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• June 23, 2023
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A Cambridge-based family training partnership will have its first runners in the 2023/24 season.

Ben Foote will be joined by his son Ryan, 20, for the start of the new term with a team headed by Group winners Babylon Berlin and Sakura Girl and an abundance of young talent to call on.

“He’s been working full-time for me for a while and the partnership has been accepted,” Ben Foote said.

“He’s right into it and has been around and worked at a lot of the sales as well and took Babylon Berlin and Sakura Girl to Australia.

“He certainly knows what he’s doing, I didn’t really bring him up with horses but once he finished school it’s all he’s wanted to do.

“With the stock I’ve got around me, I’ll hopefully do a few more trips to Aussie so I need someone else to help me run things. We will have an exciting bunch of horses coming up for the spring.”

Heading the team will be talented sprinter Babylon Berlin, a multiple Group Three winner and a three-time Group One runner-up in this season’s Railway (1200m), Telegraph (1200m) and BCD Group Sprint (1400m).

The All Too Hard mare hasn’t raced since a midfield finish in the Gr.1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in the autumn.

“She’s back in work and if she comes up well enough she might go to the Foxbridge Plate (Gr.2, 1200m) and then on to Hastings,” Foote said.

The highly rated Sakura Girl remained in Brisbane after her two-start carnival campaign, which netted a third placing in the Gr.2 The Roses (2000m) before she ran eighth in the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m).

“She’s still spelling in Brisbane and she’ll be coming back toward the end of August,” Foote said.

The daughter of Iffraaj was successful in the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m) and finished second in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) and sixth between times in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) before her Australian venture.

Meanwhile, promising juvenile Charmer is expected to give another bold account of herself when she runs at Pukekohe Park on Wednesday.

The Charm Spirit youngster steps out in the Barfoot & Thompson 2YO (1200m) following her debut third in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui earlier this month.

“It was a good effort and she’s really come on surprisingly well and kept on improving out of sight,” Foote said.

“She’s turned into a real sweetheart and I’ve been happy with her and I am expecting another really good run.

“I don’t think she’ll disappoint so we’ll probably look at the Ryder Stakes (Listed, 1200m) next month for her.”

Courtney Barnes will retain the ride on Charmer while Kelsey Hannan has been booked for stablemate Flutterbelle.

“She trialled up nicely and has been working as good as the other one (Charmer), but race day fitness might tell the last 100m or so but I’m sure she’ll acquit herself well,” Foote said.

Foote also has The Bambino, who hasn’t run since he broke his maiden last winter, set to resume in the Stella Artois Handicap (2100m).

“He had a nice quiet run at the jumping trials (on Monday) and I always like to have a couple of jumpers so that will be his future,” he said.