gallo Nero at $6 and first emergency Space Rider at $6.50. Memo and Icarian Dream are the only others in single figures and are both rated $8 chances.
Baker holds a stronger hand in Saturday’s Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, in which he will be represented by unbeaten fillies Dance To The Boom and Arriving Home.
Dance To The Boom races in the gold and black chequered colours of Cambridge Stud. She is raced by Jo Lindsay, which makes her eligible for a bonus of A$250,000 distributed among the first four finishers who have exclusively female ownership.
Lindsay paid A$250,000 to buy Dance To The Boom from Rosemont Stud’s draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The Exceedance filly has made a big impression winning all of her three starts to date, including a last-start stakes success in the Listed Gosford Guineas on New Year’s Eve.
Baker’s other runner in the 3YO Guineas is the I Am Invincible filly Arriving Home, who has had two starts for two wins. She was bought for A$550,000 as a yearling.
“We’ve got two unbeaten and promising fillies in the 3YO Guineas and I’m very excited about that,” Baker said. “Dance To The Boom won the Gosford Guineas and has earned her chance at this race. Damian Lane rides her, and she’s eligible for that lucrative bonus for Jo Lindsay.
“She’s a lovely, lovely filly. I’m really excited about her chances. The 1400 metres will be ideal for her.
“We’ve also got Arriving Home, who we scratched from a race in Sydney the other day after a brilliant gallop gave us the confidence to run her here. Kerrin McEvoy was in the saddle for both of her wins and is sticking with her.”
An unwelcome subplot in the countdown to the Magic Millions surrounds the Gold Coast track. A section of the course proper 500 metres from the finish, around 25 by 10 metres in size, was damaged by chemicals and became significantly discoloured. It was deemed unsafe for racing last Saturday, forcing a twilight meeting headed by the A$3 million Sunlight slot race to be relocated to the Sunshine Coast.
The track is being repaired via a ‘drop-in pitch’ method similar to that used in cricket as well as running repair to the Flemington track when it was damaged several years ago. The compromised section of the Gold Coast track has been removed and will be replaced with new turf taken from the 2200-metre chute.
A final decision on the Gold Coast’s suitability to host the Magic Millions meeting will be made on Thursday, with Brisbane’s Eagle Farm track to be used as a back-up venue if required.
Picture at the Top of the Page: Unbeaten filly Dance To The Boom will carry the Cambridge Stud colours in Saturday’s Magic Millions 3YO Guineas. Photo: Supplied
