Vinery Stud is delighted to announce that it has reached an agreement to acquire a controlling interest in the exciting dual Group 1 winning three-year-old colt Warwoven.

Warwoven was bred by Vinery’s shareholder, Kia Ora Stud, which will retain its interest in the high-class colt. Warwoven will stand at Vinery Stud when he retires from racing.

Warwoven’s strength, physique and quality is reflected in his yearling sale price of $380,000, the second highest price paid for a yearling from the first crop of Snitzel’s Group 1 winning two-year-old son, Sword Of State. Warwoven’s mother, the Group 2 winning daughter of Makfi, Needle And Thread returns to Sword Of State this season.

The Bjorn Baker-trained colt Warwoven announced himself as a top-flight juvenile at his debut run in December, winning by more than two lengths over 1000m at Randwick. He improved again at his second start to win impressively by more than three lengths over 1200m at Eagle Farm, after which he was installed as the odds-on favourite for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. At that point he had posted the two highest weight for-age performance ratings (WPR) of any two-year-old that season on Daniel O’Sullivan’s scale. His win in the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes in March confirmed his standing as a leading Golden Slipper contender. He started third favourite in The Golden Slipper and finished 6th after racing wide from an outside draw on the seven-day backup.

Warwoven is the first horse in history to win the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m), Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) and Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m), a reflection of his superior tactical speed, versatility, turn of foot and stamina. Three horses have completed the Golden Rose–Caulfield Guineas double, and Warwoven recorded the fastest winning time in both races. His Timeform rating of 123 in the Golden Rose is the equal highest in that race for the last 10 years, alongside Beiwacht and Bivouac.

“I’ve been fortunate to train some outstanding horses, but Warwoven is something different. It’s rare to find a colt with this much speed, strength and tenacity who also has the mind to handle it. He has real presence, what I’d call mana, and I simply cannot fault him physically. Watching him range up wide and kick clear in the Caulfield Guineas, his second Group One in a month, was really something special. I fully expect him to build on his record in the autumn, and I believe we’ve only seen the start of what he can do,” said Warwoven’s trainer, Bjorn Baker.

Recently, Kia Ora Stud became a significant shareholder in Vinery and subsequently its stallions Golden Slipper winner Farnan, first season son of Too Darn Hot, Tropicus and Captivant were merged into the Vinery stallion operation. Through its own mares and the mares of its shareholders, Vinery now has the support of one of the largest and highest quality group of mares in Australia. With the addition of Warwoven alongside Vinery stallions Ole Kirk and Hawaii Five Oh, Vinery will have one of the strongest, most diverse and well supported groups of young Group 1 performed stallions at stud in Australia.

“We are all extremely excited to have secured a significant interest in a horse of the calibre of Warwoven. Having seen him up close and personal recently his strength and quality is overwhelming. He has tremendous bone and athleticism, and you can see straight away why he was at the races very early in his career as a juvenile,” Vinery Stud’s general manager Adam White commented.

“Stallions such as The Autumn Sun and Ole Kirk have shown us what these horses that win both the Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas can do at stud, but what also excites me personally is knowing how brilliant he was at two.”

Vinery congratulates Kia Ora stud on their phenomenal success in breeding an outstanding racehorse and is delighted that its partnership with Kia Ora continues to open doors to outstanding opportunities. Vinery also congratulates Bjorn Baker, the Ridgmont team and co-owners on their success with the horse to date and we look forward to more excitement in the autumn.