Baker in the hunt for more juvenile riches

Wednesday 1 January 2014, 4:29pm

Bjorn Baker is chasing million-dollar paydays with Unencumbered and Twilight Royale and is looking to Baio to put himself in the frame for another rich race.

Unencumbered is the equal favourite for the $2 million Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast on Saturday week while Twilight Royale can collect a $2.4 million William Inglis bonus if she wins the Scone Guineas in May.

Baio has his lead-up to the $250,000 Inglis Classic when he runs in the 1100m two-year-old race at Rosehill on Saturday.

The colt ran 2-1/4 lengths fourth to Unencumbered at his first start on October 12 before he was unplaced two weeks later in the Inglis Banner at Moonee Valley.

After a short break he returned with a solid third to Mossfun in the Inglis Nursery on December 14.

"Saturday is his prep race for the Classic. We took him to Melbourne because we are chasing the bonus with him," Baker said.

"That didn't work out but he did run a good fourth to Unencumbered at his first start."

Brenton Avdulla will ride Baio who jumps from barrier five in a field of 13 for Saturday's race.

By Myboycharlie out of Gloravega, Baio was a $15,000 yearling at last year's Classic sale.

Twilight Royale, winner of the Inglis Premier and Group Two VRC Sires' Produce Stakes, is in pre-training with Rodney Northam in Scone.

She was given a work-out between races at the local race meeting on Saturday.

"By all accounts she is doing well," Baker said.

"She will go out for another couple of weeks and come back in mid-January."

Baker said Unencumbered had come through his win in last Saturday's B J McLachlan in fine order and would be spot-on for the Magic Millions race.

Baker and Avdulla will also combine with four-year-old mare Easter Island at Rosehill.

Easter Island is topweight in the 1800m benchmark 72 and two starts back beat Wednesday's Randwick winner Mr Scary.

– AAP

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