3 minute read
Chelsea Baker, in just her second year of race riding, is on target to claim the apprentice jockey title and may well strengthen her lead with a handy book of rides at the Hobart meeting on Sunday.
As it stands, Chelsea Baker leads the apprentice premiership race with 26 wins and is five ahead of Taylor Johnstone who is currently sidelined through injury and still some weeks away from a return.
Codi Jordan who has won the title for the past two seasons sits third, but she is now riding in Victoria.
Baker has been riding for just a little more than 12 months, she rode her first winner in March last year and finished the season with an impressive 29 wins from just 165 rides.
Baker is readily sought by the states leading stables and on Sunday four of her rides are for top trainer Scott Brunton.
Her best winning chance to looks to be aboard Galenus in the Ladbrokes Yard Comments BM76 (1200m), who came back to form in Launceston last start scoring a narrow but emphatic win in an Open Hcp on 15 March.
The 6YO has raced only 22 times but has won eight with five placings and almost $270,000 in prizemoney.
Baker's claim (1.5kg) will reduce the weight carried by Galenus to 61kg but he has won with similar weights in the past.
Brunton, who regularly dominates Hobart race meetings, has 24 entries and it would be no surprise to see the state's leading trainer land multiple winners again.
Besides Galenus he has winning chances in nearly all 10 races. One of his interesting runners is Furneaux, a first starter in the Kevin Sharkie 2YO and 3YO Maiden (1200m).
Furneaux (Palentino x Talus) won a trial in Hobart on 28 March after racing wide throughout. He won the trial narrowly finishing off in a slick 34.99s for the last 600m. He looks a likely type who could win first-up without surprising.
Another winning hope from the Brunton camp is Dantes who after being heavily backed and beaten at his first start, made amends with a soft win at this track on 19 March.
Although it's tough to step straight from a maiden and win the next start, Dantes looks to have the makings of a handy galloper and is likely to be a warm favourite in the Thank You Ken Beck Class 1 (1390m). The race is named in honour of Ken Beck who was a long-time judge for the Tasmanian Racing Club before retiring after this year's Hobart Cup meeting.
Looking for a best bet or two, I like Yarra Master in the first race and Rohzhae in race 6.
I think Yarra Master should get a nice run off the speed in a small field and Rohzhae will never get a better chance to break his maiden status after five placings from nine starts.
It's a huge day with 10 races and the rail is in the true position. The first is scheduled for 11:20 with the last at 17:01. The entire day will be live hosted on TasracingTV by Jacob Bevis.
