3-Year-Old Summary: Warwoven wows as Baker gets a treble

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

G1 Golden Rose won by Warwoven

The G1 Golden Rose has a massive record for finding successful stallions with Champion Sire Zoustar victorious in 2013. Since then, Ole Kirk, Bivouac, Trapeze Artist and The Autumn Sun have all put their name on the winner’s board, while emerging sires In The Congo, Jacquinot, and Broadsiding have all won recently.

There was plenty of talk about Chris Waller’s crew heading into the race, as well as last start winner and G1 Golden Slipper victor Guest House (Home Affairs). But none of that mattered on race day as it was last start G2 Run To The Rose winning colt Warwoven (Sword Of State) who dominated proceedings.

Plagerism (Written By) got the best start and led with Central Europe (Frankel {GB}) way out wide and crossing across to take the lead with Under Focus (Too Darn Hot {GB}) sitting in third. Warwoven, for jockey Rachel King, sat tucked in behind with Tenebaum (Snitzel) nearby. Guest House was unsettled in the mid-field. Under Focus moved up into second, but when they straightened up, Warwoven found the gap and sprinted two lengths clear.

St Gotthard (Snitzel) got a bit of a tow into space and came home quickly to collect second with Under Focus in third and Tenebaum in fourth. It was a officially 3.16 length victory for Warwoven.

“This is very special. 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,” trainer Bjorn Baker said.

“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 2000m, 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.”

He was thrilled with the patient ride by King, who also rode So You Are (So You Think {NZ}) to win for the stable earlier on the card.

“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.”

Warwoven has won five of his eight starts and over $1.1 million.

Sales: Ridgmont and partners purchased him for $380,000 from Kia Ora Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.

Pedigree: Warwoven is the first Group 1 winner for second season sire Sword Of State, a son of Snitzel, who has one other stakes winner Torture (NZ), as well as Group 1 placed State Of Valour (NZ).

Warwoven is the first foal out of the Group 2-winning mare Needle And Thread (Makfi {GB}). Needle And Thread is also a half-sister to the late Listed winner and multiple Group 1-placed stallion Savile Row (NZ). Another member of this very strong family is the dual Group 1 winner and stallion The Gurkha (Ire), and the Group 1-placed Arrogant (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).

Needle And Thread has a 2-year-old and yearling by Farnan to follow, but missed to both him and Ole Kirk in 2025.

Blue Door stuns in G3 Heritage Stakes, The Everest next?

Winner of the G3 Kindergarten Stakes on debut at two, Bjorn Baker-trained 3-year-old filly Blue Door (Stay Inside) double her Group 3 tally when victorious in the G3 Heritage Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.

Sent to the front by Nash Rawiller, she led into the straight and kept clearing away to win by an official 2.2 length margin by Ciaron Maher-trained filly Ciaron’s Star (I Am Invincible). Michael Freedman-trained colt Outspan (Bivouac) was third in the Godolphin colours.

“Looking at a negative the Guest House form is working out too well. She was very smooth and lovely to see John Singleton's colours winning,” Baker said post-race, ahead of Warwoven (Sword Of State) lining up against Guest House (Home Affairs) in the G1 Golden Rose.

Blue Door was second to Guest House last start in the G3 San Domenico Stakes.

“John has his family out her, his daughter is over from New York, and this filly is pretty special to him. I'm very lucky to train a very good, very fast filly and she is exceptionally fast.

“She's a fast filly, she had to carry a bit more weight today, she has natural gate speed, she paraded great and is a filly on the rise. She set up a track record speed last time, you get them chasing and it could be an absolutely different story and with no weight, who know?”

On the prospect of heading to the G1 The Everest with a light weight, Baker was enthusiastic.

“I tell you what no weight, WFA, there is a race in three weeks – Singo you there! That was exciting, she has always shown us a lot. Singo you there? I would really like to take her to The Everest if you are keen. We will just see what happens. She would add a real dynamic to the race.”

One of four stakes winners and 40 winners for second season sire Stay Inside, Blue Door took her record to two wins and two placings from four starts. All four of her starts have been in black type company and she has earnings over $360,000.

Sales: Yarraman Park Stud offered Blue Door at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale where Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, as well as Kestrel Thoroughbreds, paid $400,000 for her.

Pedigree: From the stunning Redoute’s Choice family, Blue Door is the fourth foal and fourth winner for two-time winner Notting Hill (Pierro). Notting Hill has a yearling colt by I Am Invincible and recently foaled a filly by Too Darn Hot (GB).

Notting Hill is a daughter of G2 Magic Night Stakes-placed Monsoon Wedding (Danehill {USA}) who is a full sister to Group 1 winners Redoute’s Choice, Platinum Scissors, and a half-sister to Group 1 winner and sire Manhattan Rain, Listed winning sire Echoes Of Heaven and Group 3 winner Sliding Cube (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).

Notting Hill is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Precious Lorraine (Encosta De Lago), dam of Listed winner Meuse (Snitzel), and to Listed winner Lucky Raquie (Encosta De Lago).

Hawke’s Bay Guineas goes to exciting Old Fashioned

A winner on debut at two, 3-year-old colt Old Fashioned (NZ) (Proisir) maintained his unbeaten record in winning Saturday’s G2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas for trainer Bill Thurlow. Set the tricky task of resuming in Group company, Old Fashioned was sent out at $8 by punters.

Jockey Kelly Myers sat quietly for most of the 1400 metre contest, before finding a gap and before sprinting clear. The favourite Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained Asturia (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) chased hard to close the gap to three-quarters of a length with Stephen Marsh-trained Raymond (NZ) (Ardrossan) half a length back in third.

“I don’t know what to say about this horse as he is massive and has just got gears,” Myers said.

“I tried to play the patient game and thought the gap would come. It did come and I asked him, but he takes a few strides (to wind up) and then he says just kidding and finds another gear.

“I thought he was very dominant today. I wasn’t that stoked to draw barrier one as I didn’t think it was the best draw given he is such a big horse, and he goes well when ridden cold. You can’t throw away a good draw like that and he is pretty adaptable, so you can ride him anywhere.”

He has shortened in to second favourite for the G1 NZ 2000 Guineas.

“He has always shown us a lot, but we’ve sort of stayed away from the hype and let him do the talking. Today he has done that as we were very confident, but it is a horse race,” Thurlow said.

“We drew barrier one and had to use that, but he has heaps of gate speed and although we had ridden him back at the trials to teach him, we can ride him anywhere as he is such a good horse. He has a good turn of foot that most horses don’t have. We knew we had him ready, it was just a matter of whether he could do it.

“Matt and Diana (owners) love him, and he will stay here with them for the time being.”

Sales: Bred and raced by Matthew Goodson and Diana Perron under their Goodson and Perron Family Trust banner. They passed him in at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale.

Pedigree: Old Fashioned is the 26th stakes winner for Proisir. He is the first runner for Contrary Mary (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) who has an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Hello Youmzain (Fr) and a yearling colt by the same. She is in foal to Sword Of State.

A winner over 1200 metres, Contrary Mary is a half-sister to G2 Waikato Guineas-placed Time Lord (NZ) (Guillotine {NZ}). You have to go back to Contrary Mary’s fourth dam, Royal Statute (USA) (Northern Dancer {Can}) to find the next stakes winner, being G1 Yorkshire Oaks winner Awaasif (Can) (Snow Knight {GB}) who is the dam of G1 The Oaks winner Snow Bride (USA) (Blushing Groom {Fr}), the dam of triple Group 1 winner and sire Lammtarra (USA) (Nijinsky {Can}).

Hellbent’s Hawea all class in G3 Gold Trail Stakes

Trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall made it two G3 Gold Trail Stakes in successive years when Hawea (Hellbent) overcame barrier nerves to join stablemate and last year's winner Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) on the honour’s board for the 3-year-old fillies event.

Hawea was almost declared a late scratching after refusing to enter the gates, but eventually walked into barrier six to take her place in the running under jockey Wiremu Pinn. Caught three-wide, she powered home to win by three-quarters of a length from Lance Noble-trained Liguria (NZ) (Snitzel) with Lance O'Sullivan & Andrew Scott-trained Dashing Dixie (NZ) (Alabama Express) in third.

“It’s hard watching them live and I couldn’t see too much, so I had to rely on the commentator,” Richardson said.

“I had a guy beside me say ‘she’s not going in the gates, and I just went ‘oh god’ and closed my eyes.

“Wiremu was very confident before the race and when I couldn’t see too much, I did hear the commentator say she was three wide, so that was just impressive wasn’t it. She does pin her ears back though and loves to be in front.

“She will improve a lot from this as she still isn’t right in the coat, but we will probably go to the Soliloquy and then go down to Riccarton.” Hawea is nominated for the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas and the G1 NZ 2000 Guineas in Riccarton.

The last start Listed winner took her record to two wins from five starts with earnings over $171,000.

Sales: Wentwood Grange sold her for NZ$300,000 to Brendon McCullum and Richardson Racing at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.

Pedigree: One of 12 stakes winners for Hellbent, Hawea is the fifth foal and fourth winner for Idlewild (Lonhro). Idlewild has previously produced Listed placed winner of three races Romilly (So You Think {NZ}). She has a Hellbent yearling filly to come and is back in foal to him.

Idlewild, who placed at three, is a half-sister to G2 Sandown Guineas winner Caymans (Secret Savings {USA}) who placed in the G1 Randwick Guineas, as well as Listed winner Adroitly (Octagonal {NZ}). Triple Group 1 winner Solveig (NZ) (Imposing) is Idlewild’s third dam.