Murray Baker is pleased with last start winner Vibrato heading into Saturday’s Listed Courtesy Ford Ryder Stakes (1200m) at the Levin Racing Club’s race meeting at Otaki.
The two-year-old son of Sacred Falls followed two trial wins and a luckless debut with a classy win over 1230m at Rotorua on June 26, leading from start to finish. “He hasn’t raced for a month but we’re happy with him and we think he’s probably improved a bit,” said Baker, who trains in partnership with Andrew Forsman. “He had a bit of time off after he won and we’ve just got him going again. It’s a stakes race, so we thought we’d have go.”
Vibrato will be ridden by Matthew Cameron and the pair will jump from barrier seven. “He should go well,” Baker said. “He’s a genuine horse and he’d shown good trial form before winning at Rotorua.” The final black-type race of the 2018-19 racing season has attracted a field of eleven rising three-year-olds with impressive last start winner London Bound the early favourite, followed by stakes-winning filly Flaunting.
The Baker-Forsman team will also be represented by consistent mare Elle Eye Are at Otaki on Saturday, in the McMahon Livestock Handicap (1600m). “She’s ready to go, she’s always thereabouts and I think she will go quite a good race,” Baker said. The premiership leading stable’s only other two runners on Saturday are Rippin and Red Beach, both of which are set to contest the Waikato/BOP Busy Bees (1650m) at Rotorua. Baker said he was hard-pressed to pick between the two mares. “They’re both in form and I think they should run honestly,” he said. “They’re both working well so we’re just hoping for a good run.”