![Midnight Dynamite [Bradley Photos]](https://betsy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2332079.jpg)
Connections of Midnight Dynamite are keen to give him an opportunity to race for a $3 million prizemoney purse following his explosive win in the Winter Challenge at Rosehill.
Adding’s Saturday’s black-type feature to his victory in last month’s Listed Civic Stakes (1400m), the next stop is set to be the Coff’s Harbour Cup (1600m) on August 7 where a victory will qualify him for the $3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick on Melbourne Cup day.
“We’re mindful he’s had a long ‘prep’ so we’ll see how he comes through, but the initial plan is Coff’s,” trainer Bjorn Baker ‘s racing manager, Luke Hilton, said.
“We’d like to get him into the Big Dance if he can run a mile which, off that, it looks like he might.
“He has come to a new level this preparation. Even looking at him, I still don’t think we’ve gotten to the bottom of him. He’s going to be a better horse next preparation.
“He’s one of those Bjorn has been patient with. He’s got better and better each preparation. He’s reaping the benefits now and more to come hopefully.”
MIDNIGHT DYNAMITE 🧨💥
A dominant performance in the Winter Challenge from Bjorn Baker’s flying gelding! @bbakerracing @tommyberry21 @Darby_Racing pic.twitter.com/oAIT6CQOgl
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) July 18, 2026
The Winter Challenge (1500m) was Midnight Dynamite’s ($3.20 fav) fourth win in six starts this campaign and the four-year-old had the race in the bag a long way from home.
Relishing the solid tempo set by Whinchat , he burst to the front halfway up the straight to thump his rivals by three lengths, Just Folk ($14) doing best of the rest with General Salute ($6) a long neck away third.
Hilton admitted the stable had reservations the horse might have been looking for the spelling paddock after his last start Winter Stakes (1400m) placing, before his work during the week quashed any doubts.
“Bjorn was a little bit concerned that maybe he’d come to the end of it, but his work on Tuesday was fantastic. He’s just thriving, this horse,” Hilton said.
“It was hard to even get a little bit of a cheer up there because he had them shot to pieces very early. Tommy (Berry) rode him really well, put him to sleep, and he was able to quicken up really well.”
The victory by Midnight Dynamite gave Baker back-to-back wins in the Winter Challenge, which he captured with Robusto 12 months ago.
