Racing
Warnie wins the Damien Oliver Stakes: Post Race Trainer and Jockey Quotes
Trainer and jockey quotes after Warnie takes out the Group 2 The ABC Bullion Damien Oliver at Flemington on Saturday.
Race Result:1st: Warnie (C Maher/M Zahra) - $52nd: Zou Sensation (C Maher/B Allen) - $3.30F
3rd: Enxuto (Robbie Griffiths/Jye McNeil) - $6
Winning Time: 1:21.62 Last 600m: N/A
Margins: ½L x ¾L
Winning Trainer: Ciaron MaherSimply too good
WARNIE delivers in The @ABCBullion Damien Oliver for Mark Zahra and @cmaherracing.
@wwos | #DerbyDay | #MelbCupCarnival pic.twitter.com/qAZJtoSGtH
— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 1, 2025
"This horse has been knocking on the door. Great effort by the Bennett Racing team to quinella a big race on Derby Day like this. Fair play to them. They've got a great team, a great ownership group.
"The horse has been building towards it. He needs a few things in his favour. He needs a good speed on, he needs to be cuddled up and Mark, there's no one riding better than him at the moment.
"You can see the race just working out. There was good speed and he just blended in. When a race dows unfold like that, he does have a really good turn-of-foot.
"Great effort by my team and I'm pretty proud."
"He's been building towards a race like this, and Flemington was ideal, Mark was ideal and BT (Brent Thomson) put the polish on this morning. So we got the three ticks there, and fantastic for Nathan Bennett and his team, to quinella a big race like this on Derby Day, it's a credit to them, and it's a credit to what they do."
Winning Jockey: Mark Zahra
"I was three-deep with cover in the sweet spot and they were launching everywhere. I was saving him up for one run.
"He's been a horse that has run a few placings but he had to be digging in for the fight at the 50 (metre mark) and he put paid to the other horse."
"He was able to lob in a spot, I think he's a better chaser. Speed was okay, just a nice flowing spot, three deep with cover. Was sort of able to really build him, build him and then come out at the hundred metre mark and pop the question. I don't know if he's even won in Australia, but he had to dig in, and he did, and he won well in the end."
"Payline took me far enough. But then when I pulled him out, you know he had to do it. He had to be mentally tough then, and it was a good job. The horse has sort of got a reputation for running a place, it's good to see him put it on the board."
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