The Saxon Warrior (JPN) 3-year-old Unowho was the fourth-stringer of Chris Waller’s five-strong entry for the $100,000 Super Maiden (1600m) at Warwick Farm on Monday but defied his odds to earn a possible tilt at Victoria Derby.
Making his sixth start under Jason Collett, Unowho relished the stretch out to 1600m to defeat the Dundeel gelding Sekani by three-quarters of a length with a further one-and-a-quarter lengths back to the Justify colt Jurisprudence in third.
Carrying the Winx silks of Magic Bloodstock, Unowho was a $100,000 Magic Millions Weanling pinhook for James Bester from the Hopetoun Farm draft before Magic Bloodstock & Associates plucked him from the Coolmore consignment for $260,000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale. He was the second most expensive yearling from the first crop of Deep Impact's dual Group 1 winner, Saxon Warrior.
“It was a nicely run race, which helped me,” Collett said.
“I was able to go through the gears and slowly build, and he stayed strong to the line.
“He’s Saturday grade, but the opportunity is there to go further, which will play into his hands.”
Bred by Murray Webster’s Hopetoun Farm, Unowho is the second winner from four to race for the War Front (USA) mare Wickedness (USA), which Hopetoun Farm had purchased off Coolmore for $11,000 at the 2020 National Broodmare Sale when carrying Unowho.
A half-sister to stakes-winners Alec’s Moon (Malibu Moon) and Ayla Bella (Touch Gold), Wickedness (USA) is the daughter of Grade 1 Hollywood Oaks runner-up Bello Cielo (Conquistador Cielo).
Hopetoun Farm consigned a colt by Too Darn Hot (GB) from Wickedness to the 2023 National Weanling Sale, where Sledmere Stud/Cangon had the final say at $60,000.
