A hit-and-run trip north didn’t deliver the result Bjorn Baker was chasing, but the trainer believes Sandpaper can rebound when he returns to Randwick.
Runner-up to the talented Know Thyself two starts back, Sandpaper stuck on gamely to finish sixth behind Needs Some Luck in The Buffering (1400m) at Eagle Farm on January 3 after working hard on the speed.
He faces another solid assignment in Saturday’s Carrington Stakes (1400m), but Baker is confident the six-year-old’s fitness base will stand him in good stead.
“His run was better than it looked last time,” Baker said.
“It’s a tough race but he’s going well. He looks great and he’s rock-hard fit.”
Sandpaper is one of three runners Baker will saddle up in the Carrington Stakes alongside War Eternal and Thunderlips.
Drying conditions are not ideal for the latter pair, who both prefer give in the track, although Thunderlips benefits from a three-kilo swing on Whinchat from their last meeting.
“He will probably need it, but he can show up once he gets fit and he looks well at the moment,” Baker said of Thunderlips.
“War Eternal, he often takes a run or two and if there is any cut, it will help him. Same with Thunderlips.
“Thunderlips has just got an awkward gate, so we’ll see how we go there, but we’re in there with a show.”
Whinchat heads the market for the Listed sprint at $3.30, with Sandpaper and War Eternal both quoted at $10 and Thunderlips at $18.
Those following the Carrington Stakes can compare current betting markets for the race ahead of Saturday’s feature.
The post Sandpaper heads Bjorn Baker’s Carrington Stakes trio first appeared on Just Horse Racing.