DISREGARDING A CARDINAL RACING RULE AND FACING THE CONSEQUENCES - THERE ARE NO CERTAINTIES

By Graham Potter | Sunday, January 18, 2026

There is no certainly in racing … aa saying as old as the hills but, every now and again, a scenario comes into play which seems to weaken the ‘no certainty’ resolve of those punters looking to buy money with an easy kill.

The week leading into the Magic Millions provided just such an example.

For many weeks the Bjorn Baker trained Warwoven was the outright favourite for the $3 million Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic. A commanding winner of both starts with the likelihood of more improvement to come on the back of that race experience, he did seem difficult to oppose.

In similar vein, the Michael Freedman trained Ninja was all the rage in the betting for the $3 million Magic Millions Three-Year-Old Guines. A winner of two of his three starts, Ninja had dispatched his opposition with such aplomb in the Group 3 Vo Rogue in his previous start, he arguably looked to be a class above the rest.

It wasn’t even a street-corner tip. Everywhere you turned, the story surrounding these two hot favourites was that they would ‘just win.’

It is interesting that the fate of both Warwoven and Ninja would ultimately be decided, in vastly different circumstances, by Racing Queensland vets and Raceday Stewards.

In Warwoven’s case, his followers were tripped up by the not so small technicality that you have to run in the race first to win it.

When Warwoven was discovered to be lame on Friday, a day before race-day, the concern barometer nearly went through the roof. On Saturday morning the bad news was confirmed. Warwoven was a scratching … and the decision to withdraw Warwoven from the race was taken by Racing Queensland vets.

Bjorn Baker released a statement at the time, which reads (in part): ‘Warwoven was trotted up again this morning (Saturday) and, in the opinion of both Dr Allan (the Baker stable’s vet) and myself, we were satisfied he was fit to race. Unfortunately, the Queensland racing veterinarian’s were not of the same view and we respect and abide by their decision.’

One ‘certainty’ would not even get to face the starter.

On race-day, it was the other ‘certainty’ Ninja’s chance to set the record straight, but after eighty-two seconds of race action in the Guineas, the connections of Ninja, like those of Warwoven before them found themselves waiting for … and at the mercy of a decision by the race-day stewards as a protest from Ninja’s rider Tommy Berry (Ninja had crossed the line in second place behind Torque to Be Sure) took the contest from the track into the steward’s room.

They got no joy there.

When the protest was dismissed, the weekend’s two ‘certainties’ had gone down in a fiery crash of burned tickets.

Yet again, an old lesson had emphatically been taught to those who had decided to disregard one of the cardinal rules of racing.

But, then again, that’s racing!

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