Bjorn Baker admits he doesn’t know much about new stable acquisition Betrayal, but he likes what he sees.
Formerly trained by Gai Waterhouse, Betrayal has his first start for Baker at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Just 18 months after setting up a base at Warwick Farm, the New Zealander has established himself among the top 10 Sydney trainers with the stable continuing to grow.
Betrayal runs in the Canterbury Park Handicap (1100m) after an eight length barrier trial win over Solemn, one of Darley’s contenders for Saturday’s Group One Randwick Guineas.
“He is a very nice horse and he won his trial spectacularly,” Baker said.
“He has heaps of ability and potential.
“He is a recent acquisition and I don’t know too much about him yet and I’ll get a good read on him after Canterbury.”
It will be the fourth start for Betrayal who has a win and a second placing on his record.
The three-year-old is by Group One winning sprinter Exceed And Excel out of another Group One winner Carrie On Cutie who claimed the 2005 Champagne Stakes over 1600 metres.
Betrayal’s victory came over 1250 metres in May last year.
“I’m not sure what distances he can get up to,” Baker said.
“We’ll take it one step at a time and after we see what he can do, then we can look at aiming higher.”
Baker spent several years training in partnership with his father Murray in New Zealand and his passion for Australian racing was ignited when he accompanied the stable’s horses across the Tasman.
Among them were Nom Du Jeu, winner of the 2008 Australian Derby and Lion Tamer who won the 2010 Victoria Derby.
Baker trained his first Group Two winner in his own right when Twilight Royale won Saturday’s Sires’ Produce Stakes at Flemington.
