Warnie to have rivals in a spin at Caulfield Heath

With confidence built from a breakthrough metropolitan win, visiting UK jockey Saffron Osborne will be looking to build on that when she partners Warnie at Caulfield Heath on Saturday.

Osborne partnered Berezka to her breakthrough metropolitan success at Caulfield Heath on Thursday and rides Warnie in the ive > idea > execution Handicap (1500m), one of two runners for the Ciaron Maher stable in the benchmark 100 race on Saturday.

Stablemate, imported French galloper Night Endeavour resumes after a tendon injury, having not raced since June 2022.

Maher’s assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said Warnie would appreciate the drop in grade after finishing third in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on November 30.

“He got handicapped for that run, as you would expect, but he gets in pretty well, we think, in this grade of race on Saturday,” Turnbull said.

“He’s a horse on the up, so you would hope he could dispose of the field and then he probably gets put away for what could be an autumn campaign.”

Warnie showed his potential with victory at his Australian debut in October then finished third at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week prior to his Kevin Heffernan placing.

Turnbull expects Warnie to a contender in second-tier Stakes races during the autumn, although he hopes the entire can continue to build his profile.

“It’s tricky with him,” Turnbull said.

“I don’t think he would get to the top-tier races. They might come too soon, but you’re probably looking at those second-tier mile races.

“I think that’s where he’ll be. I don’t think he’ll get much further, but he’s quick enough for 1200 (metres), as we saw first-up, but I think as he gets up in grade, 1400 to a mile will be his go.”

Turnbull said Night Endeavour injured a tendon when being prepared in Sydney having arrived in Australia two years ago.

He said Night Endeavour was gelded after going through his rehabilitation program and had pleased the team as he builds towards his return.

“He’s spent a long time at Ballarat, and we’ve had him at Cranbourne for about a month and he looks really well,” Turnbull said.

“He looks probably a bit too well in the sense of condition. So, he’ll have this, he’ll tighten up, he’ll then go to probably 2000 metres, and depending how he runs, we will be guided by where we go.

“His trackwork, his trials, have been decent, and we expect him to run well with a considerable amount of improvement to come.”