Murray Baker has given Turn Me Loose the thumbs up after arriving in Melbourne
New Zealand trainer Murray Baker has given Turn Me Loose the thumbs up after arriving in Melbourne to oversee the horse’s final preparations for his bid at back-to-back Futurity Stakes wins at Caulfield.
Baker, who trains in partnership with Andrew Forsman, had not seen Turn Me Loose for about five weeks.
“I wasn’t here last time but I came back yesterday (Thursday),” Baker sid.
“He looks good to me, looks very good. He looks to have tightened up a bit and improved.
“It’s a good field but hopefully he can run well.”
Turn Me Loose heads into his Futurity Stakes defence on Saturday after his second to Black Heart Bart, the odds-on favourite for Saturday’s race, in the Group One C F Orr Stakes over the same course and distance two weeks ago.
“Last year he had finished fourth in the Orr and this year he finished second. So we’re happy enough with him,” Baker said.
“I think he should run an honest race.”
Niconero won back-to-back Futurity Stakes in 2008/09 when the race was over 1600m while Schillaci (1995, 1993), Manikato (1983,1981, 1980, 1979), Idolou (1974, 1973), St. Razzle (1950, 1949), Ajax (1940, 1939, 1938) and Gladsome (1906, 1905) were also multiple winners.
Turn Me Loose is on the second line of betting at $7 behind Black Heart Bart at $1.80.
Black Heart Bart is one of four runners for trainer Darren Weir and will be chasing his fifth Group One win in the past 12 months and fourth this season.
Since joining Weir’s stable Black Heart Bart has contested 10 Group One races for four wins, five seconds and an unplaced finish in last year’s Cox Plate.
“Obviously he’s an absolutely top class horse. He’ll be very hard to beat,” Baker said.
“They’re all hard to beat at that level.”
Black Heart Bart has yet to win back-to-back races since joining Weir, a trend he will be out to buck.
His stablemate Palentino, who finished equal fourth second-up in the Orr, has won a Group One in his past two preparations when third-up from a spell.
However both those wins came over 1600m at Flemington in the Australian Guineas and Makybe Diva Stakes.
