Donald Baker two stepping into town

By Jordan Gerrans

To stay or to sprint?

That is the conundrum the team behind Tijuana Two Step is facing ahead of the Finals of the rich Country Cups Challenge and Country Stampede early next month in town.

Remarkably, the Toowoomba galloper is on the verge of qualifying for both series deciders.

It is rare that a horse will race across heats of both series’ in one year, let alone be able to run in either showpiece event in the city.

The five-year-old mare has shown incredible versatility in recent weeks by winning two CCC heats at Kumbia and Clifton before claiming a heat of the CS at Chinchilla just four days later.

She also placed in a CCC heat earlier in her preparation at Tara.

And, while Donald Baker’s in-form mare has won heats across both series’, she is not yet eligible for either Final race as she has not had enough country starts.

That should change on Saturday afternoon when the daughter of Super One heads to Roma and registers her fifth country start over the last year. 

Tijuana Two Step is nominated for another CS heat over 1000 metres on Saturday at Roma as well as a CCC heat over 1640 metres, which doubles as the feature Roma Cup.

At this stage, veteran horseman Baker is thinking he will go down the Roma Cup path and stick with the longer trip into the city on the first Saturday in December.

“The run at Roma on Saturday will decide it for us as there is three weeks until the Finals after that,” Baker said

“She will run a mile at Roma on Saturday and if she can run the mile, then that is how we will go in town.

“We have the option either way if she doesn’t run the mile well on Saturday.

“It is not so much that the Country Cups race is more prizemoney, it is just that the 1100 metres might be a bit sharp for her in good company in town.

“She is probably as good as any of the horses getting around in the bush but over the sprint in town, they might be too sharp.”

The Country Cups Challenge Final will be run for $200,000 over 1600 metres at Doomben on Saturday, December 6 alongside the $105,000 Country Stampede Final over 1110 metres during the Queensland Summer Racing Carnival.

The 68-year-old Baker had some trepidation about dropping back in distance from her win at Kumbia to the sprint journey at Chinchilla on Saturday.

“I thought she would struggle to come back a bit from the mile and 1400 metres to 1070 metres in four days,” he said.

“But, she seemed to handle it good.

“She won very good. She has been a good little mare, really.”

Baker, known as Ducky by his mates, is on a roll with his smart mare. 

Tijuana Two Step will be having her third start in less than a fortnight when she makes the trip from Toowoomba to Roma on Saturday afternoon.

Baker has no concerns about the busy racing schedule as he notes his prolific galloper has shown no concerns following the Chinchilla romp, where she won by more than two-and-a-half lengths.

Apprentice hoop Brea Harrison has been in the saddle of Tijuana Two Step in her latest two victories.

Baker’s mare won a city midweek event back in September of last year but remains eligible for the Finals as the race was worth less than $50,000 in prizemoney.

She is a 10-time winner from just 21 attempts, alongside four minor placings, and Baker says that record could be even more imposing if she was better mannered in the gates earlier in her career.

“She has always been able to gallop but she has been a bit moody and has had trouble at the barriers,” he said.

“She has hit a patch of form at the right time.

“She ran really well in town at times earlier in her career but had no luck in those better races.

“Outside of that crankiness in the barriers, she has raced really good.”

Baker’s partner Peta Siebenhausen owns a majority share in Tijuana Two Step, alongside a few friends and family, after picking her out online as a yearling.

Siebenhausen says the mare is one of her favourites.

Baker, a Group-level winning trainer, has downscaled his stable in recent times and prepares just three horses on the Darling Downs these days.