A week of international success has been brilliantly followed up by a domestic triumph for trainer Bjorn Baker.
The up-and-coming gelding Midnight Dynamite claimed victory in Saturday’s Listed Civic Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick.
This win arrives just days after his stablemate Overpass secured a commendable third place in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot. Overpass is slated to compete again in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m) shortly.
While Baker was present at Royal Ascot for Overpass’s UK debut, he entrusted the horse’s care to his racing manager Luke Hilton. Baker himself returned to Sydney on Thursday evening to manage his local stable.
“It was a great trip, and he ran so well, Overpass,” Baker said. “We’ve got a pretty special horse here too in Midnight Dynamite. He is putting together a marvellous record for Darby Racing, and he was dominant today.”
Midnight Dynamite boasts an impressive record, having won eight of his twenty starts, including three of his last four outings this season.
Baker confessed that the gelding’s rapid progression has surpassed the stable’s expectations, and he believes the four-year-old has not yet reached his full potential.
“He’s been a horse who has surprised us, just how well he is going, and how he keeps improving,” he said. “When he gets in better grade, if he ever hits a really wet track, he’s going to be very tough to beat.”
The Winter Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on July 4 is being considered as the next race for Midnight Dynamite. Like Baker, jockey Jason Collett shares the optimism about the gelding’s future.
“He is only getting better,” Collett stated. “This preparation he has gone to another level so that says time is a good thing for him. He ticks a lot of boxes, and he’s going through the handicaps nicely.”
Midnight Dynamite, the favoured runner at $2.60, crossed the line 1-3/4 lengths ahead of Whinchat ($19), who had set a strong pace, with Cool Jakey ($5) finishing a further short neck back.
Looking for the best odds on upcoming races? Explore the leading Australian betting sites for competitive racing markets.