Engine Of War on a 2025 Victoria Derby path
The Price & Kent Jnr team is eyeing the spring riches with Engine Of War after the three-year-old announced himself with a gritty first-up victory at Sandown.
Competing in the Sportsbet Jockey Watch Plate (1500m), the New Zealand-bred gelding ($4.80) showed determination under Mark Zahra to cling on by a nose over There Were Roses ($26), with King Maywin ($5) finishing close behind in third.
It was his first outing for the stable after being purchased by My Racehorse alongside clients, and connections believe he has the makings of a classic contender.
“He looked to get to the front fairly easily and then he didn’t know how to put the race away,” Kent Jnr said. “He’s all legs and hopefully he will stay. He looks like he should, so fingers crossed.”
The colt had caught the eye in New Zealand earlier this year, prompting My Racehorse and Price & Kent Jnr to team up in securing him. After a short spell, he now begins a program aimed at the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington.
“He’s got to do everything right, but like a lot of these horses, they’re all potentially Derby types and that’s the direction we’ll be heading,” Kent Jnr said.
Jockey Mark Zahra, impressed by his work in a Cranbourne jump-out, believes the gelding will thrive as races get longer. “He’s got a big stride on him, and as the distances increase and the tempo eases, he’ll be able to travel for longer,” Zahra said.
With the Victoria Derby firmly on the radar, punters can check the latest odds through Australia’s top betting sites.
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