Victoria Derby winner Lion Tamer will campaign exclusively in Melbourne this spring with the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup his goals.
Bjorn Baker, who trains the colt in partnership with his father Murray, confirmed Lion Tamer was back in work after missing the autumn due to a few minor hiccups.
“He had a few problems in the autumn but nothing major,” Baker said.
“He’s back and going well at the moment. He looks great and he’s probably got stronger.
“He’s still a fair way off resuming. We will probably be looking to get to Melbourne in mid-August and he won’t race here (New Zealand), he’ll just race in Australia.”
Baker said they were yet to set Lion Tamer’s spring program in concrete but indicated the Group Two Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 27 was a possible starting point.
“The main target is the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup,” Baker said.
Stablemate Harris Tweed is also on track for a spring campaign in Melbourne after undergoing a wind operation during the autumn.
The five-year-old has finished fifth in the past two Melbourne Cups and was runner-up to Descarado in the Caulfield Cup last year.
“He’s always there without cracking that big one,” Baker said.
Harris Tweed and Lion Tamer will be the Bakers’ main spring flag bearers although filly Jeu De Cartes, a half-sister to their 2008 AJC Australian Derby winner Nom Du Jeu, could also earn a trip across the Tasman.
She has won two of her five starts and finished second to Queensland Derby runner-up Shez Sinsational over 2000 metres at Te Rapa in April.
Baker is just weeks away from relocating his family – wife Andrea and son Sven – to Sydney where he has secured 20 boxes at Warwick Farm.
He flies out on July 20 with a handful of horses and is excited by the impending challenge.
“I can’t wait, it’s going to be really exciting,” Baker said.
“It will probably be mid-August before I have a couple of horses ready to go. It will be pretty slow initially, everything takes time.
“We’ll be starting with an unexposed bunch and see what happens.”
AAP TURF
