Warmonger, the Group 1-winning stayer owned by OTI Racing, is set to embark on a Sydney-focused campaign this autumn after making a promising return to the trials on Wednesday morning. The Kiwi-bred gelding, who claimed his maiden Group 1 victory in last winter’s Queensland Derby, was given a well-deserved break after a long campaign that saw him bypass the Melbourne Cup.
Co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr expressed his satisfaction with Warmonger’s condition following his spell, highlighting the physical and mental maturity the four-year-old has gained.
“When you look at him now, I’m so glad we did what we did,” Kent Jnr told Racing.com. “He got to have a good five-week spell, he put on fantastic condition, he’s popped up in the wither, he’s really grown and matured. It’s always difficult to come back from winter, three-year-old against your own age, straight into spring – they don’t get much of a break – versus now, he’s really matured and furnished, he looks brilliant.”
Warmonger finished third in a 1200-metre trial at Cranbourne under jockey Mick Dee, marking his first public appearance since his run in the Caulfield Cup last October. Kent Jnr was pleased with the performance, noting that the trial provided the ideal preparation for the gelding’s upcoming campaign.
“He’s come back a different horse,” Kent Jnr said. “Really happy with the way he’s going, his gallops at home have been very good, he’s in fantastic order. This morning was good, I was pleased to see there was good pace on in the trial, so he got to just drop his head, travel comfortably over 1200m and he was asked to push out the last 400m. To run third was good, he had a healthy blow, but I’d say his recovery was quite good. He’s right where we want him.”
While Warmonger has the option to kick off his campaign in Melbourne over the mile on February 8, the focus will shift to Sydney, with the Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on April 13 as the primary target. Kent Jnr believes the gelding is poised to show his best form this preparation, particularly as he continues to develop into a seasoned stayer.
“Circle around the Sydney Cup and work backwards from there,” Kent Jnr said. “I really think we’ll see the best of him this preparation and going on, we’ve looked after him, he’s relatively lightly raced. As we know with these Kiwi stayers, they keep getting better and better if you look after them.”
With his Queensland Derby victory and a strong foundation of fitness, Warmonger is shaping up as a key contender for the Sydney autumn carnival, where his staying prowess and improving maturity will be put to the test.
Quotes sourced from Racing.com.
