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Warwoven looks to cement last minute Slipper spot in Pago Pago Stakes
By Trevor Marshallsea
@ANZ_News
Suddenly transformed after a horror start to 2026, Bjorn Baker is not daunted by history as he sends one-time favourite Warwoven (Sword Of State) towards the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) via the last chance saloon.
Having dominated the market - and sat high on the prize-money qualification list - for the $5 million juvenile highlight for many weeks after winning his first two starts, Warwoven suddenly finds himself on the edge of Slipper oblivion.
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The colt was a raging favourite for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) after scoring by 2.15 lengths at Randwick and 3.32 lengths at Eagle Farm, but was ordered out of the Gold Coast feature due to lameness in the off fore.
That meant he also missed crucial training while recovering, in a major disruption to his hopes for the world’s richest two-year-old race.
Warwoven finally resumed on February 28 in Randwick’s Skyline Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) and was sent out a heavily backed $1.80 favourite. But while he loomed on the inside to momentarily take the lead at the 100 metres, his lack of condition told late as he weakened into a 0.45-length fourth.
He’s now been deposed as Slipper favourite by his stablemate and fellow Ridgmont colours-bearer Paradoxium (Extreme Choice), another comeback colt who scored a powerful victory in Saturday’s Todman Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m).
Bookmakers on Monday had Paradoxium at $5 and Warwoven $6 for Saturday week’s Slipper, ahead of last Saturday’s Reisling Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m)-winning filly Chayan (I Am Invincible).
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But Warwoven’s lofty place in the market is dependent on one key factor: he still needs to secure his spot in the Slipper field, which comprises 16 starters plus four emergencies.
Having slipped to 18th on the order of entry, Warwoven will now seek to cement his ticket in this Saturday’s final males’ race carrying Slipper qualification for the winner - the Pago Pago Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m), at Rosehill.
“Win and you’re in” sounds tantalising, but the history for young colts and geldings taking this path to the Slipper isn’t golden.
Only one horse has won the Pago Pago and backed up a week later to take the Slipper in the past 20 years. The good news for Warwoven is it was achieved only three years ago, by Shinzo (Snitzel).
The two subsequent results have been only middling.
In 2024, Pago Pago winner Dublin Down (Exceedance) ran a 4.41-length 11th in the Slipper after being trapped three-wide without cover in a forward spot under Hugh Bowman, from gate 12.
Last year, Skyhook (Written Tycoon) managed an only fair seventh from barrier eight, seemingly left with no finishing burst after a decent run in transit.
Shinzo’s preparation was one run lighter than Warwoven’s. After debuting on January 28, the Chris Waller-Coolmore colt won the Pago Pago at his third start, and the Slipper at his fourth.
Warwoven will be having his fourth start this Saturday. But Baker believes this altered plan, and larger late workload, could transpire in his colt’s favour, after he’d had eight weeks between his second start win at Eagle Farm and his fourth in the Skyline.
“It could turn out to be a blessing,” Baker told ANZ News.
“You suddenly go in with an excellent fitness base. Obviously a little bit depends on how he comes through the race, but that’s the same pretty much with any two year old, from run to run and race to race.
“So in terms of the Golden Slipper set-up, I don’t think it’s the worst thing. We want to cement his spot, first and foremost, and unless things change he’ll be running.
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“I’m not too worried about it. He’s had a good foundation. Seven days between runs? He’s a big, strong colt, so I don’t think that’ll worry him too much at all.”
Baker said Warwoven would have “a good gallop” on Tuesday morning, with Rachel King - his partner in all three starts so far - booked to ride him again.
And the Warwick Farm trainer is confident Warwoven will be a stronger proposition in the Pago Pago compared with how he saw out the Skyline.
“He went well in the Skyline,” he said. “You always want to win, but we knew he was going to be vulnerable first-up after a fair bit of time off. He wasn’t necessarily on the best part of the track either.
“So there was definitely some merit there with the run.”
After a booming 2025, Baker had started to think his new year had been cursed.
Not only was Warwoven taken out of the Magic Millions, hopes to run Paradoxium in that race - after his scintillating victory in Wyong’s MM 2YO Classic (RL, 1100m) at his second start - were scuppered by a bout of pneumonia.
But Baker’s year turned two weeks ago when Pericles (Street Boss) won Caulfield’s Futurity Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
And on Saturday, the affable trainer enjoyed a double feature triumph.
Paradoxium led throughout to take the Todman by 1.43 lengths - a win made all the more meritorious given it came first-up after a 12-week break following his pneumonia.
And a couple of hours later Caballus (I Am Invincible) also led all the way to give Baker his first victory in Flemington’s Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m).
That win is colouring Baker’s thinking for the better as he eyes the Pago Pago-Slipper double with Warwoven.
“You can’t worry about history too much,” he said. “I don’t think Warwick Farm had a Newmarket winner until Saturday.
“So history’s there to be changed. But anyway, you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. You’ve got to get them into the race or everything’s irrelevant.
“Warwoven came out of his last race as good as gold, so I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do on Saturday.”
Baker was thrilled with Paradoxium’s effort in the Todman - unbothered by the fact Chayan went almost a full second faster in winning the Reisling - and says he finds it hard to split his two leading Slipper contenders.
“Paradoxium has come out great. I couldn’t be happier with him,” Baker said.
“I thought it was a good effort on Saturday. Obviously, he had things go his way, but when you’re first-up over 1200 at Randwick with two weeks into the Slipper, I think it was an ideal trial.
“People talked about the time, but we can overestimate times at times. We know he can run time. He did that at Wyong. So from that point of view, I’m very happy with him going into the Slipper. We’ll be able to give him a couple of good gallops into next Saturday.”
Baker’s stable has been surging in the past couple of seasons, yet he hasn’t had the most glorious of Slipper histories.
Until last year, he’d had just the two Slipper starters. Windjammer (Bernardini) ran ninth in 2013, and Unencumbered (Testa Rossa) finished one place worse a year later.
Then last year, he had well-performed filly Within The Law (Lucky Vega) as an each way chance at $20, but she opted to throw her rider Jason Collett after 500 metres and complete the race inside the running rail.
Baker, who now has 11 Group 1s to his name, is well aware this year shapes as his strongest chance by far to lift Australia’s greatest stallion-maker, and with two well-bred colts to boot.
“Hopefully, I’ve got one very good chance in Paradoxium, and it’ll be great if Warwoven can cement his spot,” Baker said.
“Paradoxium is a horse on the way up, whereas with a few of the others there might be some questions as to where they are.
“It’s a very, very important race from a commercial point of view, and an Australian breeding point of view, so it pretty much means the world to myself and my connections.
“I don’t think there’s too much between my main two, but I guess we’re going to find out more over the next week or so. Of course, it’s a race where you ned a decent gate too.”
Highlighting the peaks and troughs nature of this game, Baker now not only has to top two in the market for the Slipper but also for Perth’s $5m slot sprint The Quokka (1200m), as he seeks his third win in four runnings of the race. Caballus is at $4 while Overpass (Vancouver) - winner of the first two Quokkas - is at $6.
“It’s a hard game, but you only need one good raceday to kick back,” Baker said. “It was a good day on Saturday. I guess you need your good horses to step up for the carnival, and I’m lucky that’s been the case.”
Baker will likely have a second colt in the Pago Pago in Godolphin’s Euripedes (Street Boss). After a debut third in a Rosehill two-year-old handicap in November, and a second in a Canterbury maiden on February 27, he’s at $101 for the Slipper.
“I like him. He’s genuine,” Baker said. “He was good last time, and he’s going to strip fitter too.
“He’s definitely got some upside. He’s going to have to win to make the Slipper, but if he wins the Pago Pago, he’s a chance.”
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