The likelihood of a heavily rain-affected track has been enough to tempt Bjorn Baker to back-up in-form gelding Thunderlips in the Listed Winter Stakes at Rosehill.
Baker’s racing manager Luke Hilton confirmed the four-year-old had come through his victory at the venue last weekend in great order and would take his place alongside stablemate Robusto on Saturday.
“He has handled backing up before but it’s more so because of the rain affected track we’re going to get,” Hilton said.
“He loves the wet tracks. He went great on a dry track last week and back on a wet track is going to be an advantage to him.”
The stable thought highly enough of Thunderlips as a young horse to run him in a brace of Group races in Brisbane as a two-year-old but he didn’t quite hit the mark.
However, he is beginning to fulfill that potential this campaign with three wins from his past four starts, two of them over the 1400-metre Winter Stakes journey.
Robusto returns to Sydney after failing to beat a rival home first-up in the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm when he had to work early to go forward from a wide draw.
He was deep into his preparation when he captured the Group 2 The Ingham (1600m) for the stable in December and Hilton said the gelding would benefit from another run or two, and a firmer track.
“It was a Group One assignment so it was hard to do first-up,” Hilton said of the Stradbroke run.
“I would have rathered him on a better surface but he will definitely go around from a good gate on Saturday.
“Leading into the Stradbroke, we were really pleased with him . . . He was a long way into his prep when he won the Ingham. We got him during that preparation and I think he does take a fair bit of racing so he might need another run or two.”
A capacity field of 13 is set to line up in the Winter Stakes (1400m) with Thunderlips an early $4.80 favourite ahead of last start winner Accredited ($5) with Robusto a $6 chance.
