The Queensland Winter Carnival continued to produce compelling racing stories at Eagle Farm on Saturday, where seasoned campaigner War Eternal once again showcased his remarkable consistency with another strong staying performance in Listed company.
Wayne Wilson Stakes
In the space of just under a month, the Karaka 2020 graduate has turned a rich vein of form into a sustained purple patch, adding the A$160,000 Listed Wayne Wilson (1600m) to a growing run of black-type successes.
War Eternal, a seven-year-old gelding by Pierro, has now strung together three Listed victories in quick succession during the Queensland Winter Carnival, following earlier wins in the Listed Bernborough Handicap (1600m) on 16 May and the Listed Spear Chief Handicap (1500m) on 5 June.
The latest success at Eagle Farm was another display of resilience rather than dominance, with the gelding again producing his best work when it mattered most in the straight. Settled comfortably in the run, he was allowed to find his rhythm before finishing strongly over the final stages to secure victory in a tightly run contest.
Now with 40 career starts under his belt, War Eternal’s record stands at eight wins and eight placings, with earnings climbing to A$1.18 million. A product of Cambridge Stud’s Karaka 2020 Book 1 draft, he was purchased by Bjorn Baker Racing and Clarke Bloodstock for A$160,000, a figure he has since more than justified many times over on the track.
“He’s tough, isn’t he? I think he likes it,” jockey King said after the race. “He gives them a little bit of a false sense of security in that he lets them get past him and he just comes back.
“He’s very tough. On the back-up, I knew I was on a fit horse and he was comfortable on the track today.”
Representing the Sydney stable on course, Jim Clarke reflected on another determined effort from the gelding, who continues to thrive deep into his racing career.
“This horse has been one of the finds of the carnival,” Clarke said. “Three stakes wins in a row, at a ripe old age. And he’s amazing that, for a horse of his age, he has that much in him to the line.
“Like the other day, he got headed and fought back. He’s tough, tenacious and he’s got a lot of heart.”
The result further underlined War Eternal’s ability to repeatedly answer the call at a high level, with his late surge once again proving decisive in a race shaped by steady early fractions and a strong finish.
As the Winter Carnival progresses, his campaign remains one of the standout stories of durability and timing, with connections continuing to enjoy a richly rewarding run of form.
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