Team get together again at the Valley

Damien Oliver will renew an association with NZ trainer Murray Baker when he rides Lizzie L’Amour.

Damien Oliver can’t remember the first time he teamed with New Zealand trainer Murray Baker, but knows it was a long time ago.

Baker has been coming to carnivals in Australia for the best part of 30 years and Oliver remembers well the master horseman from his younger days.

The pair team on Saturday with Lizzie L’Amour, one of two runners Baker and training partner Andrew Forsman have running in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley.

“We’ve had some good success together while also competing against each other so you’ve got to respect his opinion whatever he brings over,” Oliver said.

“He’s got a good measuring stick of what is needed to be competitive having done it for such a long time, so it’s nice to team up with him when you can.”

Oliver joined Baker early in last year’s Melbourne spring, partnering Saracino to victory in the Danehill Stakes at Flemington and was also aboard Eleonora in the Ethereal Stakes at Caulfield.

Lizzie L’Amour makes her Australian debut on Saturday with Oliver taking the opportunity to partner the mare when she galloped at Moonee Valley on Tuesday with stablemate, Australian Oaks winner Bonneval, also a runner in Saturday’s Group Two race.

Bonneval was ridden in the gallop by race day jockey Damian Lane.

“She’s probably got the lower profile of the two runners with Bonneval winning the Oaks, but she’s a nice mare,” Oliver said.

“They worked together at Moonee Valley during the week and they worked nicely.

“I would probably say Lizzie L’Amour is the sharper of the two, but they’re nice staying types of mares, quite forward and ready to run well.

“I wouldn’t say I’m confident of her winning but I’d expect her to perform well as she’s not a big robust mare but seems quite forward for this run.”

Lizzie L’Amour is now the more fancied of the two Baker-Forsman runners in punters’ eyes at $7 with Bonneval drifting from $6.50 to $8 since the release of the field on Wednesday.

The Lindsay Park-trained He’s Our Rokkii has been the best supported, firming from $4.20 into $3.60 favouritism.