Pericles debuts for Baker to repeat Tramway Stakes victory

Handsome Godolphin galloper Pericles ran up to his looks and his track-work under new trainer Bjorn Baker when he won his second G2 Tramway Stakes over 1,400m at Royal Randwick on Saturday, 6 September.

Resuming from a spell after two trials since transferring to Warwick Farm, Pericles crossed from a wide barrier to sit in fourth spot before challenging for the lead at the 200m pole.

Confidently ridden by Josh Parr, the six-year-old gelding surged past Private Eye to score by 1.2 lengths, with With Your Blessing a half-length away in third spot as the winner stopped the clock on a slick 1 minute 22.38 seconds.

Winner of the Tramway two years ago, Pericles boosted his record to seven wins and 10 placings from 28 starts for a prize-money and bonus swag of $5.63 million.

Baker was thrilled with the result and labelled it “undoubtedly one of the highs of my career”.

“It’s huge to win for Godolphin,” he said.
“I’m a little bit of racing purist so to win a race for a global superpower like Godolphin is a huge thrill for me, my family and my team as well.
“I know how important it is and I’m very lucky.”

Baker said Pericles, now a three-time G2 winner, had arrived at his stable in fantastic order and the plan was always to strike early.

“He was well forward, I was in no doubt that he had to be fit and on top of his game,” he said.
“It was a very good field but he’s a lovely horse, a ready-made horse who has won over five million dollars.

“I thought, just looking at his record, that a race like this at set weights and penalties that he’d be awfully hard to beat.
“Some of his work at home has been sensational, he’s a good horse, anybody could train him.”

Parr was excited by Pericles’ performance and delighted the stable’s plan had come together.
“We had a pretty distinct plan to land in that position by using With Your Blessing’s speed,” he said.

“I’m glad he was able to put the race away so easily and so well, considering how he had been working.
“I just needed that little bit of luck when they split.

“For such a big horse, he was able to manoeuvre his way through comfortably and he showed a really good turn of foot.
“I always say to him (Baker), ‘when he needs a job done, I’m the man he calls’.”