If ever trainer Bjorn Baker needed reassurance about his impending move to Sydney he only has to consider his win with Hurricane Mickey in Saturday’s Te Awamutu Cup.
The Te Awamutu Cup was New Zealand’s main race of the week and while Baker was delighted with Hurricane Mickey’s success, the sobering factor was the prize money.
In a sad reflection on New Zealand racing the stake for the Cup, an open class handicap, was a paltry $NZ17,500 ($A13,587). As much as two decades ago the race was worth $25,000. Hurricane Mickey yesterday earned $10,938 while King Aussie, the winner 20 years ago, picked up $16,250.
The Te Awamutu Cup is just one example of how stakes across the board in New Zealand have slumped in the past few decades and provides the driving force behind Baker’s move to Sydney.
Baker leaves on July 20 and is under no illusions the competition will be tough and it represents a major shift from the quiet of Cambridge in the Waikato.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Baker told NZPA.
“It’s going to be a challenge but at the end of the day you can’t die wondering. New Zealand racing has been good to me. I’ll miss Cambridge, it’s a lovely place.
“In some ways I’m a bit nervous but this is what I wanted to have a crack at.”
Baker is taking four low profile horses from New Zealand with him but hopes to build up to a team of about 10 by the time he settles in.
The 33-year-old has trained in partnership with his father Murray for three seasons.
They will revert to single training identities when the new season starts on August 1 but will continue to work together with the hope that promising New Zealand horses could be transferred to Sydney.
“It gives our owners somewhere else to race and particularly at this time of the year when they can race for good money in Sydney,” Baker said.
The Bakers have had much success on both sides of the Tasman with this season a good example.
They won three Group One races with the first coming in Melbourne where Lion Tamer won the $A1.5 million Victoria Derby. The other two were in New Zealand with We Can Say It Now taking out both the Levin Classic and the Captain Cook Stakes.
Hurricane Mickey has developed into a top winter galloper. Saturday’s win was his 10th from 31 starts but it is his record on heavy tracks that stands out. Sixteen starts on heavy tracks have produced eight wins and six minor placings.
The six-year-old gelding, by D’Cash, could next tackle the Group Three $100,000 Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton in Christchurch on August 6.
NZPA WGT
