Baldwin looking to extend hot streak with Good Bean

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Barry Baldwin is hoping Hong Kong’s loss will be his gain as he looks to extend the stable’s winning fortunes with Good Bean at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Good Bean will contest the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1300 metres when racing headquarters hosts its first meeting since mid-December.

Good Bean is a son of the ill-fated Spill The Beans and has only started twice for a maiden win on the Polytrack at the Sunshine Coast following a game second at Ipswich last month.

Baldwin has always had a good opinion of Good Bean but he ran into a good one when beaten by the Toby and Trent Edmonds-trained Preach in his debut at Ipswich.

Baldwin thought Good Bean was lost to Hong Kong racing when owner-breeder Rod Lynch was offered a sizeable sum before he made his race debut.

“He’s a nice horse but he’s got to step up in distance and measure up to this class,” Baldwin said.

“We thought he was sold to Hong Kong before he had his first start but they thought he was a bit on the small side.

“He’s only 15.25 hands high and weighs only 485kgs but his weight is on the up now.

“He’s still on the market.”

Good Bean has drawn barrier one as he attempts to stretch Baldwin’s winning sequence to four.

Baldwin started his winning roll with Good Bean at the Sunshine Coast poly track on February 23 and followed up with a double from Rations and Gave Us Up at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday.

“Good Bean has drawn well in barrier one and should be prominent all the way,” Baldwin said.

Jockey Sairyn Fawke has ridden the gelding at his only two starts and retains the ride.

Baldwin believes Good Bean faces some stiff opposition from several runners including topweight Legal Esprit, Menazzi, Sweet Margot Way and A Call From Heaven.

“It’s a hard race and Tony Gollan’s A Call From Heaven should start favourite,” Baldwin said.

A Call From Heaven led all the way to win a maiden over 1350-metre at his third race start at Doomben on February 16.

The Divine Prophet filly finished second at his previous two starts at Doomben and Ipswich in January.

“It’s a nice race for Good Bean as a lot of the chances are stepping out of maiden grade just like him,” Baldwin said.