Prolific Morrisey and Baker team to finally cross paths

By Jordan Gerrans

If Scott Morrisey has a starter on the same program as the Ladbrokes Battle Of The Bush Final later this year, Roma’s Wayne Baker will need to firstly introduce himself to the Gold Coast trainer and shake his hand.

Despite not yet meeting on a face-to-face basis, the Morrisey and Baker team has become a prolific one over the last four or so years.

Horses such as Parko, Menindee, Bonnie Ev and Deep Millions, among others, have come through the production line.

Parko will be there on BOTB Final day after qualifying at Cunnamulla on Anzac Day and Baker is hopeful Menindee will join him when he starts in a heat in the coming weeks.

All the mentioned gallopers had stops at Morrisey’s Aquis Park stable and once they’d reached their level around South East Queensland, Baker got the first look at purchasing them for racing in the bush.

Baker and Scott Morrisey have never actually met in person, just speaking on the phone over the last four years.

The veteran Roma trainer ran into astute former trainer John Morrisey – Scott’s father – at a spelling property near Gatton a few years back.

And, the team has not looked back ever since.

“John just told me that day that he would look after me with horses when they were not good enough for his area anymore,” Baker recalls.

“That is all he ever said and for the last four years, they have sent me horses and I have been successful with almost every horse they have sent me.

“Scott has been good to me. I have never been so lucky to have people like this to send me good horses. Hopefully I can finally meet Scott one day.”

With the Morrisey team regularly having city runners, there is every chance the duo will shake hands for the first time at the $200,000 Ladbrokes Battle Of The Bush Final when it is run on Tatt’s Tiara day at Eagle Farm on June 29.

Speaking on the Sky Thoroughbred Central coverage earlier this year, Scott Morrisey quipped that Tikka Ready was almost set to be sent to Baker before he went on a winning spree, nabbing four consecutive victories.

Parko booked his spot in the big dance carrying 62.5kg in an Open Plate over 1200 metres last Thursday on the dirt.

In qualifying for the Final, Parko defeated bush star Art By Concorde by four lengths.

Art By Concorde is the reigning BOTB champion and finished third in the Country Cups Challenge Final last year as well.

Park was an emergency for the CCC Final last year at Doomben last year but could not sneak into the field.

Parko was having his first start since late last year on Thursday.

He was set to have his first-up assignment on his home track late last month but lost his rider Tom Orr in the process.

Baker - a former jockey turned trainer – says spacing out the eight-year-old’s races is key, which Scott Morrisey told him when he first picked up the galloper.

“He is a great horse when fresh,” Baker said.

“When Scott had him he would take him to Doomben or Eagle Farm first-up and he would lead them down there and beat them.

“He would always run big races. We thought we would keep him fresh and get at them first-up at Cunnamulla, that is what we have done and we got the ‘biccies’.”

The country racing stalwart will follow that same path towards the BOTB decider with the son of Smart Missile.

“I will give him one more run before he goes to the Final to ensure he is big and fresh,” he said.

“As Scott says, when he is fresh, they will not run him down.

“He has been there to these city tracks a heap of times and knows them. He just keeps picking up that speed.”

Parko is a Gold Coast, Doomben, Ipswich and Sunshine Coast Polytrack winner earlier in his career so he will settle fine into SEQ when he comes back to town.

Menindee – a 14-time career winner – will likely start in a BOTB qualifier before the last heat is run at Barcaldine in June in his bid to land in the Final.

The Baker stable have been flying of late, collecting a treble at Cunnamulla last week on top of two winning doubles at Roma last month.

BOTB qualifiers will be held this week at Mount Garnet, Bundaberg and Jandowae as the field builds for the 2024 Final.