The Bjorn Baker trained Bernborough Handicap winner War Eternal will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in Listed company when he takes aim at the Spear Chief Handicap over 1500m at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The seven-year-old son of Pierro’s win in the Bernborough, which was contested over 1600m, came off the back of a third place finish in the Group 3 Hawksbury Cup in which he finished less than a length behind Churchill’s Choice (who went on to run second in the Scone Cup), so War Eternal’s form progression has been tracking well.
There are two changes to note this time in … one of which could prove to be of real significance.
In the Bernborough, War Eternal jumped from a number one barrier draw with Zac Purton in the saddle. On Saturday, the Baker trained runner has been handed the unwelcome draw of barrier number seventeen. That is the sticky point.
Rachel King replaces Purton in the saddle but, with King working so closely with the Baker horses and having on-going success with the Baker stable, that change hardly raises a flicker on the concern barometer, but as mentioned, the wide draw is a serious factor.
The plus is that War Eternal showed the good gate speed required to be able to make the best use of his inside barrier draw in the Bernborough … and the question now is whether that gate speed will be sufficient to allow King to find a competitive position in the running for War Eternal on Saturday, or whether she will go back … either when being forced to do so or by design … and possibly have to ride for luck.
Another plus is that, albeit after Purton allowed War Eternal to bide his time at an easy gallop mid-race before saving ground on the turn, there was a lot to like about the gelding’s sustained finishing effort in the home straight in the Bernborough over the 1600m trip.
War Eternal now comes back to 1500m.
Our Queen, who finished second in the Bernborough … giving the Baker stable the race quinella … is absent here but the third place-getter from that day, the Tony Gollan trained Kronenbourg, is back to fight another day.
Last time out Kronenbourg was beaten by 1.21 lengths by War Eternal when carrying 2kg more than the Baker trained runner. This time they will meet at level weights, with Kronenbourg jumping from the advantageous barrier number three.
That could change the game.
Mark Zahra keeps the ride on Kronenbourg who reminded punters two runs back that his chances should never be dismissed lightly when he won the Listed Brisbane Handicap at a starting price of $91.
With recent winning form in their favour, either one of War Eternal or Kronenbourg could prove to be a good value bet at their current odds of $18 in a betting market ruled at the moment by the Grahame Begg trained King Zephyr at $2.40.
While King Zephyr has won six times and been placed on five occasions from thirteen starts, he has finished as a beaten favourite in his last two outings and you have to go back five runs to September 2025 to find his last win … so there has to be some sort of question mark behind his chances.
A close watch should be kept on the Chris Waller trained Sun God, who sits on the third line of betting at $6.50. This son of Fastnet Rock will be bidding for a hat-trick of wins here, having won both of his starts either side of a three month layoff.
He will be second-up here after winning the Listed Luskin Star Stakes over 1300m when resuming three weeks ago. Tommy Berry will ride from a number eleven draw.
The $6 ruling second favourite is the Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin trained Harry’s Yacht, who has only finished out of the first three once in his last ten starts dating back to October 2025.
That set of results includes four wins … from 1100 to 1400m and he was right there in his last run when finishing a close-up third to Abounding in the Group 3 BRC Sprint.
As a four-year-old, he should have more improvement to come than his older rivals, so he too should be right in this.
