Angel Baby can soar higher up

The next time you see the name Angel Baby on your racecard, give it some respect and include it in your calculations.

Ignore the statistics which will say that he will be having his first start in Class 4.

Instead, let your confidence ride on that fact that he has run into a rich vein of form.

Angel Baby was down to contest the Class 4 Division 2 sprint over the 1,200m on Saturday.

But as it turned out, he was a “veterinary” scratching on Wednesday morning when acceptances closed.

It was unfortunate as Angel Baby had shown good form on Tuesday morning when winning his trial with plenty of authority.

It looked like Shane Baertschiger had a good one in the race – especially since he was down to carry just 50kg.

Well, that was that. Those who were trackside to witness this Dissident four-year-old win that trial will now have to wait another day before opening their wallets for a flutter on him.

Yes, Angel Baby is a youngster on his way up.

Right now, he has a win to show from 11 starts and – not forgetting a second and a third placing.

And going strictly on his showing at the trials, he certainly looked ready to make 2023 a good year for his connections, the Tornado Stable.

That morning on Tuesday, when Matthew Kellady was entrusted with the reins, he beat some higher-rated horses over the 1,000m.

One may argue that his time of 1min 01.11sec was nothing to write home about.

That is a fact but, for a 47-point rater up against talented opposition, it was more than commendable.

Angel Baby did it the hard way, leading from the get-go and then holding off the challenges which were thrown down at him by Teardrops (60 points), Major King (56) and Hard Too Think (90).

He was not cowed. Indeed, Kellady kept him on a straight course.

And, when asked to dig in, he responded like he knew what it was all about and eventually prevailed by a ½-length.

The riders of the three horses who followed him home were also jockeys of repute.

Teardrops was ridden by Ronnie Stewart. Manoel Nunes was on Major King while Marc Lerner was on board Hard Too Think, the horse that gave him Group 1 victories in the 2021 Singapore Derby and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

It was the third time in the new season that the Frenchman had ridden Hard Too Think in the barrier trials.

We can see him guarding that seat when the big staying races come into focus later in the season.

But, on the day, it was all about Angel Baby.

For sure, in Angel Baby, Baertschiger has a good one in the yard and his work with him seems to be paying off – even if it has not yet been a windfall.

Baertschiger gave Angel Baby his first race in January 2022. That was five months after he had arrived at his barn.

It took Angel Baby six starts before he got the hang of things.

And in a “Maiden” in June, when carrying 56kg, he finally opened his Kranji account.

That day, he powered home from a spot in midfield to win by a shorthead.

For his backers, it was a good payday as Angel Baby returned a thumping $224 on the win.

Three starts later, he ran third to Jungle King when having to work with 58kg.

Then, with 57.5kg on his back, he finished second to Sing Our Song before taking fifth at his last start when having to deal with an impost of 55kg.

Angel Baby is not a “big horse”. He tips the scales in the 460kg region. But it does look like he brings guts into every race as he chases glory.

Yes, he has been doing most of his racing in Class 5. But give him some respect. He can only get better.