Sydney jockey Rachel King will return to Melbourne to partner Warwoven in a track gallop and give the final tick of approval for a Cox Plate start at Flemington.
King partnered the Bjorn Baker-trained Warwoven to victory in the Caulfield Guineas on October 10 and headed to Cranbourne on Friday morning to give the three-year-old a canter.
She will return on Tuesday morning to gallop the colt before a final decision is made whether Warwoven runs in the Cox Plate (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Warwoven defeated the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Blind Raise in the Guineas and has been stable with the couple since his arrival in Melbourne the day prior to his Guineas success.
“I went in on Friday to give him a little canter around and I didn’t know if I would be allowed in the stable,” King joked.
“They’re great. They look after Bjorn’s horses when they come down, and we look after theirs when they go to Sydney.
“Bjorn and Trent are pretty good friends, although that result might have tested the friendship a bit with this horse.
“I’ll be back down on Tuesday to gallop him as it’s more that I know him and to make sure he feels the same.
“If you put someone else on that hasn’t ridden him before, it’s tricky to tell where he’s at.”
King said Warwoven had recovered well from his Guineas success and believes the colt still has more to deliver.
However, she is well aware the Cox Plate will be a tougher race.
“I don’t think we’ve reached the ceiling with him yet, which is exciting,” King said.
“The Cox Plate is another different kettle of fish and we’re under no illusion that it a different ball game against the older horses.
“He does get that massive weight relief and this year being at Flemington it helps a little bit, for any of the three-year-olds, as it’s bit easier than getting around Moonee Valley as there’s not that added pressure of getting around that tight track.
“He’s by far the best hose I’ve sat on. It’s a privilege to be associated with a horse like that and we have to make the most of it while we can.
“He is a colt and we don’t know how long he will be around.”
