Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker and leading jockey Greg Ryan combined to produce a five-start performance at Bathurst’s Tyers Park on Friday.
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The duo were the dominant force at the track, combining for five wins on the day.
Each of the five wins were with red-hot favourites but there’s no denying the effort was a massive achievement for the pair.
The success continued Baker’s love affair with the track, the wins in races one and two giving him seven straight victories at Bathurst after he won the last five races on the program at the October 27 meeting.
Those first two wins were with Judge Judi and Tony’s Reward before the duo’s hope of an early treble was thwarted by Scott Singleton’s Caper ($6.50) in the third event of the day, the TLE Electrical Benchmark 60 Handiocap (1100m).
It wasn’t long before Baker and Ryan were back in the winners’ circle, scoring victory with Cappella Magna and Personable.
Neither the trainer or the jockey was involved in the day’s sixth race but they were back at it in the Hotham Sand Soil & Gravel Class 1 Handicap (1200m), Mad For Art saluting.
Ryan then rode Vintage Luxe ($6) in the day’s final event, the Bathurst Real Estate Maiden Handicap (1300m), but finished outside the placings.
The day had earlier started well for the pair.
Baker had been confident Judge Judi would be the one to beat, labelling the three-year-old filly his best bet for the afternoon.
Although there was a tiny field of four in the Thrifty Car and Truck Rental Fillies and Mares Plate (1110 metres), Judge Judi’s rivals included Rugosa Rose ($2.60) from the powerhouse Randwick team of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
In the end it came down to that pair, who staged an entertaining battle to the line.
Venezia jumped out to a one-and-a-half length lead over Rugosa Rose, while Judge Judi was settled a further two lengths back by Ryan.
With 300m to run Rugosa Rose tackled the early leader, but the champion jockey got Judge Judi to kick down the outside to win by a head, the victory coming after a debut second at Nowra.
“It was very exciting. She’s still got a lot to learn and she’s still very green,” part-owner John Faulkner said.
“But it is nice to build up her confidence and hopefully there’s bigger and better things in the future.”
Following Judge Judi’s win, it just kept getting better for the pair as Baker finished with five winners at Bathurst for the second consecutive meeting.