Jerome Hunter’s plans for Warrior Of Fire have not altered dramatically with the heat-enforced cancellation of racing at Flemington.
After Warrior Of Fire won the Hobart Guineas in Tasmania earlier this year, Hunter formulated a plan which included a race on Saturday’s abandoned program before he returns to the Apple Isle for two Cups.
The trainer has found a suitable replacement at Sandown on Wednesday, the Le Pine Funerals Handicap over 1600m.
Hunter said he would not have wanted a bigger break between the gelding’s first-up third at Pakenham on November 29 and Wednesday.
Warrior Of Fire missed the Melbourne spring which Hunter said was planned rather than forced and had furnished into a stronger horse than when he won the Guineas as a lanky three-year-old.
Warrior Of Fire wasn’t idle during the break coming into the stable in the middle of the year and having a couple of trials before being spelled again.
“We didn’t want to run him over the spring carnival as we didn’t think he was up to that this year,” Hunter said.
“His trials were really impressive and I would have loved to have run him, but we were thinking longer term.
“Looking back now it’s the best thing we could have done.”
Hunter has the Hobart Cup on February 8 and the Launceston Cup 16 days later in mind and longer term the Mornington Cup at the end of March.
Victory in the Mornington Cup would give Warrior Of Fire automatic entry into the 2016 Caulfield Cup.
“Fingers crossed,” Hunter said.
“We aimed him for the Hobart Guineas and it worked and we’ve aimed him at Hobart again and hopefully it works again.
“I’ve got plenty of horses in the stable and what I’ve planned for them hasn’t always worked.”
Warrior Of Fire will be ridden on Wednesday by three-kilo claiming apprentice Beau Mertens who rode him to win his maiden at Bairnsdale a year ago.
