Trainer Bjorn Baker’s new stable acquisition Crack Me Up is on target for the Doncaster Mile with an empathic win in the Group 3 $150,000 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Randwick today.

Crack Me Up, above, is on target for the Doncaster Mile after winning the Liverpool City Cup at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Crack Me Up gained automatic entry for the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 7 with his win in the Group 2 $250,000 Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in December last year when prepared by Queenslander Liam Birchley.

But with Birchley unable to race any horses in New South Wales after becoming embroiled in the Aquanita doping scandal, Crack Me Up was transferred to Baker and arrived at his Warwick Farm stables on Thursday morning.

Stable representative Jack Bruce said that Crack Me Up arrived at the stables in superb order and now will push onto the Doncaster Mile on the first day of The Championships.

“He arrived at 5.07 on Thursday morning. He arrived in immaculate order and we have just kept him ticking over,” Bruce said.

“Today was always a stepping stone to the Doncaster, he has a ballot exemption there.”

“The plan really was just to let him find his feet and rattle home. He off a short let up so from this strong performance we can plot our way to the Do9ncaster on the 7th.”

Runner up Care To Think ($2.50 favourite) surged to the front half way down the straight but was overhauled by Crack Me Up with Burning Passion ($14) filling third spot.