Baker Aims for St Moritz Success With American Ownership Group

George Baker is set to saddle two runners in the Grosser Preis von St Moritz–the feature race on the final day of the White Turf meeting at St Moritz on Sunday, Feb. 18–including Cumulonimbus (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who will be having just his second start for the trainer and a new American ownership group which includes Kentucky Derby-winning owner Ramiro Restrepo.

The jet-setting Baker will fly to Switzerland from Bahrain after supervising his team of runners at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club on Friday, Feb. 16, headed by recent Turf Series winner Lucander (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) when he lines up in the His Highness Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup.

Baker, who memorably won the 2020 running of the Grosser Preis von St Moritz with Wargrave (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), is excited to return to the White Turf meeting on Sunday when Cemhaan (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) joins Cumulonimbus in a two-pronged attack on the race.

“St Moritz has been a part of our racing plans for many years,” said Baker. “We won with a horse called Ancient Greece around 10 years ago. He won at all three race meetings on the White Turf which was the first time any horse had ever done that.

“We then went back a few years ago with Wargrave who managed to win the Grosser Preis von St Moritz, which was a great thrill. It's always been on our radar and going back with two horses is exciting.”

Going on to talk about the ownership group involved in Cumulonimbus, Baker said, “Cumulonimbus is a new addition to the team. He is a horse that my wife Candida and I loved when we saw him at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale in October but he went for 150,000gns so we thought he was gone on to other pastures.

“But we were called that night by Ramiro Restrepo, who is involved in the syndicate that won the Kentucky Derby last year with Mage. Ramiro had noted our exploits on the frozen lake at St Moritz and the call was a lovely one to get as it was to ask us to train the horse and prepare him for St Moritz if we were interested.

“It's a great thrill to have owners like this on board. The syndicate that Ramiro and his other partners have put together comprises of big names in American racing including trainers, bloodstock agents and farm owners across Kentucky and elsewhere in the USA.

“It is a wonderful contingent of racing minds and there is going to be over 80 of them flying over to make the most of the White Turf experience.”

Restrepo, who is new to ownership in Britain, added, “We are very excited for this new adventure. This has been the plan since Martin Buick bought him for us at Tattersalls in October. The Grosser Preis von St Moritz is a unique race and George Baker knows how to win it. We just can't wait to get there now and see Cumulonimbus do his thing. We'd love to win it!

“After his race in St Moritz, we are looking forward to an action-packed campaign in the UK. He has a rating that could see him line up at Royal Ascot, so it should be a fun year!”

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Osborne And O’Meara Horses Split Bahrain Turf Series Bonus

Two horses, trained by Jamie Osborne and David O'Meara respectively, have each won £25,000 after the end of the Bahrain Turf Series.

The second of edition of the £50,000 Bahrain Turf Series Bonus was divided between Pot B winner Gary Allsopp Partnership's Inigo Jones (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) for Osborne, and Pot A winner Nomadic Empire (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who races for Al Mohamediya Racing. In total, £303,800 of the £600,000 Bahrain Turf Series was secured by European-trained horses, who won five of the 10-race series. Lucander (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), trained by George Baker, scooped £116,044 in prize-money throughout the Bahraini season for owners Nigel Jones and Paul Bowden. A quintet of horses were disqualified from the series due to the presence of harpagoside, a prohibited substance: The Covex Kid (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) (twice), What A Welcome (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Fighter Pilot (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), and Mobaadel (Speightstown), and the Turf Series results and prize-money distribution were amended accordingly.

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Bahrain Turf Series Wraps Friday

The final pair of £60,000 Bahrain Turf Series races of the season take place on Friday, and include a total of 12 European entries. Get It (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}) can bookend a successful Turf Series for trainer George Baker with victory in the Al Sakhir Cup.

“Get It has been a star for us,” said Baker. “He was unlucky on his first run in Bahrain and I think he bumped into one in Mobaadel (Speightstown) on his most recent start. It was a fantastic run and Andrea [Atzeni] was very keen to get back on him on Friday. We couldn't be happier with how we have him.”

Meanwhile, Hugo Palmer is hopeful for a big run from Box To Box (Ire) in The Vision 2030 Cup. The son of Kodiac (GB) ran a promising race on his Bahraini debut at the start of December, but disappointed next out.

“Despite a wide draw, we're happy with Box To Box,” he said. “We've deliberately given him a good break and we're hoping he can step forward off a lower mark.”

Box To Box is one of eight European runners entered. Other notable contenders include What's The Story (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), Marie's Diamond (GB) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Inigo Jones (GB) (New Approach {Ire}).

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British-trained Horses Lead the Way in the Bahrain Turf Series

George Baker and David O'Meara celebrated valuable, big-race success with a victory apiece on the opening day of the 2022-23 Bahrain Turf Series. Locally trained horses won nine of the 10 races in last season's Bahrain Turf Series, but the opening race of this season, the Al Muharraq Cup, went the way of Lucander (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) with Pat Cosgrove aboard.

Now trained by Baker, Lucander was last seen when finishing eight in the Cambridgeshire H. at Newmarket for Ralph Beckett. Making his first start for connections, the gelding stormed clear of his rivals to win by 5 1/2 lengths with What A Welcome (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in second and Arctic Emperor (GB) (Territories {Ire}) in third.

In the second Bahrain Turf Series race of the day, the £60,000 Al Manama Cup, the O'Meara-trained Nomadic Empire (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was a popular winner for local owner Al Mohamediya Racing. Their retained rider Neil Callan, who won two Bahrain Turf Series races last season, and his mount got the better of Instinctive Move (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) in the end. This was O'Meara's first runner in Bahrain since Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper)'s memorable triumph in the 2021 G3 Bahrain International Trophy.

Hosted by the Bahrain Turf Club, the Bahrain Turf Series  runs through Mar. 18, 2023.

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