Baker Confident Arapaho is Up to Sydney Cup Challenge

Arapaho (Lope De Vega-Alzubra, by Dansili) has been such a revelation in the past 12 months there is no way trainer Bjorn Baker is going to doubt whether he could cap it off with a win Saturday's $2m Gr1 Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m), reports racingnsw.com.au. The 6YO couldn't be heading to Randwick in better form, with wins in the Canberra Cup and Tancred Stakes on the way, and Baker said it comes down to whether he's stronger at the extended distance than he was back in the spring. "He is a weight-for-age winner so it'll probably be the last time he will be this well treated at the weights so we want to take advantage of it while we can," said Baker. Rachel King, who won last year's Cup on Knights Order, rides Arapaho, who dropped 6kg for winning his first Group 1, and Baker said the performance proved he was both on target and good enough if the Sydney Cup pans out for him. The last Tancred Stakes winner to take out the Sydney Cup was Tie The Knot in 1999, though he had another run in between, but the weight-for-age race is regularly a guide. Baker adds, "He (Arapho) should get into a nice spot probably midfield so hopefully he can travel well. He's probably got a bit of early tactical speed and that will help him."

Arapaho is on a stakes race hat trick (pic: Steve Hart)