Baker after more slot success in The Archer

By Glenn Davis

Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker is back in Queensland hoping to extend his breakout season with a two-pronged attack from Iowna Merc and Sandpaper in the $1 million The Archer at Rockhampton on Sunday.

Sandpaper and Iowna Merc have been in Brisbane for the past few days at his former foreman’s Jack Bruce’s stables and will head to the 'Beef Capital' on Friday.

Baker has a good record in slot races having won The Quokka twice in Perth with Overpass who was unable to defend his crowns when attempting a three-peat last week.

Iowna Merc - an Ashley Morgan mount - ran in the Doncaster Handicap last month.

Iowna Merc was only beaten five lengths on that occasion and has drawn barrier eight for Sunday's event.

“He’s been a revelation this preparation winning the Liverpool City Cup and then we stretched him out a bit further when he won the Ajax Stakes,” Baker said.

“He was only beaten five lengths in the Doncaster and he ran a great race. He drew poorly and went back and had to be ridden for luck.

“It wasn’t the play of the day, but he hit the line well.”

Sandpaper will be ridden by Nash Rawiller from barrier three and is a $4.80 chance following an all-the-way win in a 1400 metre Benchmark race at Randwick on April 19.

“Sandpaper is going fantastic,” Baker said.

“He won the Newcastle Stakes and was then unlucky in the Doncaster Prelude when he ran fifth and did a good job to win at Randwick last run.”

Baker is enjoying his best season since coming to Australia and only two trainers in the country have won more prizemoney this season than the New Zealand-born conditioner.

With three months of the season remaining, Baker has had a career-best campaign, winning more than $23.5 million in prizemoney.

The only trainers to have won more prizemoney are Ciaron Maher who is closing in on $55 million and Chris Waller who is nearing $48 million.

Queensland has been a happy hunting ground for Baker over the past decade or so.

He claimed the first of his 11 Group 1s in the Doomben 10,000 with Music Magnate in 2016 while Stefi Magnetica gave him his first Stradbroke Handicap last year.

He also has won two Magic Millions Classics with Unencumbered in 2014 and this year with O’ Ole as well as a number of Group races in Queensland.