Trainer Bjorn Baker has decided against sending his colt Warwoven to Caulfield for the traditional Guineas Week track gallops on Tuesday morning. Instead, the star colt will continue to familiarise himself with racing in the Melbourne direction via another strong workout at his Sydney training base.
The winner of the 2026 Golden Rose has stepped up his preparations for this Saturday’s $3 million Group 1 event, undertaking his most serious gallop in the anti-clockwise direction last week. He is scheduled for another similar workout in company at Warwick Farm on Tuesday.
All of Warwoven’s eight starts to date have been conducted right-handed. However, Baker possesses significant belief in the son of Sword Of State and is confident he can also perform admirably when racing in the opposite direction.
“He’s fantastic, he’s got a great attitude, he’s really bombproof,” Baker commented. “He had a nice gallop left-handed on Thursday, it wasn’t about breaking the clock, not in his first proper gallop, and we will probably give him a mate on Tuesday and aim to do a bit more. But he’s been very, very good.”
Warwoven achieved his first Group 1 victory by defeating his rivals by 3-1/4 lengths in the $1 million Golden Rose on September 26. This was the colt’s initial run over 1400m. Prior to that, he had won the Group 2 Run To The Rose and the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes, both over 1200m. Baker’s future plans suggest he anticipates the 1600m distance will not be an issue for the colt.
The New Zealand-bred trainer is keen to target Warwoven towards the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Flemington on October 24, should he perform as expected in the Caulfield Guineas.
“You have to dream and that’s what the race is about,” Baker said regarding the prospect of a Cox Plate start. “His mother was a Group 2 winner over 2000m. He relaxes really well and he can absorb pressure, which he showed last Saturday. It’s one step at a time, we all know that, but if he goes to the Caulfield Guineas and goes as well as I hope he will I think we’ll be able to go forward to the Cox Plate.”
The barrier draw for the Caulfield Guineas will be conducted just a few hours after Tuesday’s trackwork session concludes. The remaining fields for Saturday’s program, which includes the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) and The Might And Power (2000m), will be finalised on Wednesday morning.
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