If you speak to the opposition, the wise ones will admit that Warwoven (Sword Of State) is the horse to beat in Saturday’s $105,000 QTIS juvenile handicap at Eagle Farm.
“If it (Warwoven) turns up and produces the figure it did at Randwick then it’s unbeatable, the race is over,” Chris Munce, co-trainer of fellow acceptor Say You Will (Pierata), told racenet.com on Friday morning. The Sword Of State colt stopped the clock at 57.36s at his 1000-metre debut. “If it produces that again on Saturday then everyone else is running for second.”
With travel sickness ruling fellow Baker trainee Paradoxium (Extreme Choice) out of the Magic Millions racing carnival, the pressure falls to Warwoven, with $82,500 in the bank, and perennial bridesmaid Masvingo (Zoustar), with $69,100 from three starts, to help Baker win consecutive editions of the event. His 2025 winner O’ Ole (Ole Kirk) heads to the G3 Vo Rogue Plate en route back to the Gold Coast.
The ballot order hasn’t been published since December 30 where Warwoven sat equal ninth and Masvingo sat in the 12th spot.
Munce’s filly Say You Will sat 17th in the ballot on December 30, but with $47,509 from her second to fellow acceptor Lumbini (Russian Revolution) in the $250,000 Magic Millions The Debut, she needs victory on Saturday to ensure her Gold Coast appearance.
“She’s in good order and she should’ve won the other night,” Munce said. “She got poleaxed at a crucial time when she was just starting to get her revs up. She goes into the race in good form, although she has a bad gate (eight) in only a small field.”
Warwoven’s half-brother by Farnan heads to the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale as Lot 671 in Blue Gum Farm’s draft, and his breeder and vendor Kia Ora Stud will offer 17 at the Gold Coast later this month. The same draft last year has to date produced G3 Breeders’ Plate runner-up I’m Ya Huckleberry (Home Affairs) and $250,000 Magic Millions Caulfield 2YO Classic third Invincible Son (Farnan) from three to the races.
Stoey from TTR
