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| Staff Writer |
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For Jason Warren, the path to racing's pinnacle has been a test of patience and perseverance. Eleven long years separated his first 2013 Group One triumph with Bel Sprinter in The Galaxy from his recent success with Benedetta in The Goodwood. Now, with his star mare firing on all cylinders, Warren is daring to dream of even loftier heights.
"I think if you don't have patience and perseverance, you couldn't be a horse trainer," Warren reflected, his voice tinged with the wisdom of experience. "It's a tough, relentless role, seven days a week, and sometimes you have a lot more lows than highs."
Those lows have been plentiful in the decade between Group One victories, but Warren never lost faith. The Mornington-based trainer, now 47, has weathered the storms of racing with a quiet determination that has become his hallmark.
"I think I started off track riding work at school. I'd go in and ride track work before I went to school as a young boy for pocket money," Warren reminisced. "My passion growing up was equestrian show jumping and various other equestrian facets. So, it was a natural progression for me to go into educating young horses and essentially riding racehorses in their training. My passion grew, and essentially that's where I was able to forge a career."
Warren's first taste of Group One glory came courtesy of Bel Sprinter, a horse he speaks of with evident fondness. "Bel Sprinter was obviously a horse that really put my training career on the map," he said. "He was an electric sprinting horse that just had a really dynamic turn of foot."
The Galaxy victory opened doors for Warren, including an invite to the Group One International Sprint at Kranji in 2013, where Bel Sprinter finished a creditable second to superstar Lucky Nine. It was a heady time for the young trainer, but little did he know the long wait ahead for his next top-level success.
As the seasons rolled by without another Group One, Warren refused to compromise on his principles or lose sight of his goals. He continued to hone his craft, investing time and energy into selecting the right yearlings and nurturing talent through his ranks.
"I believe that you get the best results because you put a lot of time and effort into buying the right yearlings and ensure that you have a nice group of horses coming through each season," Warren explained.
While not always yielding immediate results, this patient approach laid the foundation for the success that was to come.
Enter Benedetta, the mare who would end Warren's Group One drought and potentially catapult him to the pinnacle of Australian racing. Her victory in The Goodwood wasn't just a personal triumph for Warren; it was a vindication of his methods and proof that patience can indeed be a virtue in the fast-paced world of horse racing.
"Benedetta has a great ability to leave the barrier as well. She's able to hold a prominent spot in a race, absorb high pressure and then sprint off that," Warren explained, his excitement palpable. "She's highly competitive. When she's in a tight finish, she really knuckles down and generally finishes in front. So, she's won a few tight finishes, and she's very co
With The Goodwood victory under their belt, Warren and his team are now eyeing the US$12.5 million The Everest. It's a quantum leap in both prestige and prize money, but one Warren believes they're ready for.
"Oh, look, I think it means a lot. We're a small stable. Obviously, it's a pinnacle race for us to target. Such big prize money on offer would mean a lot for our stable, and obviously, to gain a slot in the Everest is what our main target is now that we've proven ourselves at Group One level," Warren enthused.
As Warren sets his sights on The Everest with Benedetta, the significance of this relatively new addition to Australia's racing calendar is worth noting. Inaugurated in 2017, The Everest has quickly established itself as the world's richest race on turf, with a staggering prize purse of US$12.5 million (AU$20 million).
Run over 1200 meters at Royal Randwick in Sydney, The Everest has revolutionized Australian racing with its unique slot-holder concept. Twelve slots are sold for approximately US$400,000 each, with slot holders then able to negotiate with owners to secure a runner for their slot. This innovative approach has injected new excitement and commercial interest into the sport.
The Everest's brief history is already studded with remarkable performances. Redzel claimed the first two editions in 2017 and 2018, trained by Peter and Paul Snowden. Yes Yes Yes broke the track record in 2019, giving trainer Chris Waller his first Everest triumph. Classique Legend stormed to victory in 2020, while Waller's Nature Strip finally claimed his Everest crown in 2021 after several attempts. In 2022, Giga Kick caused a major upset, winning as a three-year-old for young trainer Clayton Douglas.
The race has quickly become a target for international connections, with several overseas raiders attempting to claim the lucrative prize. While an international winner has yet to emerge, the global interest in The Everest continues to grow.
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Warren has plotted a careful path to The Everest, with the Gr.1 Manikato Stakes at The Valley on September 27 serving as Benedetta's first-up assignment. It's a race that could potentially secure her a coveted slot in The Everest field.
"We're looking forward to this prep ahead," he said. "She's just gotten better with each prep. She was a relatively immature two-year-old, and with each preparation, she's gotten better and better, which is obviously an exciting way to head into this."
The trainer's confidence in Benedetta's progress is evident. "Benedetta has improved physically more than we see on the training track. She's obviously coping very well with the work. Physically, she's strengthened. She looks to grow each time she goes out for a spell. She grows a little bit more even though she's now a four-year-old."
Warren is quick to credit his support network, particularly his wife Kate, for their role in the stable's resurgence, saying,"I believe that you're only as good as the people you have around you and we have a really good team. Joe Herbert heads my staff team, and he will, in time, become a training partner. I'm the front person, but I'm happy to get in and help, get my hands dirty and get amongst it."
Kate's influence extends beyond the day-to-day operations. Her expertise in yearling selection has been crucial to the stable's success. Benedetta is owned by Eales Racing Syndications and Laurence Eales. Bred by Adelaide boutique breeders Brenton and Liz Parker, and bought from Mill Park Stud's draft at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale of 2021 by Eales Racing—whose colours she bears—for A$75,000, she has now won eight of 15 starts and more than A$1.7 million. Together with Warren, the owners make a dynamic team, and have had great success together.
Warren has had group-level success with Rosemont Stud several times and they are great supporters of the stable.
While Warren's approach is rooted in traditional horsemanship, he's not afraid to embrace new technologies. "Recently we have gotten more involved with technology, and Kate has been behind that," Warren revealed. "The Equimetre (Arioneo) provides a lot of data. We absorb a lot of the data from our track gallops." This blend of old-school knowledge and cutting-edge technology has yielded impressive results, with Warren's stable boasting a remarkable 12% strike rate in the 2023-24 season.
Warren believes nutrition is vital in training. They have had much success since implementing Prydes Feed in their stable. Warren doesn’t believe in cutting corners when it comes to feeding horses. Prydes provides a complete feed with his horses eating and performing at the highest level.
The Warrens have proactively honed their craft, travelling to Newmarket and France to observe different training methods. "We are always trying to learn and improve what we do," Warren said. "There's no right or wrong way to train horses. It's about keeping them happy, healthy, and fit and then placing them right."
Despite the long wait between Group One successes, Warren hasn't forgotten how to celebrate. "We do celebrate our wins very well. We're a stable well known for our big celebrations," he chuckled. "The day we won the Goodwood, we also won a Group Three race for Rosemont. It was a great day for our stable."
As Benedetta continues her preparation for The Everest, Warren is acutely aware of the opportunity before him. After more than a decade of striving, he stands on the brink of joining Australia's training elite. With Benedetta as his standard-bearer, the summit of The Everest may soon be within reach.
"Given that we've only got a small number of horses in training, I can see every horse every day. They all get the time and attention they need," Warren concluded. This hands-on approach has brought him to this point, and it may just carry him to the very top of Australian racing.
For Jason Warren, the long wait between Group One victories has been a period of growth, innovation, and refinement. Now, armed with experience, a talented mare, and unwavering determination, he stands ready to scale racing's Everest. The journey has been long, but for Warren and Benedetta, the view from the top could be just around the corner.