Carrying the colours of Stradbroke Handicap winner Stefi Magnetica, debutante Arriving Home has stamped herself as a filly with a bright future, overcoming her inexperience to post an impressive win.
A daughter of I Am Invincible, Arriving Home ($20) didn’t have all the favours, buffeted wide on the corner before picking herself up and launching late to overhaul Choice Legend ($31) in the final bounds.
Our Little Star ($16) was a close third in a busy finish which had just three-quarters of a length separating the first five horses across the line.
Having his first ride on the Bjorn Baker-trained three-year-old in Wednesday’s TAB Handicap (1100m), Kerrin Mcevoy said he wasn’t overly surprised by her performance given the improvement she had shown in her trials.
A busy finish to the first at Warwick Farm! Arriving home put in the big strides late under @KPMcEvoy to win for @BBakerRacing 🔥 pic.twitter.com/44F6ZVwKfG
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 4, 2024
“It didn’t surprise me she was able to run a really good race and was getting the hang of it late,” McEvoy said.
“She landed in a nice spot. Unfortunately, the horse on the inside was able to burrow us out of the way around the corner and she ran away from that a little bit.
“But full credit to her, we were wide from the corner, balanced up, I asked for an effort and she has given me a nice feel doing it, so she is going to keep improving.”
Arriving Home races in the blue and gold colours of stablemate and Group 1 winner Stefi Magnetica and Baker’s representative Glen Lobb says they hold her in high regard.
“I think she will go a long way. She races in Stefi Magnetica’s colours, so she’s got a lot to live up to with those colours, but hopefully she is going the right way,” Lobb said.
“Bjorn has always liked her and he has always spoken highly of her. He said, ‘gee she is going to make a nice filly this’, we just didn’t know if it was a bit early for her.
“In a couple of her trials, we had gone forward on her but in her last trial we snagged her back and boy, she powered to the line and was really impressive.”
There was a delay to the start of the race with Call Me Sassy and the winner’s barn mate Shalaa Gold both late scratchings at the barriers after playing up.
