Bjorn Baker banks on Havana Rey for breakthrough Group 1 success Havana Rey charges home in the torrid conditions at Warwick Farm. Picture: Rohan Kelly Source: Herald Sun HAVANA Rey was Bjorn Baker's first Sydney winner, his first metropolitan Saturday winner, and at Warwick Farm today the tearaway frontrunner becomes the trainer's first Group 1 runner. But rather than make up the numbers in the Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m), Baker is banking on Havana Rey being his first Group 1 winner since taking out a trainer's licence in his own right. Havana Rey, the epitome of a course specialist with four wins from five starts over the Warwick Farm 1600m, goes into the big race on the back of successive wins at his home track last month. "He is going so well, he's got a chance," Baker said. It's a big ask, no doubt about it, he is going up a few grades, but the horse is in really good order. We are the fittest horse in the race, he has a high cruising speed and he's in top form so we will play to his strengths. If Havana Rey can upset his rivals and claim the Chipping Norton, it would cap a meteoric rise through the training ranks for Baker who, less than 18 months ago, arrived at Warwick Farm with no horses, no owners and no stable boxes. Havana Rey was one of the first horses to join Baker's stables and has been instrumental in establishing the trainer's career in Sydney. After training in partnership with his father Murray in New Zealand, Baker moved to Sydney in 2011-12. He trained 10 winners in his debut season, with Havana Rey winning five races before the gelding won three Saturday city races over the winter. Havana Rey has won his last two starts over the Chipping Norton course easily, convincing Baker to run the gelding in the weight-for-age contest. "He loves this track and distance and the way he is going, he will run a good race," Baker said. The trainer is having a break-out season in 2012-13, leading in 30 winners, including his first stakes success with Cantonese (Christmas Cup). In a further measure of Baker's rapid emergence, he also has big-race chances with new stable acquisition Windjammer in the Lonhro Plate (1100m), while at Flemington his top filly Twilight Royale lines up in the Group 2 VRC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m).