The Bjorn Baker trained War Eternal is in career best form at present and the 7YO son of Pierro racked up his third successive stakes win at Eagle Farm on Saturday when beating highly rated import Yellow Jersey (Fr) to win the $160,000 Listed BRC The Wayne Wilson (1600m).
A stakes-winner last Saturday at the same venue over 1500m, War Eternal was on a seven day back up and delivered a replica of that performance.
Again he was in front soon after the home turn, and again he looked beaten in the straight – this time by the $2.60 favourite Yellow Jersey, who finished powerfully down his outside and clearly headed him with 200m to run.
Once again, War Eternal looked his rival in the eye and summoned another big effort for jockey Rachel King, clawing his way back to win by a neck.
“He’s tough, isn’t he? I think he likes it,” King said. “He gives them a little bit of a false sense of security in that he lets them get past him and he just comes back.
“He’s very tough. On the backup, I knew I was on a fit horse and he was comfortable on the track today.”
With Bjorn Baker in the UK ahead of Royal Ascot next week, the stable was represented at Eagle Farm by bloodstock agent Jim Clarke.
“He’s been one of the finds of the carnival,” Clarke said. “Three stakes wins in a row, at a ripe old age. And he’s amazing that, for a horse of his age, he has that much in him to the line.
“Like the other day, he got headed and fought back. He’s tough, tenacious and he’s got a lot of heart.”
War Eternal has now had 40 starts for eight wins, eight placings with prizemoney topping $1.1million.
Bred by Cambridge Stud principals Brendan and Jo Lindsay, War Eternal was purchased by his trainer from the Cambridge Stud draft at Karaka Book 1 for $160,000.
War Eternal is the best of three winners from five foals to race from Fastnet Rock mare Aleria, a placed daughter of stakes-winner Impressive Eagle from the family of Group I winner Eagle Way.
Aleria has since produced unraced three-year-old Circus Maximus gelding Irish Master, followed by two-year-old Per Incanto colt Stoneflight, who sold to Sanxiong Gao for $750,000 at the NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka in November.
Aleria has a weanling filly by Almanzor (Fr) and was served by Cambridge’s well-credentialled young shuttle stallion Chaldean (GB) last spring.
War Eternal is one of 41 stakes-winners for Golden Slipper winning sire Pierro, who is exceptional value at Coolmore this spring at a fee of $22,000.
