Samadoubters silenced with a nod and a Winx to the best

When Samadoubt won the Canberra Cup earlier in the year, Bjorn Baker thought that would be a career moment, but he is developing into the best cup winner from the nation’s capital since Super Impose in 1992.

Those who thought Samadoubt’s Winx Stakes victory was an aberration first-up were put in their place as he gapped a classy field in the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

Baker admitted he looked at the Cox Plate after the Winx Stakes for Samadoubt, a race that Super Impose won after his Canberra Cup success in 1992.

“We didn’t put him in it and it is 200 grand for a late entry, so we won’t be going there,” Baker said.

“Gee I wish I had him in it, because he has gone to another level.’’

Samadoubt has to be considered among the better weight-for-age performers in the country on what he has done, but he could head to the Caulfield Cup.

“He is in the Caulfield Cup, and there is another mile for him in a couple of weeks, the Colgate Optic White, so he will be there,’’ Baker said. “Win lose or draw, we’ve had a great preparation but we have options in Sydney and Melbourne.

‘‘We’ll probably keep him at a mile. He’s an exciting prospect – don’t often say it about a six-year-old gelding. He’s been a phenomenal horse for me and Darby Syndications.”

The win continued a great form for syndicators, with Dynamic winning the first with Yoa Dash and Redzel carrying the Triple Crown colours to a third success in the Concorde Stakes.

The win gave Baker a double after Miss Invincible, which also led all the-way in what was the pattern of the day.

However, this was another masterclass from jockey Tim Clark. He was patience personified, allowing Samadoubt to slide across from a wide gate and then giving him an easy time in the middle sections before revving up from the 700m mark, just like in the Winx Stakes.

Clark was very confident topping the rise, and Samadoubt sprinted and put a gap in his rivals they simply couldn’t make up. He had three lengths on Avilius at the post, with Girl Tuesday a nose back in third.

“Unless Winx returned, nothing was going to run him down,” Clark said. “He’s flying. He was able to control it a bit better today, just at the mile and drawing wide I was able to take my time and got into a great rhythm.

“He just cruised, he did it so well. He’s proved the other day was no fluke and now the great mare has gone, somebody has got to put their hand up as the next weight-for-age horse and, at the moment, he’s doing just that.

“There were a few stayers in there but Avilius is no slouch, Girl Tuesday, there was some quality behind him, but he just destroyed them today.”

On a day where leaders had a big advantage, Avilius did enough to suggest his spring is on track.

“I wasn’t able to get any cover in the race. Worked into it, gave a nice effort but his run just peaked in the last 150 yards after having that run without any cover,” Kerrin McEvoy said. “A nice enough run and he’s going to come on from that, and probably ground with a bit more juice in it might suit him better.”