’I’m sure he’ll bounce back’: Warmonger impresses jockey Michael Dee ahead of 2024 Caulfield Cup

Jockey Michael Dee has trust in Warmonger to rebound from a flat second-up performance when he steps out in his major Spring goal, the $5m Group 1 Caulfield Cup, on Saturday.

Caulfield Cup-winning jockey Michael Dee has trust in Warmonger to rebound in the $5m Group 1 on Saturday.

After putting in a bottler first-up when fourth in the Makybe Diva Stakes, Warmonger raced flat second-up on a rain-affected surface in the Turnbull Stakes.

Dee galloped the rampaging Queensland Derby winner at Caulfield on Tuesday and enjoyed the feel.

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“He was fresh, he was well, no issue with any negatives, so I’m happy,” Dee said.

“I would’ve liked him to finish off and hit the line better (in the Turnbull) but not to worry, he was so good first-up, he just put in a bit of a flat performance second-up.

“He seems extremely well within himself, I’m sure he’ll bounce back third up.

“Around the parade ring he was up and about, was bouncing out of his skin, he’s definitely feeling well within himself.”

Warmonger is $15 with Ladbrokes for the Caulfield Cup behind Buckaroo ($4.60), Eliyass ($7), Zardozi ($8), Land Legend ($8), Deny Knowledge ($9) and Sayedaty Sadaty ($10).

Dee welcomed the prospect of likely leader Deny Knowledge, Eliyass and Duke De Sessa, a $21 chance, ensuring a genuine tempo in the main event on Saturday.

“He’s got good stamina and he’s a horse that can sustain a good long gallop and got a high cruising speed,” Dee said.

“I just keep going back to that first up run, he was very good finishing off, if he can bounce back to something like that, he’s going to be finishing off very strongly in a Caulfield Cup.”

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Dee won the 2022 Caulfield Cup on Durston, trained by Chris Waller.

“It gives me the confidence, I know I can win the race and I’ve done it before, fingers crossed and with any luck we can do it again,” Dee said.

Trainer Michael Kent Jr said Warmonger appreciated the exercise at Caulfield on Tuesday.

“It got the adrenaline going, he had a real bounce in his step and he’s ready to go,” Kent Jr said.

“Sometimes with horses when they’re first-up they can have spark in their legs and second-up they can have the edge off them, and it was a very wet track.

“He’s a stayer, we’ve trained him for this one race only, Caulfield Cup, we think he’s ready to peak and as we saw in the Turnbull, Via Sistina was the one second-up flat and third-up she went boom and she won, and we hope the same for Warmonger on Saturday.”

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Kent Jr, who trains in partnership with Michael Price, is under no illusions of the task ahead.

“He won a Queensland Derby against three-year-olds by a big margin but against three-year-olds in the winter,” Kent Jr said.

“Caulfield Cup is one of the best races in the world over 2400m … it’s a really hard race to win, so under no illusions how difficult our task is, but got the right horse, he’s an out and out stayer.

“The positives are we’re going up in distance from the Turnbull, we’re down to a handicap, so we get a nice weight and he’s third up, and he does like it wet … the pace should be on with Deny Knowledge, she’ll roll along quickly, make it a stamina test and that will suit him.”

Originally published as ’I’m sure he’ll bounce back’: Warmonger impresses jockey Michael Dee ahead of 2024 Caulfield Cup