Colt Eternal Warrior targets family boost in Blue Diamond Stakes
A single inspection convinced Lloyd Kennewell that Eternal Warrior possessed the precocity for prominent early two-year-old races, a view the colt has substantiated by securing a spot in the Blue Diamond Stakes.
This promising youngster seeks his generation's opening Group 1 in the $2 million showdown set for Caulfield this Saturday.
Among the 1200-metre field's entrants, none holds firmer ties to Victoria's leading juvenile race than the colt purchased by Kennewell and Blueblood Thoroughbreds for $80,000 during Magic Millions' Adelaide auction.
The colt springs from Devout Hero, a No Nay Never mare whose dam Perfect Persuasion is full sister to Alinghi, the 2004 Blue Diamond champion.
On his father's line, Eternal Warrior is from the inaugural crop of Rosemont resident Extreme Warrior, a son of 2016 Blue Diamond king Extreme Choice, which heightened his appeal for Kennewell.
"Matty Becker and I do our work together and we thought he was an early two-year-old, hence the reason we were keen to dive in," Kennewell said.
"We liked him a lot obviously. We thought if he wasn't the best colt, he was close to it, in Adelaide.
"He's obviously got a very good pedigree, we've had a bit of luck with Extreme Choice and I thought he looked like an Extreme Choice.
"So we were looking at him as a cheaper version of an Extreme Choice colt."
The colt proved Kennewell's instincts right by claiming victory at $41 on debut in the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield, November 29.
Plans shifted immediately to the upcoming Saturday target, bolstered by a solid third in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) February 7, confirming to Kennewell that Eternal Warrior is primed.
Closer To Free, $8 in Blue Diamond ante-post, took the Prelude, ahead of $5 fancy Guest House. Eternal Warrior quotes at $13 for the Diamond.
"Normally my horses have had two trials going into a race first-up, but we planned deliberately to only have the one to be peaking for the Grand Final," Kennewell said.
"His race in the Prelude showed exactly that. Damian (Lane) thought he was going to win when he straightened up and he just blew out the last 100.
"He had the fastest last 800, 600, 400 of the race but just peaked on his run late.
"We were really, really happy and his work on Monday morning was super. Damian came in and galloped him and was really happy with him.
"We were just wishing we got a lot better draw than what we got dished up."
Barrier 16 was his lot for Eternal Warrior, improving to 13 if the trio of bottom emergencies scratch, capping the race at 16 starters.
With wide draws in prior outings – 13 of 13 first-up, eight in the Prelude – Kennewell trusts that know-how will serve well.
"He's drawn wide every start, so he's shown that he can do that and hopefully it will work out for us," he said.
Damian Lane continues aboard Saturday, the in-form rider after his near-miss in last year's Blue Diamond Stakes when runner-up on Tentyris to Devil Night.
Don't miss the racing betting markets for the Blue Diamond Stakes at trusted online bookmakers.
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