Expat New Zealand trainer Bjorn Baker was tossing up between a couple of different options for Kiwi bred Pierro gelding War Eternal this weekend, but he pulled the right rein and was rewarded with victory at Randwick on Saturday.
Baker had also entered War Eternal for Sunday’s $80,000 South Grafton Cup (1610m) at Grafton, which had the added bonus of being a qualifying race for the A$3 million The Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick in November, but went with the higher prizemoney of the $160,000 Benchmark 88 event over 1400m.
Sent out as a $2.50 favourite for jockey Jason Collett, War Eternal dropped back to third-last in a race that was run at a solid tempo. Collett angled War Eternal to the outside at the top of the straight and warmed him into his work. The five-year-old lengthened stride and reeled in the leaders, hitting the front inside the final 100m to win by three-quarters of a length.
Placed in multiple Group races at three, War Eternal has the overall record of four wins and six placings from 23 starts with prizemoney topping $600,000.
“It’s good to see him getting back into some of his better form,” stable representative Luke Hilton said.
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“Choosing between this race and Grafton was a hard one, and we had a good think about it all week. That Big Dance eligibility was a big carrot at Grafton, but it was double the prize-money to come here today, and I think that’s what swayed Bjorn in the end. It was a good win, and I’m sure we’ll have some other opportunities to qualify him for The Big Dance later on.”
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.
War Eternal is the best of two winners from Fastnet Rock mare Aleria, a placed daughter of stakes-winner Impressive Eagle from the family of Group I winner Eagle Way.
