Bjorn Baker has labelled Caballus the second-best colt he has trained behind Ozzmosis after the three-year-old overcame a high-class field to win the Eskimo Prince Stakes at Randwick.
Bought for $315,000 by syndicators Darby Racing as a tried horse, Caballus continued his perfect record for his new connections, adding Saturday’s Group 3 race to his first-up success at Rosehill last month.
Baker said he was fortunate to have inherited a well-educated and talented racehorse who he believed could continue to rise through the ranks.
“He’s the second-best horse I’ve ever trained after Ozzmosis,” Baker said.
“I was lucky to be the benefactor of a ready-made horse. It’s been very straightforward and everything’s worked out well.
“Darby Racing just keep finding them….and I’m so grateful to be a part of that.
“And Josh Parr, how much luck has he had with us. He’s an absolute gentleman. Midway through the race, he was three-wide and I was thinking ‘I don’t know’. But he knew better.”
Baker admitted he was cautious about Caballus’ prospects, given the horse was stepping up to black-type grade and had worked plainly in the wet on Tuesday.
But he need not have worried, Caballus ($7) outsprinting his rivals to beat filly Makarena ($5) by a length with Encap ($9.50) another 1-1/4 lengths away.
The winner will be kept to shorter trips with the $1 million Inglis Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on March 2 the immediate goal.
“The aim when we bought him was to go to the Inglis three-year-old race at Flemington, so I don’t think we’ll divert from that,” Baker said.
“It’s a $1 million race and then we might have a race like the Arrowfield Sprint.”
Parr said he was single-minded in wanting to settle Caballus within striking distance of the leaders and make use of the horse’s race fitness and he knew shortly after turning for home he was on the winner.
“From the top of the straight I knew with this horse’s turn of foot and with his race-fitness as well, there was no way they were going to beat him,” Parr said.
“I think he’s still on the rise which is quite exciting for everyone involved.”
Moravia started a $3.50 betting app favourite but was one-paced in the run home to finish fourth, jockey Tommy Berry at a loss to explain the effort.
“I’m not sure what to make of him,” Berry said.