Pericles became the first horse of Godolphin’s new era to win an Australian stakes race when delivering emphatically first-up for new trainer Bjorn Baker at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Godolphin moved to a public training model this season with the likes of Sydney trainers Chris Waller, Joe Pride and Michael Freedman already having success with the Royal Blue.

Baker added his name to the list on a big occasion when Pericles stormed home to prevail for the second time in the Group 2 $300,000 Tramway Stakes (1400m).

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Pericles won the 2023 Tramway Stakes while still trained by James Cummings before he become the third horse in the past seven years to win the race twice.

“He is very laid-back, very straightforward and huge to win for Godolphin,” Baker said.

“I’m a bit of a racing purist and history buff.

“My father (former trainer Murray Baker) is here today – he goes back into the 1700s – to win a race for a global superpower like Godolphin is a huge thrill for me, my family and my team.”

“We all know how important it is and how lucky we are. He’s a very good horse. Anybody could train him.”

Pericles ($9.50) was ridden with cover by jockey Josh Parr in behind the lead and only needed clear to get his chance in the straight.

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When the gap came, the son of Street Boss let down powerfully to score by one-and-a-quarter lengths from Joe Pride’s Private Eye ($2.10 favourite) while the John Thompson-trained With Your Blessing ($19) was half a length away in third.

“It all worked out really well and I’m really glad he was able to put the race away so easily and so well considering we were so confident coming here today on how he’d been working,” Parr said.

“He felt (like the winner) I must say, I just needed that little bit of luck when we straightened that they split and obviously such a big horse, he was able to manoeuvre his way through quite comfortably and he showed a really good turn of foot.”

Private Eye went forward from a wide draw and did all the work from out in front before only being overrun late.

Jockey Nash Rawiller said he was “pretty proud” with Private Eye’s effort after he only found one better on the day while Alysha Collett praised With Your Blessing’s “tough” effort.

Originally published as Trainer Bjorn Baker delivers Godolphin their first stakes win in new era as Pericles claims his second Tramway at Randwick