Trainers Lipp and Hahn make key gear change to Baristasista

By Glenn Davis

Co-trainer Rex Lipp is banking on a gear change to boost Baristasista’s bid to qualify for next month’s Aquis Three-Year-Old Series Final when the talented filly steps out at the Anzac Day meeting at Beaudesert on Monday.

Baristasista will be having her first start since finishing eighth to Prince Of Boom in last month’s QTIS Jewel Prelude at Toowoomba when she lines up in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap Series over 1100 metres.

The QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap Series is a qualifying race for the Aquis Three-Year-Old Final, which will be run at the Gold Coast on May 28.

Baristasista will race without blinkers for the first time in her Beaudesert assignment.

“I took them off her for the first time when she was to run in the QTIS Jewel at the Gold Coast last month,” said Lipp, who trains in partnership with Nicholas Hahn.

“But, we never got the chance to see how she’d go without them when she was scratched at the barriers.

“She got her back leg caught between the two gates and had to come out.

“Luckily she wasn’t seriously injured and she only took a bit of bark off.”

Baristasista faces a considerable drop in class after finishing on the heels of the place getters in the Listed Mode Plate at Doomben and Listed Gold Edition at Eagle Farm in December.

Lipp is hopeful Baristasista will make the Aquis Three-Year-Old Final and has named the Les Ross-trained Grey Defence as one of her main threats.

Grey Defence is chasing a hat-trick of wins after winning against his own age at Ipswich and the Gold Coast.

Baristasista is by former Group 1 winner Spirit Of Boom and is a half-sister to stable-mate Bad Barista, a daughter of sire Spill The Beans.

“I trained their mother, Sparkling Sound, and she was a useful performer, who won six times,” Lipp said.

“If Baristasista runs a place she’ll get into the field for the Aquis Three-Year-Old Series Final.

“The only reason I’ve removed the blinkers is because she’s been over racing a little so I thought we’d give it a try.”