Murray Baker is preparing to turn a highly-regarded three-year-old loose in an early season age group feature in the Central Districts.
The Cambridge trainer has a promising young team on his hands and among them is a lightly-tried son of Iffraaj who made an encouraging start to his career last season.
Turn Me Loose finished runner-up in his autumn debut at Te Rapa where he raced three wide without cover and attacked the line strongly after making the bend awkwardly.
He then went to New Plymouth where he overcame a Slow 9 track for a convincing victory in what has turned out to be a good form race. The third placegetter Avisto came out and won the Listed Great Northern Foal Stakes at his next appearance.
“We’re looking at the Wanganui Guineas with Turn Me Loose,” said Baker, who prepares the colt with Andrew Forsman.
“We’re happy with him and he’s had a couple of jump-outs and we might give him a trial. We really like him and he has done everything right so far.”
Out of a Danehill mare, Turn Me Loose was bought out of Mana Park’s draft at last year’s Ready to Run Sale for $52,500 by a Melbourne-based syndicate.
“It’s early days yet, but he has been nominated for the Caulfield Guineas,” Baker said.
“We’ve got a lot of young horses here and a lot of three-year-olds that didn’t race at two, but we lost a couple of good ones as well.”
He was referring to the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Atlante, who has joined the Hawkes’ stable, and Orion is now with Peter Moody.
The stable will also be represented on Guineas day at Wanganui by Pukekohe debut winner Dentelle, who has the Listed The O’Leary’s Fillies’ Stakes on her programme.
