Western Empire completes feature treble in Strickland Stakes
Almost five years after rising to the top of Perth racing with a five-win sequence that culminated in the 2021 edition of the Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1600m), remarkable veteran Western Empire (NZ) (Iffraaj) is once again winning black-type races in a row.
Saturday’s A$200,000 Gr.3 Swan Draught Strickland Stakes (2000m) at Belmont was the eight-year-old’s third start in his latest campaign and his third consecutive Group Three win. He had previously captured the Belmont Sprint (1400m) on May 16 and the Hyperion Stakes (1600m) on May 30.
The Strickland was one of the few features on the Perth calendar to have eluded Western Empire, who finished second in 2024 and fourth in 2025. But he added that trophy to his collection on Saturday, recording the 13th Group or Listed win of his decorated career.
Ridden as usual by William Pike, Western Empire took up a position in third behind Hoba West (Epaulette) and Sentimental Hero (Al Maher).
The $1.40 favourite was briefly boxed in along the rail coming up to the home turn, but Pike found a narrow opening and drove him up on the outside of Hoba West with 300m to run. Western Empire soon pulled ahead of that rival and went clear to win by a length and a half with his ears pricked.
Trained by Grant and Alana Williams, Western Empire has now had 38 starts for 14 wins, 10 placings and A$3.79 million in stakes. Judging from the form he is showing in his current campaign, Pike sees no reason why he shouldn’t carry on into his nine-year-old season.
“I was very happy with where we ended up,” Pike said. “I had the horse to beat in front of me and we were covered up well.
“I was more concerned with him settling more than anything else, because I thought he might have been a query at the distance. I thought I would worry about the second half of the race when it came around.
“He’s just a marvel. He keeps fronting up for everyone, and everyone’s enjoying the ride that he’s got us on. I hope they can get him up one more time for the carnival – he’ll still play a part if they do.
“When he's in this sort of mood, where he's edgy enough that you've got to hold on, but not too edgy that you're hanging off the side, that's when he goes best. That's where he is right now.”
Bred in New Zealand by Peters Investments, Western Empire is by former Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Iffraaj and is out of Gr.2 Perth Cup (2400m) winner Western Jewel (Jeune). - NZ Racing Desk
Winner: Western Empire (NZ) 2017
Owners: Mrs A D Williams, Mr A Latassa, Ms S J Leury
Trainer: Grant & Alana Williams (Karnup)
Breeding: by Iffraaj (GB) out of Western Jewel (AUS) by Jeune (GB)
Breeder: Peters Investments Pty Ltd
Three in a row for War Eternal
Saturday’s A$160,000 Listed Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm completed a feature Queensland Winter Carnival treble for War Eternal (NZ) (Pierro), who is racing in the form of his life as a rising eight-year-old.
Previously a multiple Group placegetter and fourth in the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) as a three-year-old, the New Zealand-bred son of Pierro broke through for his first stakes success in the Listed Bernborough Handicap (1600m) at Doomben on May 16. He followed that up with the Listed Spear Chief Handicap (1500m) at Eagle Farm last weekend, where he looked beaten by Sun God in the straight but got up off the canvas to win in a head-bobbing finish.
Seven days on from that success, War Eternal stepped out on to Eagle Farm again on Saturday and delivered a replica of that performance.
Again he was in front soon after the home turn, and again he looked beaten in the straight – this time by the $2.60 favourite Yellow Jersey (Dubawi), who finished powerfully down his outside and clearly headed him with 200m to run. But again War Eternal looked his rival in the eye and summoned another big effort for jockey Rachel King, clawing his way back to win by a neck.
“He’s tough, isn’t he? I think he likes it,” King said. “He gives them a little bit of a false sense of security in that he lets them get past him and he just comes back.
“He’s very tough. On the backup, I knew I was on a fit horse and he was comfortable on the track today.”
War Eternal is trained by Bjorn Baker, who was represented at Eagle Farm on Saturday by Jim Clarke.
“He’s been one of the finds of the carnival,” Clarke said. “Three stakes wins in a row, at a ripe old age. And he’s amazing that, for a horse of his age, he has that much in him to the line.
“Like the other day, he got headed and fought back. He’s tough, tenacious and he’s got a lot of heart.”
Bred by Cambridge Stud principals Brendan and Jo Lindsay, War Eternal was purchased by Baker out their 2020 Karaka Book 1 draft for $160,000. He has now had 40 starts for eight wins, eight placings and A$1.12 million in stakes.
Out of the Fastnet Rock mare Aleria, he comes from an extended family that includes multiple stakes winner Impressive Eagle (Rubiton) and the 2016 Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) winner Eagle Way (More Than Ready) who went on to success in Hong Kong where his victories included the Gr.2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m). - NZ Racing Desk
Winner: War Eternal (NZ) 2018
Owners: Bjorn Baker Racing, Mr A D Mathews, Mr B E Rissetto, Mr W J Kelly, Mr C E Holt, Mr G J Viney, Mr J A Caccamo, Mr J Gialantzis, Mr K R Ferrel, Mr M T Mathews, Mr P Gialantzis, Mr R J Coleman, Recount Racing, Mr R Bow
Trainer: Mr Bjorn Baker (Warwick Farm)
Breeding: by Pierro (AUS) out of Aleria (AUS) by Fastnet Rock (AUS)
Breeder: B J Lindsay MNZM & Mrs J E A Lindsay
Sales: 2020 National Yearling Sales Series V: Cambridge Stud $160,000, P: Bjorn Baker Racing / Clarke Bloodstock
Thebudgiesmugla adds Queen Elizabeth II Cup to perfect 2400m record
Emerging stayer Thebudgiesmugla (NZ) (Redwood) has never been beaten over 2400m, and he added a fourth win to that unblemished record when he stepped up to stakes level in Saturday’s A$200,000 Listed Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Rosehill.
The New Zealand-bred son of Redwood has wasted little time in making an impression since crossing the Tasman less than a year ago to join Bjorn Baker’s Warwick Farm stable. He put together back-to-back wins over 2400m at Rosehill in October and November, then returned to that form with another convincing victory over that distance at Randwick on May 23.
The five-year-old was sent out as a $2 favourite on Saturday as he faced the toughest assignment in his career to date, and Thebudgiesmugla did not disappoint.
Ridden by Dylan Gibbons, Thebudgiesmugla relaxed nicely in third behind Black Run (Nathaniel) and Sayedaty Sadaty (Anodin).
Gibbons angled Thebudgiesmugla out to the middle of the track at the top of the straight, and he unleashed an irresistible finish over the top of Black Run to win by three-quarters of a length.
“He is built so athletic and he’s got the best attitude,” Gibbons said. “He saves every penny, and he can be tough and outstay them all day.”
Racing in the colours of syndicators Darby Racing, Thebudgiesmugla has now had 12 starts for six wins, a placing and A$342,724 in stakes. His four starts over 2400m have produced four victories.
Baker’s racing manager Luke Hilton said Thebudgiesmugla is now likely to point towards the A$500,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) at the Sunshine Coast on July 4.
“I was getting itchy feet coming to the corner today and willing Dylan to get going on him, because we know he takes time to wind up,” Hilton said. “But he really fights when he gets there. He doesn’t really dash, but he keeps grinding. He’s still really raw, and I think there is plenty to come.
“We needed to see him win it, and we needed to see him do it on top of the ground if he’s going to be competitive in better races. We’d like to go to the Caloundra Cup with him. It’s in three weeks, 2400m, good prize-money race. It’s also a good form race for a few other races later in the year – Half Yours (St Jean) won that race last year, so we’ll head the same way.”
Thebudgiesmugla was a private purchase from New Zealand where he won two races for original trainer Jo Rathbone.
Rathbone paid just $3,000 for the son of Redwood, who was sold via gavelhouse.com as a broken-in gelding.
Bred by Bradbury Park, Thebudgiesmugla is out of the winning Keeper mare Hot Pants (NZ). - NZ Racing Desk
Winner: Thebudgiesmugla (NZ) 2020
Owners: Darby Racing, Mrs L Bender, Mr F J Biviano, Mr H Cooper, C & M Gunton, Mr T J Henderson, Miss P Holcombe, Mr M J Humphrys, Mr A Leung, M & M Joyce , Snr K M Kelly, Mrs C A Mathieson, Mr M T Mathews, Happy Racing, Longshot Rock, Mr D Wilden-Constantin, Thebudgiesmugla, Mr J P Stevens
Trainer: Mr Bjorn Baker (Warwick Farm)
Breeding: by Redwood (GB) out of Hot Pants (NZ) by Keeper (AUS)
Breeder: Bradbury Park Ltd
Sales: gavelhouse.com Thoroughbred 4 September 2023 auction V: Prima Park $3000, P: Joanne Rathbone
NZ Racing Desk
NZ Racing Desk
NZ Racing Desk
NZ Racing Desk
Kevin Robertson
Kevin Robertson
Joshua Smith
Kevin Robertson
