Latest news with #Robusto
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Climate
- 7NEWS
Officials on weather watch for Missile Stakes at Randwick
Australian Turf Club officials admit the weather forecast is looking 'tricky' ahead of the Missile Stakes meeting at Randwick. The course proper was a heavy 9 on Thursday after receiving over 155 mils of rain this week, or the equivalent of the usual monthly total in seven days. With further rain on the radar, particularly on Saturday, ATC assistant track manager Jake Carlaw says they will do all they can, but ultimately the fate of the meeting will hinge on the weather. 'The next couple of days, there's about five mils forecast on Friday and about fifteen on Saturday, so it is quite a tricky forecast for the team,' Carlaw said. 'Considering we had barrier trials today (Thursday) we will give the track a quick fill, hopefully mow the track this afternoon and just let Mother Nature take it's course with this rain in the next few days.' Carlaw added the rail would revert to the true position for the first time since early June, ensuring 'a nice pad of grass' for race day. The near certainty of an extremely heavy track has already robbed the Missile Stakes (1200m) of one of its biggest drawcards with trainer Joe Pride scratching Group 1 winner Private Eye. Pride made the final call on Friday morning with the gelding (later on Friday) winning a trial at Warwick Farm. Gary Portelli has also indicated he won't send Encap around on a testing track and has nominated the Doncaster Mile placegetter for a Rosehill trial next week. One horse who will take his place in the feature is the Bjorn Baker-trained Robusto. The winner of The Ingham during the summer, Robusto has the advantage of recent racing, having competed at the backend of the Brisbane winter carnival before returning to Sydney where he finished runner-up in the Winter Stakes (1400m) and captured the Winter Challenge (1500m) last month. Baker said the step back in distance would be no issue, especially given the anticipated conditions. 'Not with the track the way it is. It might be a big advantage,' Baker said. 'He's running and he is rock-hard fit.'
New Paper
19-07-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Robusto defies weight to win
Robusto defied his topweight to edge out Accredited in the A$200,000 (S$167,000) Listed Winter Challenge (1,500m) at Rosehill Gardens on July 19. Trained by Bjorn Baker, the Churchill five-year-old - who saluted in the Group 2 The Ingham (1,600m) on Dec 14, 2024 - was ridden by Joshua Parr again, after the pair finished an unlucky second to Estadio Mestalla in the Listed Winter Stakes (1,400m) at his last start on July 5. With Robusto shouldering the top impost of 60kg again, Parr made sure history would not repeat itself at the Winter Challenge Day meeting this time. After sitting Robusto in fourth on the rails - behind Accredited (Alysha Collett) and Robusto's stablemate Thunderlips (Ashley Morgan) while Winter Stakes winner Estadio Mestalla (Dylan Gibbons) raced three wide in third - the Sydney-based rider swiftly slotted his mount in between Accredited and Thunderlips upon straightening and went for broke at the 250m. Estadio Mestalla, who led all the way in the Winter Stakes, could not mount a challenge, but it was Accredited who would not go away. Parr had to pull out all the stops on Robusto ($11) before he eventually got the better of Accredited in a thrilling finish. Saltcoats (Zac Lloyd), who had been trailing behind the winner, punched home for third for trainer Chris Waller. Baker was rapt with the win and has picked out two feature races for the Darby Racing-owned galloper in the upcoming Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. "He's been a bit of a revelation," said Baker to Australian Turf Club. "He was unlucky last time, but he's won in The Ingham and it's good to see him back (winning) today with the weights. "We can try and head towards the Spring with a bit of fitness on our side. Great ride by Josh Parr. "His work on Tuesday was a really good winning workout. He definitely ran up to that. "We might even go to the Missile Stakes, back to 1,200m, and possibly look at a race like the Winx (Stakes) if he went well there." The Group 2 Missile Stakes (1,200m) is on Aug 9 at Royal Randwick, while the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1,400m) will be run two weeks later on Aug 23. Parr was glad Robusto showed great tenacity to win. "He's had to carry the weight. We got through and it turned out to be somewhat of a dog fight," he said. "I had him on the back of my mind all day when Timmy (Tim) Clark won The Ingham aboard this horse. (It was) the fight that he showed once in the battle, so I was relying on that, but thank god we got him to win." sharonzhang@
Courier-Mail
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Robusto too tough in Winter Challenge as Bjorn Baker eyes Group 1 target
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Trainer Bjorn Baker is considering giving Robusto another Group 1 crack in early spring after his tough galloper came out on top in a dogfight with Accredited at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Robusto and Accredited went nose-and-nose for much of the straight as Baker's gelding got the nod in a photo finish to the Listed $200,000 Winter Challenge (1500m). The tough performance had Baker ready to raise the bar higher again with a fit horse in the early spring. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'We might even go to the (Group 2) Missile Stakes back to 1200m and then look at a race like the (Group 1) Winx Stakes if he was to run well there,' Baker said. 'He is up and going and fit and well.' Baker caused a boilover to win the Winx Stakes in 2019 with Samadoubt, who also wore the white and navy blue colours of Darby Racing. Robusto has already been valuable horse since joining Baker's stable after Darby purchased the gelding online for $160,000. The son of Churchill won the $2m The Ingham in his first preparation for Baker last December and banked another $109,000 for his win in the Winter Challenge. 'He has been a bit of a revelation,' Baker said. 'Another horse Darby Racing have purchased and they just find them at all levels and found another two (online) during the week. 'I am lucky enough to get both of those and I am excited about that but he has been a really good horse and was unlucky last time. 'Of course he won The Ingham and it was good to see him back today with the big weight. • Home-bred cheapie scores knockout win in July Sprint 'We can definitely try to hit the spring with a bit of fitness on our side. 'I am glad he fell in because I tipped him to the world.' Robusto put the writing on the wall second-up when a luckless second in the Listed Winter Stakes after returning to Sydney looking to bounce back from a failed Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap run. But the five-year-old was set a weighty task in his third-up assignment. No horse had carried more than 58kg to victory in the Winter Challenge in its short 15-year history but Robusto was set the task of lugging 60kg on Saturday. He was afforded an energy conserving run after jockey Josh Parr settled on the fence, in behind the leader Accredited. Parr launched off Accredited's back early in the straight and the duo paired off to fight it out with Robusto ($3.10) doing enough to score by a half-head. Chris Waller's Saltcoats ($5.50) was one-and-a-quarter lengths back in third. 'He has had to carry the weight and has earned that weight but we got through there and it turned out to be somewhat of a dogfight,' Parr said. • 'Put my neck on the line': Online buy repays Archibald gamble 'I had in the back of my mind all day, when Tim Clark won The Ingham on him, the fight he showed in the battle. 'I was relying on that but thank God we got him to win.' Robusto's victory gave Baker a personal best ninth Listed winner of the season and 24th stakes triumph in a career best season that has delivered 154 winners. It denied trainer Joe Pride a cleansweep of Sydney's sprinting-middle distance winter stakes races after he won the AO Bob Charley Stakes (In Flight), Civic Stakes (Headley Grange) and Winter Stakes (Estadio Mestalla). However, Accredited, who finished third in the Winter Stakes at his last start, lost no admirers in defeat with Pride more than happy with his performance. 'He was good,' he said. 'It just highlights the difference with this fella on a wet track and a dry track. 'He is at least a two or three lengths better horse. 'There is a 1500m here in a couple of weeks' time so we will have a think about it and see how he pulls up.' Pride's Winter Stakes winner Estadio Mestalla couldn't replicate his last start success after being caught deep in the run and battling on for fifth. Originally published as Trainer Bjorn Baker considering Group 1 target for Robusto after his fighting win in the Winter Challenge at Rosehill
News.com.au
19-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainer Bjorn Baker considering Group 1 target for Robusto after his fighting win in the Winter Challenge at Rosehill
Trainer Bjorn Baker is considering giving Robusto another Group 1 crack in early spring after his tough galloper came out on top in a dogfight with Accredited at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Robusto and Accredited went nose-and-nose for much of the straight as Baker 's gelding got the nod in a photo finish to the Listed $200,000 Winter Challenge (1500m). The tough performance had Baker ready to raise the bar higher again with a fit horse in the early spring. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'We might even go to the (Group 2) Missile Stakes back to 1200m and then look at a race like the (Group 1) Winx Stakes if he was to run well there,' Baker said. 'He is up and going and fit and well.' Baker caused a boilover to win the Winx Stakes in 2019 with Samadoubt, who also wore the white and navy blue colours of Darby Racing. Robusto has already been valuable horse since joining Baker's stable after Darby purchased the gelding online for $160,000. The son of Churchill won the $2m The Ingham in his first preparation for Baker last December and banked another $109,000 for his win in the Winter Challenge. 'He has been a bit of a revelation,' Baker said. 'Another horse Darby Racing have purchased and they just find them at all levels and found another two (online) during the week. 'I am lucky enough to get both of those and I am excited about that but he has been a really good horse and was unlucky last time. 'Of course he won The Ingham and it was good to see him back today with the big weight. A robust win to Robusto! A thrilling battle in the Listed Winter Challenge, with the @BBakerRacing galloper victorious! â›'ï¸� @JoshuaParr8 @Darby_Racing @aus_turf_club â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 19, 2025 • 'We can definitely try to hit the spring with a bit of fitness on our side. 'I am glad he fell in because I tipped him to the world.' Robusto put the writing on the wall second-up when a luckless second in the Listed Winter Stakes after returning to Sydney looking to bounce back from a failed Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap run. But the five-year-old was set a weighty task in his third-up assignment. No horse had carried more than 58kg to victory in the Winter Challenge in its short 15-year history but Robusto was set the task of lugging 60kg on Saturday. He was afforded an energy conserving run after jockey Josh Parr settled on the fence, in behind the leader Accredited. Parr launched off Accredited's back early in the straight and the duo paired off to fight it out with Robusto ($3.10) doing enough to score by a half-head. Chris Waller 's Saltcoats ($5.50) was one-and-a-quarter lengths back in third. 'He has had to carry the weight and has earned that weight but we got through there and it turned out to be somewhat of a dogfight,' Parr said. "He's been a revelation!" Hear from @BBakerRacing and @JoshuaParr8 after Robusto's win in the Listed Winter Challenge ðŸ'� @Darby_Racing @aus_turf_club â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 19, 2025 • 'Put my neck on the line': Yoshinobu repays Archibald gamble 'I had in the back of my mind all day, when Tim Clark won The Ingham on him, the fight he showed in the battle. 'I was relying on that but thank God we got him to win.' Robusto's victory gave Baker a personal best ninth Listed winner of the season and 24th stakes triumph in a career best season that has delivered 154 winners. It denied trainer Joe Pride a cleansweep of Sydney's sprinting-middle distance winter stakes races after he won the AO Bob Charley Stakes (In Flight), Civic Stakes (Headley Grange) and Winter Stakes (Estadio Mestalla). However, Accredited, who finished third in the Winter Stakes at his last start, lost no admirers in defeat with Pride more than happy with his performance. 'He was good,' he said. 'It just highlights the difference with this fella on a wet track and a dry track. 'He is at least a two or three lengths better horse. 'There is a 1500m here in a couple of weeks' time so we will have a think about it and see how he pulls up.' Pride's Winter Stakes winner Estadio Mestalla couldn't replicate his last start success after being caught deep in the run and battling on for fifth.
New Paper
17-07-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Robusto ready to mount solid Winter Challenge
Falling mercury levels may keep Sydneysiders at home these days, but its racegoers would have more than the crisp and bracing air to lure them out of their couches to Rosehill Gardens on July 19. The hot racing action at the city track will feature its last "black type" contest of its racing calendar, the Listed Winter Challenge (1,500m) which has drawn a smallish but competitive field of 10 vying for the thicker end of the A$200,000 (S$168,000) stakes up for grabs. For those who claim cold weather can numb the brain cells, they will have no excuse this time, with the task of spotting a winner made easier by the "Winter" form line. Seven of the Winter Challenge contenders came out of the Listed Winter Stakes (1,400m) at the same course a fortnight ago on July 5. On face value, surprise but comfortable winner Estadio Mestalla will not fly under the radar this time. But without taking anything away from in-form trainer Joseph Pride's Irish-bred and a gutsy ride by young gun Dylan Gibbons, the circumstances of the race served the 60-1 long shot the victory on a platter. Other than go-forward customer Whinchat spearing over from his wide alley to camp on his haunches during the middle stages, Estadio Mestalla was untroubled and got away with some cheap sectionals. Besides, the ease of the cheeky win has not come without a price. The Galileo Gold six-year-old is the only one of the Winter Stakes sevens to cop a hefty penalty from the Sydney handicapper - from 54.5kg to 57.5kg. The weight surcharge is not the only reason why he may not go back-to-back on Saturday. Among the beaten brigade, tellingly, the next threesome past the line, Robusto, his better-fancied stablemate that day, Accredited, and Thunderlips will be among those favoured to turn the tables on him, especially the Bjorn Baker-trained Robusto. A 12-1 chance that day, he was a tragedy beaten. As jockey Joshua Parr got on his bike at the 300m, the doors closed on the A$2 million Group 2 The Ingham (1,600m) winner twice at a crucial stage, once by the laying-in Accredited and the second time when tightened for room by Welwal. By the time, the Churchill five-year-old saw daylight, the bird had already flown, but he still took stacks of ground off the winner to cut the margin back to 1½ lengths. While he shoulders the top weight of 60kg again, the 3kg swing on Estadio Mestalla as well as the extra 100m should help him exact revenge towards an eighth success. Among the three non-Winter Stakes runners who could upset the applecart, Fortunate Kiss stands out. The Adelaide challenger is at her first Sydney raid, but is unlikely to be all at sea as she did go around the clockwise way in Brisbane at her last three starts. At the last one, she even sprang a 25-1 shock in the Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1,400m) at the Sunshine Coast on July 5 for Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans and a winning pick-up ride for underrated jockey Luke Tarrant. That day, the ride on the Divine Prophet mare was meant to go to Ronnie Stewart, but the three-time Singapore Gold Cup-winning jockey was ruled out through an injury picked up earlier in the day. Kennewell has this time engaged a safe pair of hands around Rosehill for his 9-1 chance in local veteran hoop Jay Ford, who himself would be keen to snap a run of outs since returning from a fall scare at a midweek Canterbury meeting on July 9. A head knock did call for some precautionary scans, which luckily came out clear. Ford, who is better known to Singapore racegoers as the winning jockey aboard Australia's rags-to-riches champion Takeover Target in the 2008 Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint (1,200m) at Kranji, returned to the saddle the week after but has yet to get back on the scoresheet in three meetings. manyan@
