Murray Baker is a name that commands respect for training deeds on either side of the Tasman.
One of the most highly-regarded trainers in New Zealand, Baker is also no stranger to feature success in Australia, having won Derbys in Melbourne and Sydney plus Brisbane and Sydney Cups.
But it was the feature event of this Saturday’s Caulfield program – the $400,000 Underwood Stakes (1800m) – that was his introduction to the Australian Group 1 winner’s list.
Consistent, but largely underrated, gelding The Phantom registered Baker’s maiden Group 1 success in Australia when he won the 1990 Underwood.
The race has changed a bit since then, when it was run on the then Show Day holiday (Thursday) over 2000m, but Baker can still recall intimate details of not only his horse but also the runner-up.
“He beat a horse called Royal Creation that day,” Baker said. “I think Greg Childs rode him. Royal Creation was a horse that end up running six Group 1 seconds but never won a Group 1. He was a good horse.
“I remember going into that race thinking The Phantom was a good chance and I do remember that he put in a good run to win.”
The 1990 Underwood, in which Zabeel filled the other minor placing and subsequent Caulfield Cup winner Sydeston (fourth) and Stylish Century (sixth, as 15/8 favourite) were among the beaten brigade, provided confirmation of not only Baker’s talent, but also The Phantom’s standing as one of Australasia’s elite performers in a golden age of weight-for-age performers in Australian racing.
By Noble Bijou out of The Fantasy, the gelding had an impressive three-year-old career – in the 1988/89 season – that netted Group 2 victory in the Awapuni Cup (2000m) before a second to Sea Brigand in the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m).
His first taste of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival came the year before his Underwood victory and although he failed to salute in six starts he contested feature events all the way through and the Cox Plate – when he finished 11th – was the only time he finished further back than fourth.
After a fourth in the Group 2 Craiglee Stakes (1600m), he was beaten less than a length when third in the Underwood Stakes, was fourth again in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) before finishing third behind Cole Diesel and Nayrizi in the Caulfield Cup (2400m).
After the Cox Plate he pushed on to the Melbourne Cup when he stormed home to finish fourth in the race won by Tawriffic.
The Phantom only had had three runs in the second half of his four-year-old year, culminating with a fifth placing in the Group 1 Australian Cup.
That provided the grounding for what made him one of the performers of the 1990 Spring Racing Carnival.
His Underwood Stakes success was preceded by a brilliant first-up Memsie Stakes win and Feehan Stakes fourth placing. Following the Underwood, he failed in the Caulfield Stakes, got within 1.5 lengths of Better Loosen Up (when fourth) in the Cox Plate before beating home all bar Kingston Rule in the Melbourne Cup.
The Phantom returned to Melbourne early in 1991 but broke down after a fourth in the Orr Stakes and although he didn’t race again for two-and-a-half years he returned, having been transferred to Noel Eales, to log another third in the Caulfield Cup – beaten half-a-length – and win the Mackinnon Stakes in 1993.
“He was a very good, class horse” Baker said. “He raced in a very strong era of weight-for-age horses.”
Baker strengthened his connection with the Underwood Stakes two years ago when Lion Tamer scored an upset win.
That was the first of back-to-back wins for New Zealand with the Gary Hennessy-trained Ocean Park winning last year’s Underwood Stales en route to Caulfield Stakes and Cox Plate glory.
Those results, combined with some quality Kiwi involvement in this year’s Underwood, headed by It’s A Dundeel, will ensure our friends across the ditch will be tuning in this weekend.
“It’s a race that, from a New Zealand perspective, is a very well-regarded Group 1 race,” Baker said.
“A lot of the Cups horses are getting over ground for the first time in their campaigns in the Underwood, so it’s always followed with a lot of interest in New Zealand.”
