| Warwoven confirmed himself one of the country’s hottest young stallion prospects with a sensational win in today’s $1 million Group One Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill. |
| In a sublime performance Warwoven was able to unleash a paralysing burst in the home straight and leave his classy rivals distanced. At the post the Rachel King ridden and Bjorn Baker trained colt held the easiest of three and a quarter length margins over St Gotthard, who was a short margin ahead of third placegetter Under Focus. While the rest were gasping for air in the distance Warwoven was easing down on the post to score one of the most dominant Group One performances in recent times at Rosehill. “This is very special,” trainer Bjorn Baker said. “I thought he paraded superbly, he’s so good looking, he’s so fast.” “I don’t even have to sell him, he sold himself. So many of my great friends are in this horse and you saw an amazing performance today.” “Rachel King, she’s got ice in her veins. She summed it up so well. All my team back at home, they are amazing to work with and we have fun every day.” “We go through the losses as a team, we take the wins as a team and I can tell you it is a pretty big team today.” Baker always had belief in his colt despite the opinions of many who discounted him today even considering his last start win in the Group Two Run to the Rose. The horse he beat, Blue Door, was a Group Three winner earlier in the day. “A lot of form analysts out there, you are allowed your own opinion, that is what makes our game so great. But I thought this colt was right in it, I didn’t want to look at the odds, I didn’t want to back him, there was too much riding on it.” “He’s a serious horse and we are looking at the Caulfield Guineas. Even the Cox Plate – team get on now, we will get overs.” “His mother was very good at 2000 metres, he relaxed beautifully today but one step at a time. It is an amazing game, racing. It is the best game in the world and I don’t say that lightly.” Warwoven has spent much of his racing career in the headlines. Earlier this year he was scratched as hot favourite for the $3 million TAB Magic Millions 2YO Classic – that disappointment now just a memory. “We were in the hurt locker about January 17 when he was scratched from the Magic Millions on the morning of.” “But you don’t panic, you have great people around you, they pick you up and you can be here and win a Group One – he’s a stallion now.” Warwoven was a $380,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy for Baker, Ridgmont, Clarke Bloodstock and fellow connections from the draft of Kia Ora Stud. He’s now won over $1.1 million and is worth many times that as a future racing and stallion prospect. Winning rider Rachel King was also searching for the superlatives for Warwoven following the three plus length success. “He was (dominant),” King told reporters after the race. “He’s very good, we know he’s very good, and it was just very satisfying for him to go out there and do that today.” “I thought I’d either be leading or leader’s back. It’s difficult when your husband (Baker’s racing manager Luke Hilton) gives you part of the instructions, and he says, ‘whatever you do, don’t be three-back the fence’ and I was like, I’m testing him a little bit here.” “But he’s a very good horse. There was enough tempo on. There was enough pressure. He just put his head down and relaxed and was beautiful in the run.” “We know he’s got an awesome turn of foot, and I was desperate to get him up over this kind of distance and probably even further.” “He’s proven that he’s the real deal today,” King added. Warwoven is a son of the Cambridge Stud based Sword of State, a former outstanding Te Akau Racing purchase from the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale who was a Group One winner at two in New Zealand. The son of Snitzel has made the best possible start to his sire career with Warwoven joined by the likes of Torture, State of Valour and Sword of Stars as first group stakes performers. Warwoven’s dam, the Makfi mare Needle and Thread won a Group Two Royal Stakes – successful to 2000 metres, giving connections confidence of the distance possibilities of her son. While Warwoven was the undisputed star of the day he proved the real cherry on the top on a red letter day for Magic Millions sales graduates. Other stakes winners on the day included a Group Two Golden Pendant to Lazzura (Snitzel, GC Yearling Sale), Group Two Shannon Stakes to Skyhook (Written Tycoon, GC Yearling Sale), Group Three Colin Stephen Handicap to So You Are (So You Think, GC National Yearling Sale), Listed RM Ansett Stakes to Hurry Curry (Ocean Park, GC Yearling Sale) and Listed Weetwood Handicap to Let’sfacethemusic (I Am Invincible, GC Yearling Sale). Winner: Warwoven Breeding: Sword of State-Needle and Thread (Makfi) Race: ATC Golden Rose Stakes G1 (1400m) Sold for: $380,000 Sale: 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Earnings: $1,167,550 Breeder: Kia Ora Stud Pty Ltd Vendor: Kia Ora Stud Buyer: Ridgmont/Bjorn Baker Racing/S & J Gosling/Clarke Bloodstock Owners: Ridgmont (Mgr: M Cunningham), Kia Ora 2009 (Mgr: RW Rose), S Gosling, Mrs J Gosling, GS Racing (Mgr: SA Gray-Spencer), J and A Sydney Racing (Mgr: JP Stevens), KR Ferrel, K Salagic & Mrs AK Clarke Trainer: Bjorn Baker (Warwick Farm) |
