THE BIRDSVILLE RACES DAY 2 - THE QUICK-WRAP PLUS THE TWO DAY OVERVIEW ... AND THANKS

By Graham Potter | Saturday, September 6, 2025

Day 2 of Birdsville Races belonged to trainer Clinton Austin, jockey Bailie Baker and the eight-year-old gelding Testator Silens who combined their talents to score the prestigious win of the weekend by taking out the Birdsville Cup.

It was an emphatic win with Testator Silens hitting the line hard, in spite of running out in the home straight, and the fact that he gave the runner-up a 6kg advantage at the weights and a 3.30 length beating underlined the strong nature of the victory.

The Cup was Testator Silens’ second outing for the Austin yard since transferring from the Joe Pride stable in Sydney and the win kept Testator Silens’ perfect record for his new stable intact after he had saluted for Austin first-up in Longreach on August 16, again with Baker the saddle.

BAILIE BAKER'S BRILLIANT BIRDSVILLE ADVENTURE
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Austin and Baker both had two winners on the day … but not together.

Those wins came either side of Testator Silens’ Cup success in the sixth race on the card with both Austin and Baker claiming race-to-race wins.

In the fifth race Baker partnered to Kym Healy trained Grinzinger Bishop to a facile win with the six-year-old winning as he likes by a clearcut 4.30 lengthy margin. Baker then completed her personal double by winning the big one of Testator Salens for Austin, who then went on to complete a double of his own when Burden saluted for Emma Bell at double figure odds ($15) in race seven.
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Earlier in the day trainer Toni Schofield and jockey Jason Missen had become the first trainer and jockey to secure a double success at the two-day meeting.

The stable did that courtesy of the wins of Yukon Rose and Northumbria in the second and third races at the relatively easy to back odds of $11 and $7 respectively.
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Kevin Sims and John Keating got the show going on Day 2 winning the opening race with Super Exceptional. Leslie Baker and Matthew Gray landed the fourth race with Upturn, the result bringing them a welcome change of fortune after they had to settle for second place with Turnstar in the second race when going down by the very narrowest of margins.
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Birdsville Races – a quick snapshot.

Three favourites (42.8 percent) saluted on Day 2.
Two favourites (33.3 percent) saluted on Day 1.
Five favourites (38.46 percent) saluted over the two days.

My Symbol ($3.50) was the shortest priced winner on Day 1.
Gritzinger Bishop ($3.60) was the shortest priced winner on Day 2.

Lady Dutton at $16 was the longest priced winner on Day 1.
Burden at $15 was the longest priced winner on Day 2.

Lady Dutton won from the widest barrier draw (12) on Day 1.
Upturn won from the widest barrier draw (9) on Day 2.

My Symbol carried the heaviest weight to victory (62.5kg) on Day 1.
Burden carried the heaviest weight to victory (63.5kg) on Day 2.

Yaki Ishi won by the biggest margin (3.15 lengths) on Day 1.
Grinzinger Bishop won by the biggest margin (4.33 lengths) on Day 2.

Luminous Waters won by the narrowest margin (0.34 lengths) on Day 1.
Yukon Rose won by the narrowest margin (0.01 lengths) on Day 2.

In a day of keen racing four of the six races were decided by margins of no more than 0.56 lengths on Day 1. On Day 2 two races were decided by a margin of under a length.
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HRO congratulates and offers thanks to ALL the participants at Birdsville, without whom there would be no Birdsville Races.

Win, place or draw … they can all take a bow ... and that includes all of those who work so hard behind the scenes to help make it happen.

Participating Trainers: Clinton Austin, Denise Ballard, Leslie Baker, Garry Bignell, Royce Connolly, Neil Dyer, Corey and Kylie Geran, Russell Green, Bill Hayes, Meleah Hill, Kym Healy, Bevan Johnson, John Keys, Ken and Kasey Keys, Robert Keys, Rebecca Kirwin, John Manzelmann, Jay Morris, Emma Morton, Brendon Newport, Mark Oates, Rodney Robb, Toni Schofield, Geoffrey Schrader, Richard Simpson, Kevin Sims, Jon Taylor, Gary Teal, Alistair Webb.

Participating Jockeys: Todd Banks, Bailie Baker, Emma Bell, Richard Bensley, Wanderson D’Avila, Robert Faehr, Nathan Fazackerley, Gary Geran, Mitch Goring, Matthew Gray, John Keating, Georgina McDonnell, Jason Missen, Kody Nestor, Brandon Newport, Wendy Peel, Hannah Phillips, Christo Sardelic, Sarah Robbins, Aaron Sweeney,

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