Heinous up for Brutal interstate Sires’ road trip
Setback sees Warren change plans with promising two-year-old filly
The South Australian Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) wasn’t initially on Victorian trainer Jason Warren’s radar with his promising filly Heinous (Brutal), but a mishap in Queensland forced a change of plans.
One of three two-year-olds by Newgate Farm’s first–season sire Brutal (O’Reilly) nominated for Saturday’s $150,000 race at Morphettville, Heinous was scratched from the Tattersall’s Stakes (Listed, 1400m) in Brisbane late last month due to a minor leg injury, prompting Warren and connections to bring her back to Melbourne.
The $60,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate, who won at Sandown in May before running a closing fifth in the Oxlade Stakes (Listed, 1300m) at her only start in the Sunshine State, received Warren’s Adelaide tick of approval early on Monday after performing well in a Cranbourne jump–out.
“She knocked her leg on the way to the race, so we had to scratch her from a Listed race that I thought she could win, so we decided to bring her back home,” Warren told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“She’s shown that she’s travelled back well and she bounced through [the jump–out] well. It’s a Group 3 race on offer in Adelaide, so it’s worth having a crack at.
“Any black type for her would be a bonus, she’s certainly proven to us that she’s up to them, so that’s the plan.
“It doesn’t look to be the deepest race and, for a Group 3, it looks quite suitable.”
Warren has no doubt that Heinous, who is out of an Exceed And Excel (Danehill) half-sister to Group 1-winning sprinter Your Song (Fastnet Rock), can run a strong 1400 metres, if not further.
However, at this stage, November’s Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) appears off the cards for the filly.
Instead, the $3 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (RL, 1400m) looms as her likely summer target.
“I said to the owners when I brought her back from Queensland that she’s paid up for the Magic Millions and if you’re up in the spring, you’re probably not going to the Magic Millions in January,” the trainer said.
“You can’t be everywhere. Given we’ve gone so far into winter with her, I thought if we go a bit further now and we give her time in the paddock in the spring, we then have time to get her ready for January.”
As for the prospects of Heinous’s Doncaster Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) winning sire Brutal, who has nine first crop winners and will stand for $16,500 (inc GST) this year, Warren is a fan of the stallion’s progeny, believing they will improve at three.
“He is doing a good job at stud, the stallion, isn’t he? I see no reason for Heinous not to train on,” Warren said.
“She’s got a great constitution and loves eating, so that’s what trainers need.”
This season’s winner of The Goodwood (Gr 1, 1200m) Benedetta (Hellbent), meanwhile, was on Monday night in transit from Queensland to Warren’s Victorian stables after a spell at Eureka Stud on the Darling Downs.
Benedetta headed north after her breakthrough Group 1 win, running better than midfield in the Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m) before heading to the paddock.
Warren has the Manikato Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), now moved forward to September 27 from Cox Plate day at Moonee Valley, circled as Benedetta’s first-up run ahead of another interstate campaign.
“If we managed to get a slot in The Everest, we’d go, but the consolation [Sydney Stakes] is worth $2 million and it’s good enough, too, especially when the 12 best horses in the country are in the other race,” the trainer said.
“We’ll be happy to go to either race.“
Warren also revealed that the Rosemont Stud-owned Group 3 winner Treasurway (Starspangledbanner) has been retired.
Connections decided to call time on the career of the rising four-year-old mare, who won the 2023 SA Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Morphettville, after she finished unplaced at Sandown last month.
The valuable mare is a half-sister to her former stablemate, the last-start David Coles Stakes (Gt 3, 1200m) winner Flyer (Exceedance).
Warren said: “She is a Group 3 winner and a multiple stakes placegetter and I think they were looking at Too Darn Hot for her, so Rosemont will have to work that out [now that he’s not shuttling to Australia in 2024].”