Cover image courtesy of Coolmore Stud
Cranbourne-based trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young looked to have a smart prospect on their hands when the 2-year-old Warlords, a son of Saxon Warrior (Jpn), transitioned a series of impressive jump-outs to race conditions on Sunday at Sale.
The masculine colt was sent out the punters’ elect with the in-form Blake Shinn in the saddle and was doing his best work late, and he drew away by 1l from Eff Oh (Santos) in the 1200 metre event.
The victory and likelihood that the distance is well short of Warlords' forte pinned him as a colt to follow as we head into the spring carnival.
A representative for the Busuttin and Young stable hesitantly took up the post-race interview duty, sharing, “He (Warlords) was very good today (Sunday). The colt has shown good ability in the jump-outs and also in his trackwork,” they said.
“Today (Sunday), he came to the races in good order, and I felt Warlords handled the raceday pressure well. He found the line very well, especially the last 100 metres; he’ll definitely improve off that.”
Winning rider Shinn was complimentary of Warlords' effort on debut.
“Warlords is a beautiful-looking colt. He handled the occasion like a real professional, despite it being his first time at the races, and it was a lovely win,” Shinn said.
“I think he will end up being a 1600 to 2000 metre horse. Being a colt, I think he can get a little bit lazy, and today over 1200 metres, I had to encourage him for the first part; once we got midway through the race, he was good. However, as we approached the race's finish and the chips came down, he was there for me and won softly.”
First Southern Hemisphere winner for Saxon Warrior
By winning on Sunday, the colt became the first Southern Hemisphere winner for his impeccably bred sire Saxon Warrior, who stands at Coolmore Stud, Ireland. He did shuttle for several seasons to Coolmore Stud, Australia. However, Saxon Warrior will not visit Australia this upcoming season.
The Mr CW Kwok-bred Warlords is the seventh foal from the Snow Ridge (USA) mare Gypsy Chimes (USA). She was a dual-winner and had already produced the Group 3 placegetter Folk Dress (Pierro).
Furthermore, this is the family of Buckaroo (Fastnet Rock), who was victorious in the Listed Tetrarch S. and recorded fourth-placed finishes in the G1 Critérium Saint-Cloud and the G1 Prix d’Ispahan.
Warlords as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The Coolmore Stud draft consigned Warlords at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where Busuttin Racing and Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) paid $400,000 to secure the son of Saxon Warrior.
The colt is raced by a prominent group of owners, including Ozzie Kheir and John O’Neill, in their recognisable navy-blue, pale-yellow spots with halved silks.
Pleasing result
It was a pleasing result for Tom Moore, marketing and nominations at Coolmore Stud, Australia.
“Trent (Busuttin) and Natalie (Young) have been extremely bullish about Warlords from very early on, and he has always shown them a huge amount of ability at home,” Moore told TTR AusNZ.
“They have been patient with him, given the colt plenty of time, and we hope that pays dividends in the long run.”
“They (Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young) have been patient with him (Warlords), given the colt plenty of time, and we hope that pays dividends in the long run.” - Tom Moore
Moore noted the $400,000 price-tag paid for Warlords, which makes him the most expensive Saxon Warrior to be offered at a yearling sale in Australasia.
“They put their necks on the line and paid plenty for him as a yearling at the Magic Millions, but he was a stunning colt with an incredible temperament. I watched Warlords on TV today, and it looks like he still has that great nature,” Moore said.
Tom Moore | Image courtesy of Inglis
“He clearly has plenty of natural ability, and the whole Coolmore team looks forward to watching him progress through the grades in the spring and beyond.”
Race performance and pedigree in spades
Warlords hailed from Saxon Warrior’s first-born Southern Hemisphere crop. That initial crop resulted in 54 live foals. Ten first-crop runners have hit the track, with five placed before the Warlords' victory.
Saxon Warrior’s pedigree combines some of the most influential bloodlines of the modern era; he is a son of the extraordinary Deep Impact (Jpn), while he is the second foal from the Galileo (Ire) mare Maybe (Ire). She was crowned the Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in Europe and Ireland in 2011. Maybe won the G1 Moyglare S. and the G2 Debutant S.
Saxon Warrior lived up to his aristocratic breeding on the racetrack when he claimed the G1 Racing Post Trophy as a juvenile and trained on to win the G1 2000 Guineas. He stretched out his class to run third in the G1 Irish Derby and ran fourth in the G1 The Derby at Epsom Downs.
Saxon Warrior (Jpn) | Standing at Coolmore Stud, Ireland
Saxon Warrior also recorded placings in the G1 Irish Champion S. and Eclipse S. He fronted up to every challenge thrown at him by Aidan O’Brien and faced a classy generation of gallopers that included a fierce rivalry with the late Roaring Lion (USA).
The son of Deep Impact has made a flying start in the Northern Hemisphere; among his winners include Victoria Road (Ire), the winner of the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and the G3 Prix de Conde, and Lumiere Rock (Ire), a victress of the G3 Staffordstown Stud S.
Saxon Warrior has also been represented by Gan Teorainn (Ire), who was placed in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac.
“Saxon Warrior started incredibly well in the Northern Hemisphere and notched a Group 1 winning 2-year-old (Victoria Road) over a mile at the end of the season,” Moore told TTR AusNZ.
“Saxon Warrior started incredibly well in the Northern Hemisphere and notched a Group 1 winning 2-year-old (Victoria Road) over a mile at the end of the season.” - Tom Moore
“They’re the types of horses that we expect to flourish as spring 3-year-olds when they get the chance to get to a mile or further.
“With the prizemoney on offer in Australia for horses that can improve as they get older and can stay a trip, the Australian racing program has never been more conducive for stallions such as Saxon Warrior.”
