Warrior fast-tracked for Victoria Derby

Tuesday 9 October 2012, 2:26pm

Provincial maiden winner Our Desert Warrior is being set on a path that has the potential to reap Group One success faster than his high-profile siblings Desert War and Laser Hawk.

Desert War won the first of his six Group Ones in the 2004 Epsom Handicap at his eighth start, while half-brother Laser Hawk claimed this year's Rosehill Guineas at just his fifth appearance.

Our Desert Warrior makes his city debut at Warwick Farm on Wednesday with next month's Group One Victoria Derby in trainer Gai Waterhouse's sights.

"He could be there (running in the Derby) at about his fourth start," stable representative Mark Newnham said.

"If he won well tomorrow I would say Gai would take him straight to Melbourne.

"He would probably only have one more run prior to the Derby, either at Geelong or at Moonee Valley in the Vase."

The three-year-old made a big impression on debut when, despite racing greenly, he flashed home over the final 200m to win a Kembla Grange maiden over 1500m.

Newnham, who has been with the Waterhouse team long enough to have had plenty to do with Our Desert Warrior's family, said the raw ability was there.

"I would say he measures right up at the same stage," Newnham said.

"Hopefully he can go on with it.

"They (Desert War and Laser Hawk) both won maidens at the provincials before coming to town."

Our Desert Warrior is on the fourth line of Victoria Derby betting with TAB fixed odds at $11.

Spring Champion Stakes winner It's A Dundeel is favourite at $3 ahead of Philippi ($8) and another Waterhouse three-year-old Kabayan ($9).

Newnham said the colt had come on since his debut in preparation for the Super Saver Handicap (1600m).

"You would expect if he's heading to the Derby he should be able to win tomorrow," Newnham said.

"It wouldn't be lack of ability that beats him. It would be lack of experience."

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »