He might be trained and ridden by Kiwis, but Group I ATC Australian Derby (2400m) hero Quick Thinker is an Aussie bred stayer that showed class and courage to score a tenacious victory in the Blue Riband at Randwick on Saturday.
Prepared by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, Quick Thinker was too good for Zebrowski (Savabeel) last Saturday when winning the Group II ATC Tulloch Stakes (2000m) and was too good again over the longer trip.
Rock hard fit on a seven day back up, Quick Thinker was strong to the line under Opie Bosson to hold out Zebrowski and win by a head with race favourite Castelvecchio failing to fire and finishing at the rear.
“I’m thrilled for my father and OTI, who have been great clients for the stable,” said Murray Baker’s son Bjorn, who is caretaker trainer with his father and Andrew Forsman under lockdown in New Zealand.
“He’s a laid back customer, but I was confident he was the fittest horse in the race and as it was it worked out that way.”
Running in the OTI Racing colours for a big group of owners, Quick Thinker is the fifth Australian Derby winner for co-trainer Murray Baker and has the tidy record of four wins and four placings from 11 starts with prizemoney in excess of $1million.
Quick Thinker was a $100,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Coolmore draft for De Burgh Equine and was bred by Bowcock Bloodstock.
He was actually bought as a pinhook by James Bester Bloodstock from the Holbrook draft at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale for $180,000 and it’s one of the anomalies of bloodstock that he should be resold for $80,000 less and turn out to be a Group I winner!
The yearling sale was no doubt painful at the time, but James can take consolation now in being vindicated that Quick Thinker is in fact a very good horse.
Coolmore have a stunning draft for Inglis Easter next week and you can see them here.
Quick Thinker is a half-brother to Group III placed The August from stakes-placed Al Maher mare Acouplamas, who comes from the family of Group I classic winners Blackfriars and Larrocha.
Acouplamas has no yearling for the sales this year and was covered last spring by Trapeze Artist.
Quick Thinker is the sixth Group I winner for So You Think, who is having an outstanding run of success this season and has 11 Inglis Easter yearlings and you can see them here..
