Queensland Derby winner Warmonger to start Caulfield Cup bid at Cranbourne trials on Monday

Caulfield Cup equal second favourite Warmonger will have his first public outing since his 10-length Queensland Derby triumph in a Cranbourne trial on Monday.

Runaway Queensland Derby winner Warmonger will start his Caulfield Cup bid with a trial at Cranbourne on Monday. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography

Runaway Queensland Derby winner Warmonger will ramp up his charge towards the Caulfield Cup in a trial at Cranbourne next Monday.

Warmonger started his three-year-old season in a Seymour maiden but ended it with a 10-length win in the Group 1 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm in June.

Warmonger’s Queensland Derby triumph convinced TAB to install the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr-trained gelding as $15 equal second favourite in Caulfield Cup betting.

Kent Jr said Warmonger would trial before returning to the races at Flemington in early September.

“He’ll present first-up in the Makybe Diva Stakes, which is being touted as a very hot race,” Kent Jr said.

“We’ll just be riding him to finish off.”

Kent Jr said Warmonger’s second-up assignment would be the crucial lead-up race to the Caulfield Cup.

TEN LENGTHS! 😱

WARMONGER DESTROYS THEM IN THE QUEENSLAND DERBY! @MickPriceRacing@[e-mail]/44RkNy4Fg9

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) June 1, 2024

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“We’ve got a program where he’s likely to go to the Turnbull Stakes second-up,” Kent Jr said.

“It’s a lovely three weeks between runs and up to 2000m.

“Then he’ll go to the Caulfield Cup.

“You want to see him running on well and it’s the obvious lead-up race.

“The mile to 2000m with a three-week break will suit him and it gives him a nice spacing into the Caulfield Cup.”

Incentivise won the Makybe Diva Stakes, Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup in the space of three starts in the spring of 2021.

Verry Elleegant won the Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup in 2020 while Jameka finished second in the Turnbull Stakes before winning the 2016 Caulfield Cup.

Originally published as Queensland Derby winner Warmonger to start Caulfield Cup bid at Cranbourne trials on Monday