It’s A Dundeel may have won Sydney’s richest race but Twilight Royale is looking at the biggest pay cheque in NSW racing.
The Bjorn Baker-trained filly is in line for a $2.4 million Inglis sales bonus on top of the $240,950 first prize if she can win next month’s Scone Guineas.
Baker’s father Murray trained It’s A Dundeel to his win in the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes which realised $2,469,750 for his connections.
Twilight Royale will have her lead-up to the Scone Guineas on May 17 in Saturday’s Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m).
Her first run of the campaign was inconclusive when she was unplaced in the PJ Bell on April 12 on a heavy track.
“It is hard to get a gauge on her because she doesn’t run fast times in trackwork,” Baker said.
“And I don’t know if it was the wet track that was the reason for her run at Randwick.
“I do know that she looks well, she is doing well and seems well.”
Twilight Royale put herself in line for the bonus with her wins in Inglis sponsored races including the 2013 Group Two VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes in which she beat subsequent Cox Plater winner Shamus Award.
Baker said the bonus was naturally something he and Twilight Royale’s owners thought about but that did not alter her preparation.
“She is a racehorse and we treat her the same as the other horses in the stable,” he said.
“You can’t do anything else.
“We will give the bonus a crack and hope for the best.
“And it would be nice to get one up on Murray.”
Fuerza will accompany his stablemate to Hawkesbury and Scone.
The gelding has only one win in a Newcastle maiden on his resume but his six placings include a Group One second to Guelph in last year’s Group One Champagne Stakes.
The Hawkesbury Guineas is one of three Group Three races on the program which also features the Gold Cup and the Darley Crown.
