Golden Rose victory anoints Warwoven as a three-year-old star for Baker and King
Bjorn Baker and Rachel King continued their famed trainer-jockey partnership as Warwoven dominated the Group 1 Golden Rose and announced himself as the best three-year-old in the country.
Warwoven may have confirmed a future stallion career with a dominant Golden Rose win on Saturday, but it is the more immediate targets of the Caulfield Guineas and Cox Plate which concern his trainer Bjorn Baker.
Warwoven anointed himself the pre-eminent three-year-old colt in the land, leaving in his wake three Group 1-winning two-year-olds from last season, with a devastating turn of foot to win the Golden Rose by 3.2 lengths in 1:20.93.
It was a first win in the race for Baker, and one which had special significance, given the Kia Ora-bred and sold colt was purchased by his bloodstock agent and great mate Jim Clarke for one of the stable’s key supporters, Ridgmont.
Rachel King and Baker have built a formidable Group 1 partnership in recent years with horses like Ozzmosis, Green Spaces and Arapaho.
“So many of my great friends are in him and I thought you saw an amazing performance today,” Baker said.
“Rachel King, she’s got ice in her veins. Jim Clarke, he’s one of my oldest best friends. He (Warwoven) was just superb today, she summed it up.
“All my team back at home, they’re amazing. Amazing to work with, we have fun every day.”
King sat the son of Sword Of State three back along the rail from his inside draw as Central Europe set a strong early tempo.
While Warwoven’s chief rivals in the market, St Gotthard and Guest House, were involved in a bumping duel behind him, King got her mount into the clear soon after straightening.
The race was then over in a matter of strides as Warwoven shot clear, establishing a winning break with 200 metres to go. St Gotthard worked home solidly to grab second, while Under Focus, who had sat outside the pace, held third.
Golden Slipper winner Guest House never finished off and ended up beaten 5.5 lengths in sixth, one position behind JJ Atkins Stakes winner Tron Bolt.
“I thought I’d either be leading or leader’s back,” King said afterwards. “It’s difficult when your husband (Bjorn Baker’s racing manager, Luke Hilton) gives you part of the instructions, and he says, ‘whatever you do, don’t be three-back the fence’ and I was like, I’m testing him a little bit here.”
“But he’s a very good horse. There was enough tempo on. There was enough pressure. He just put his head down and relaxed and was beautiful in the run.”
Baker said the Caulfield Guineas was a likely next step, while he also was happy to look at the Cox Plate, which will be held at Flemington this year.
“His mother was really good at 2000. He relaxed beautifully, but it’s one step at a time. It’s very special. It’s an amazing game, racing. It is the best game in the world,” he said.
The colt was a $380,000 buy at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and after winning his first two starts was set to start a short-priced favourite in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic only to be scratched on race morning.
“We were in the hurt locker about January 14th and the Magic Millions when he scratched the morning of the race,” Baker said.
“You don’t panic. You have great people around you. They pick you up.”
Warwoven then returned to win the Group 3 Pago Pago in the autumn before finishing sixth in the Golden Slipper.
He was three lengths behind Guest House in fifth at his first three-year-old appearance, but then bounced back to win both the Run to the Rose and now the Golden Rose.
The victory is significant for Cambridge Stud’s Sword Of State as well, giving him his first Group 1 win as a stallion with his first crop.
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