No plans yet to raise bar with Fierce Warrior

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Stu Kendrick is hopeful Fierce Warrior can make it back-to-back wins at Eagle Farm on Saturday but has no plans to raise the bar during the summer with the promising colt.

Fierce Warrior tackles a small but strong field in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1000 metres and will be one of five Kendrick starters on the day.

Kendrick rates Fierce Warrior and Bonaparte in the Class 6 Handicap over 1400 metres as his two best chances.

Fierce Warrior - a son of Better Than Ready - has won three of his five starts and has missed a prizemoney cheque only once when Kendrick raised the bar to the Listed Dalrello Stakes at Eagle Farm in May.

Kendrick had such a high regard for Fierce Warrior that he sent him into the Dalrello Stakes at just his second start following his debut win in a Class 2 grade at Ipswich in April.

Fierce Warrior made a winning return to racing following a winter break and showed his liking for wet tracks when he led all the way over 900 metres on a heavy Gold Coast track on October 2.

However, Kendrick feels Fierce Warrior is better on top of the ground despite his impressive last start victory.

“He’s going well and won well first up at the Gold Coast,” Kendrick said.

“It was a heavy track that day but I feel he’s better on a dry track.”

Fierce Warrior went through the Magic Millions March sales at the Gold Coast as a yearling but failed to reach his $50,000 reserve before being passed in.

He was part of the Lyndhurst Stud draft and was later snapped up privately by Kendrick for his reserve price.

In latest TAB markets, Fierce Warrior is good value at $9.00 behind hot favourite Referro at $1.90.

Trainer Tony Gollan has a similar high regard for Referro and also sent him into the Dalrello Stakes at his second start when he compounded to finish eighth.

Referro made a sensational return to racing after a winter spell with a near three length win in a 1000-metre Class 1 at the Sunshine Coast on October 1.

“I think Referro might have improved a lot since the Dalrello and he looks the one to beat,” Kendrick said.

“I’m quite happy to target more QTIS races for the time being rather than look at anything bigger as the QTIS prizemoney is too good,” he said.