Warnie chasing consolation prize in Eye Liner Stakes after missing out on Stradbroke Handicap
Australia's cricketers couldn't get it done in the recent World Test Championship final, but keen cricket fan Nathan Bennett is hoping his horse Warnie can pay tribute to legendary former spin king Shane Warne.
Syndicator Bennett, currently on holiday with his family travelling around WA in a motorhome, is convinced Warnie would have given the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap a mighty shake if he had scraped into the field.
The four-year-old gelding was stranded as a Stradbroke emergency, ending up two outside the starting field, and will instead race for the consolation prize of the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich on Saturday.
Ciaron Maher-trained Warnie is the $2.50 favourite and looks the one to beat.
He flew home in the Group 2 Moreton Cup, finishing third behind Front Page, when a win would have given him a golden ticket into the Stradbroke.
He has drawn favourably in barrier three at Ipswich and Sydney jockey Regan Bayliss will ride.
'He was surging home in the Moreton Cup and another 20m, he would have won and won his way into the Straddy,' Bennett said.
'This horse is flying and we were hopeful he would get in the Stradbroke, as with a light weight we were pretty confident he could have gone close.
'He has sometimes been cruelled by barriers this horse.
'But this time we have drawn well and out to the 1350(m) will really suit.
'He can race a bit closer to the speed than he has been and so with the barrier draw we can always find a spot, rather than be chasing them from right back in the field.
'I don't think Ipswich is the place you want to be trying to come from too far back.'
Bennett purchased the galloper from a sale in Ireland and he had his first start in a two-year-old race at Royal Ascot in 2023 when James McDonald rode him.
The horse got his name because when it came time to name him, there was an Ashes cricket series on and Bennett always loved watching the late, great Warne take wickets.
•
'We had to come up with a name really quickly and I just thought, the Ashes are on and that's where Warnie used to do his best stuff,' Bennett said.
'We thought we would name him in honour of the great man.
'I have always loved cricket and now I love watching this horse named after Warnie go around.
'I was a bit surprised the name Warnie hadn't already been taken, it was a lot easier than what I thought.'
The Warnie camp believes the gelding has a promising future and would love to deploy him in a Group 1 race in the Melbourne spring carnival.
'We want to try to get him to the (Group 1) Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield in September,' Bennett said.
'But we really need to win another race to get his rating up a touch more before we can really try to lock something like that in.
'We are chasing our tail a bit with him, we want to get the rating up now, and then we can back off him a bit and set him for a race like that.'
Bennett also races Phillip Stokes -trained three-year-old gelding Stay Focused who is the $3.10 favourite in the TL Cooney (1350m) at Ipswich, despite drawing barrier 17.
'He can't draw a barrier that horse, but he will be hard to beat if he can get even luck,' Bennett said.
'It looks a very winnable race for him, it's just the barrier that is going to hurt him.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Aki keen for Lions to learn lessons for Australia tour
Ireland centre Bundee Aki insists the British and Irish Lions must recover rapidly after seeing their goal of completing an unbeaten tour of Australia thwarted even before arriving Down Under. The Lions slipped to a 28-24 defeat against Argentina in Dublin on Friday as they lost their tour opener for the first time since 1971, albeit against dangerous opponents whose surgical finishing demonstrated why they are ranked fifth in the world. Andy Farrell's men flew off to Perth on Saturday and have four weeks to find the improvements needed to turn their ambitious but error-strewn performance into a formula capable of toppling the Wallabies. "Faz set out the aim for us to win every single game. To not be able to come out with the result that we wanted in the first has got to be one of those things that we learn from quickly," Auckland-born Aki said. "We're adults, we're old enough to be able to take it on the chin and move on quickly. Faz gives it to us straight, there's no mucking around or no hiding here, he just tells you how it is. "There's no point in trying to sulk about it. If we bounce back quickly and try to get better every single day, this will only make us stronger and tighter." Aki's heavyweight centre partnership with Scotland's Australia-born Sione Tuipulotu generated the most excitement in selection ahead of the sold-out clash at Dublin's Aviva Stadium, but the combination failed to add up to the sum of its parts. While the Ireland powerhouse showed his strength as a carrier to surge over in the first half and Melburnian Tuipulotu had his moments with the ball in hand, together they were unable to link in the way the Lions were seeking and are unlikely to be used in tandem in the Test series. "We all know how Sione is as a player, he's class. The frustrating thing for me was I wasn't able to connect well with him," Aki said. "He's an unbelievable player and there's no excuses, we've got to get better as a partnership going forward. "Sione has been my roomy lately. He snores a fair bit at the moment, so he keeps me up at night! But he's a great man. "He speaks out loud, which is good because we need him to be himself. I just feed off him and he feeds off me. So it's brilliant, but we've just got to be better and keep learning together." Boss Farrell is demanding an improvement from his squad when they start preparing for their opening match against Western Force next Saturday at Perth's Optus Stadium. "We won't sugar-coat this. We need to be honest because if we're not honest, how do we gain trust with each other?" Farrell said. "Losing hurts, especially in this jersey. We need to find the solutions pretty quickly and be honest with ourselves because some good has to come from this." Ireland centre Bundee Aki insists the British and Irish Lions must recover rapidly after seeing their goal of completing an unbeaten tour of Australia thwarted even before arriving Down Under. The Lions slipped to a 28-24 defeat against Argentina in Dublin on Friday as they lost their tour opener for the first time since 1971, albeit against dangerous opponents whose surgical finishing demonstrated why they are ranked fifth in the world. Andy Farrell's men flew off to Perth on Saturday and have four weeks to find the improvements needed to turn their ambitious but error-strewn performance into a formula capable of toppling the Wallabies. "Faz set out the aim for us to win every single game. To not be able to come out with the result that we wanted in the first has got to be one of those things that we learn from quickly," Auckland-born Aki said. "We're adults, we're old enough to be able to take it on the chin and move on quickly. Faz gives it to us straight, there's no mucking around or no hiding here, he just tells you how it is. "There's no point in trying to sulk about it. If we bounce back quickly and try to get better every single day, this will only make us stronger and tighter." Aki's heavyweight centre partnership with Scotland's Australia-born Sione Tuipulotu generated the most excitement in selection ahead of the sold-out clash at Dublin's Aviva Stadium, but the combination failed to add up to the sum of its parts. While the Ireland powerhouse showed his strength as a carrier to surge over in the first half and Melburnian Tuipulotu had his moments with the ball in hand, together they were unable to link in the way the Lions were seeking and are unlikely to be used in tandem in the Test series. "We all know how Sione is as a player, he's class. The frustrating thing for me was I wasn't able to connect well with him," Aki said. "He's an unbelievable player and there's no excuses, we've got to get better as a partnership going forward. "Sione has been my roomy lately. He snores a fair bit at the moment, so he keeps me up at night! But he's a great man. "He speaks out loud, which is good because we need him to be himself. I just feed off him and he feeds off me. So it's brilliant, but we've just got to be better and keep learning together." Boss Farrell is demanding an improvement from his squad when they start preparing for their opening match against Western Force next Saturday at Perth's Optus Stadium. "We won't sugar-coat this. We need to be honest because if we're not honest, how do we gain trust with each other?" Farrell said. "Losing hurts, especially in this jersey. We need to find the solutions pretty quickly and be honest with ourselves because some good has to come from this." Ireland centre Bundee Aki insists the British and Irish Lions must recover rapidly after seeing their goal of completing an unbeaten tour of Australia thwarted even before arriving Down Under. The Lions slipped to a 28-24 defeat against Argentina in Dublin on Friday as they lost their tour opener for the first time since 1971, albeit against dangerous opponents whose surgical finishing demonstrated why they are ranked fifth in the world. Andy Farrell's men flew off to Perth on Saturday and have four weeks to find the improvements needed to turn their ambitious but error-strewn performance into a formula capable of toppling the Wallabies. "Faz set out the aim for us to win every single game. To not be able to come out with the result that we wanted in the first has got to be one of those things that we learn from quickly," Auckland-born Aki said. "We're adults, we're old enough to be able to take it on the chin and move on quickly. Faz gives it to us straight, there's no mucking around or no hiding here, he just tells you how it is. "There's no point in trying to sulk about it. If we bounce back quickly and try to get better every single day, this will only make us stronger and tighter." Aki's heavyweight centre partnership with Scotland's Australia-born Sione Tuipulotu generated the most excitement in selection ahead of the sold-out clash at Dublin's Aviva Stadium, but the combination failed to add up to the sum of its parts. While the Ireland powerhouse showed his strength as a carrier to surge over in the first half and Melburnian Tuipulotu had his moments with the ball in hand, together they were unable to link in the way the Lions were seeking and are unlikely to be used in tandem in the Test series. "We all know how Sione is as a player, he's class. The frustrating thing for me was I wasn't able to connect well with him," Aki said. "He's an unbelievable player and there's no excuses, we've got to get better as a partnership going forward. "Sione has been my roomy lately. He snores a fair bit at the moment, so he keeps me up at night! But he's a great man. "He speaks out loud, which is good because we need him to be himself. I just feed off him and he feeds off me. So it's brilliant, but we've just got to be better and keep learning together." Boss Farrell is demanding an improvement from his squad when they start preparing for their opening match against Western Force next Saturday at Perth's Optus Stadium. "We won't sugar-coat this. We need to be honest because if we're not honest, how do we gain trust with each other?" Farrell said. "Losing hurts, especially in this jersey. We need to find the solutions pretty quickly and be honest with ourselves because some good has to come from this."
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Aki keen for Lions to learn lessons for Australia tour
Ireland centre Bundee Aki insists the British and Irish Lions must recover rapidly after seeing their goal of completing an unbeaten tour of Australia thwarted even before arriving Down Under. The Lions slipped to a 28-24 defeat against Argentina in Dublin on Friday as they lost their tour opener for the first time since 1971, albeit against dangerous opponents whose surgical finishing demonstrated why they are ranked fifth in the world. Andy Farrell's men flew off to Perth on Saturday and have four weeks to find the improvements needed to turn their ambitious but error-strewn performance into a formula capable of toppling the Wallabies. "Faz set out the aim for us to win every single game. To not be able to come out with the result that we wanted in the first has got to be one of those things that we learn from quickly," Auckland-born Aki said. "We're adults, we're old enough to be able to take it on the chin and move on quickly. Faz gives it to us straight, there's no mucking around or no hiding here, he just tells you how it is. "There's no point in trying to sulk about it. If we bounce back quickly and try to get better every single day, this will only make us stronger and tighter." Aki's heavyweight centre partnership with Scotland's Australia-born Sione Tuipulotu generated the most excitement in selection ahead of the sold-out clash at Dublin's Aviva Stadium, but the combination failed to add up to the sum of its parts. While the Ireland powerhouse showed his strength as a carrier to surge over in the first half and Melburnian Tuipulotu had his moments with the ball in hand, together they were unable to link in the way the Lions were seeking and are unlikely to be used in tandem in the Test series. "We all know how Sione is as a player, he's class. The frustrating thing for me was I wasn't able to connect well with him," Aki said. "He's an unbelievable player and there's no excuses, we've got to get better as a partnership going forward. "Sione has been my roomy lately. He snores a fair bit at the moment, so he keeps me up at night! But he's a great man. "He speaks out loud, which is good because we need him to be himself. I just feed off him and he feeds off me. So it's brilliant, but we've just got to be better and keep learning together." Boss Farrell is demanding an improvement from his squad when they start preparing for their opening match against Western Force next Saturday at Perth's Optus Stadium. "We won't sugar-coat this. We need to be honest because if we're not honest, how do we gain trust with each other?" Farrell said. "Losing hurts, especially in this jersey. We need to find the solutions pretty quickly and be honest with ourselves because some good has to come from this."
The Australian
4 hours ago
- The Australian
A-League: Roar showing interest in Bovalina and Mileusnic
Brisbane Roar have expressed an interest in bringing former Adelaide United defender Giuseppe Bovalina back to the A-League, and also haven't ruled out convincing winger Nikola Mileusnic to rejoin the club. Roar insiders have confirmed that both Bovalina and Mileusnic are in the club's sights. Bovalina, 20, joined Major League Soccer Club Vancouver Whitecaps in April last year from the Reds on an initial contract that will expire in 2026. However, Bovalina is struggling for game time, and could be tempted to kickstart his career at the Roar under the club's new coach, former Adelaide captain Michael Valkanis. Another former Red in Mileusnic left the Roar after three seasons to join Perth Glory last year. His Glory contract expires this month, and having started in only nine A-League games for Perth in the club's dismal 2024-25 campaign, a return to Brisbane could very well be on the cards for the 31-year-old attacking weapon, particularly with Valkanis having replaced Ruben Zadkovich as coach. Nikola Mileusnic could be on his way back to Brisbane Roar. Picture:Meanwhile, former Roar playmaker Keegan Jelacic has signed a two-year deal with Melbourne Victory. Jelacic, 22, left the Roar last month after joining the club on loan from Belgian outfit Gent in January last year. The Australian under-23 international has now parted ways with Gent permanently to link with the Victory, who have lost the past two A-League grand finals. 'Joining one of the biggest clubs in the league is always an exciting prospect,' Jelacic said. 'I'm looking forward to experiencing the passion of the club and doing my part on the pitch.' Victory coach Arthur Diles said Jelacic was an 'example of outstanding young Australian talent with valuable experience both locally and internationally'. 'Keegan's arrival at the club ahead of our 2025-26 campaign will bolster our midfield as we aim to go one better than we did last season,' Diles said. 'We have a strong foundation to build on, and we're looking forward to seeing Keegan bring his best to the team and contribute to our success.' Read related topics: Adelaide Marco Monteverde Sports reporter Marco Monteverde is a Brisbane-based sports reporter for NCA Newswire. He worked in a similar role for The Courier-Mail from 2007 to 2020. During a journalism career of more than 25 years, he has also worked for The Queensland Times, The Sunshine Coast Daily, The Fraser Coast Chronicle and The North West Star. He has covered three FIFA World Cups and the 2000 Sydney Olympics, as well as a host of other major sporting events in Australia and around the world. @marcothejourno Marco Monteverde
