Warwoven weaves his way into Golden Rose contention

Quality Sword Of State colt Warwoven (Sword Of State) confirmed himself as a leading Gr.1 Golden Rose (1400m) contender with a determined victory in Saturday’s Gr.2 Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill.

The Bjorn Baker-trained three-year-old showed the benefit of his first-up outing when ridden positively by Rachel King, settling outside leader Castillo King before producing a sharp turn of foot in the straight.

Warwoven ($8) hit the front before holding off favourite St Gotthard ($2.60) by a neck, with Under Focus another length and a quarter away in third.

The victory was Warwoven’s fourth from just seven starts and his second at stakes level, having won the Gr.3 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill during his juvenile campaign.

Baker’s Assistant Trainer Luke Hilton said the colt had continued to develop physically and had impressed the stable with his work leading into Saturday.

“He’s such a good colt. He’s come back bigger and stronger,” Hilton said.

“He’s got better and better this preparation and Bjorn looked after him first-up. He had a tricky gate, and he just let him run on, and that was the key to him today.

“He found a lovely spot, there was good speed in the race and when he landed just outside the lead I thought he was going to be really hard to beat.

“His work at home has been outstanding this week.”

The Gr.1 Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill is the immediate target, with Hilton confident Warwoven has the scope to stretch beyond sprint distances.

“We’ve always had an opinion he’s going to get seven furlongs and even get to a mile,” he said.

“But I don’t know, he was pretty electric today. The team will have a good think about it. The Golden Rose is always the first target and then we’ll go from there.”

King was particularly impressed by Warwoven’s ability to settle despite being asked to take up a more prominent position.

“He leaves you a bit speechless, his acceleration today was unbelievable,” King said.

“First-up we knew it wasn’t Grand Final day and he was always going to improve with the run.

“Today, he was straight on the bunny, relaxed beautifully, he was so mature for a young, relatively inexperienced colt.

“Even though I pushed the button early, he went to sleep, did everything right and showed a good turn of foot.”

King believes there is still more to come from Warwoven, who again found when challenged late.

“Every time he’s won, he puts his head in front, he’s a colt and thinks his job is done,” she said.

“He always feels like there is plenty more there and as soon as he can feel one, every time one has got close to him he has found again, so there is plenty in the tank.”

Asked about stepping up to 1400m, King was emphatic: “No problem!”

Warwoven is from the first crop of Cambridge Stud stallion Sword Of State and is emerging as the young sire’s headline performer.

Sword Of State was himself an elite juvenile, winning the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) and earning New Zealand Champion Two-Year-Old honours and the son of Snitzel is now making a positive impact at stud.

Warwoven is the first foal of the Makfi mare Needle And Thread, who was the winner of the Gr.2 Royal Stakes (2000m) and placed at Group Two level in the Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic and Eight Carat Classic. The colt has now won four of his seven starts and A$548,850 in prizemoney.