There’s every chance the Auckland carnival roll of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman will continue at Ellerslie on Wednesday.
The Gr.1 New Zealand Derby-winning duo have Saavoya and Charmont in the Gr.3 McKee Family Sunline Vase, classy mare Diademe in the Gr.3 Westbury Classic and the progressive stayer Show The World in the Gr.1 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup.
While Baker believes Diademe and Show The World would be much stronger prospects with some give in the track, he has no concerns with their younger stablemates.
“They are two good fillies and we can’t really separate them,” he said.The dual Group Two winner of the Eight Carat and Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classics, Saavoya was a last-start second to Vavasour in the Royal Stakes with Charmont third.
“They are both very fit and ran well at Te Rapa where they were beaten by a better one,” Baker said.“We hope to get them to the Oaks at Trentham, they are both bred to stay.”
Saavoya and Charmont have nominations for the Wellfield New Zealand Oaks on March 14 and the stable’s hand could be strengthened if a late payment is made for Pipi Beel.
The Savabeel filly finished third on Saturday behind the dead-heaters Platinum Witness and Savaria in the Gr.3 Lowland Stakes.“It was a good run and she got beaten by a couple of good ones,” Baker said. “She raced a bit greenly the first time in blinkers.”
Saavoya, Charmont ad Pipi Beel are all entered in the $A1 million Gr.1 Australian Oaks at Randwick on April 11.Another member of the Baker-Forsman team with possible Sydney targets is Sakhee’s Soldier, who will run in Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand Stakes.
He has Group One nominations for the $A3 million Doncaster Handicap on April 4 and the $A4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes a week later.
