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By Ray Hickson

Western Warrior is a horse that’s not really on anyone’s radar as a Country Championships prospect but trainer Natalie Pearce will give serious consideration to heading that way if he measures up to a big test at Dubbo on Sunday.

With just three starts under his belt and in his second racing preparation, the four-year-old is giving away plenty of experience in the Wardi Broking Handicap (1200m) but is showing Pearce some potential.

He’ll leap from a first-up Dubbo win in a Benchmark 58 into a Benchmark 82 where he's kept safe at $4.20 with TAB on Saturday.

“It’s a big ask for him, I’ve asked him to step up from a Class 1 to a 58 but this is a pretty big step to jump to an 82,’’ Pearce said.

“The program was a bit limited, he carries a lot of weight in the 58s now and while he is a big horse I don’t want to crucify him.

Trainer Natalie Pearce with Weekend Warrior (Pic: Janian McMillan).

“On his ability I think he can run well, we’ve chucked him in the deep end but it’s at home and we don’t have to travel.

“I believe he is a horse on the up, he’s one of the better gallopers I’ve had in my stable and that’s taking nothing away from Sports Page.”

The Dubbo trainer had a shot at the Evergreen Turf WRA Country Championships (1400m) at Coonamble last year with Sports Page and that mare finished midfield behind Gallant Star.

The region doesn’t have a dominant horse this year so Pearce is keeping the door open to head that way with Western Warrior. If it is all too soon she said she’ll look for a TAB Highway after they return from carnival hiatus in mid-April.

Western Warrior’s full sister Boncassie contested the Country Championships in 2023 where she finished sixth in the Northern Rivers qualifying race.

“He’s a homebred, Craig Hardy bred him, I’ve had a fair bit to do with the family and I’ve known him since he was a foal,’’ Pearce said.

“A lot of time and effort and patience goes into breeding horses and getting them to the races, and to have them winning, and it’s a credit to my owners who do breed them.

“Craig has been good enough to support me from the beginning of my training career and I was lucky enough to get this one.”

A debut win at Mudgee in September gave Pearce plenty of satisfaction and while he was beaten at his second start she said it was something of an afterthought but also a good bit of experience as he ran third behind Andale Andale and Laizabout.

“We were just going to give him the one start and tip him out but the Class 1 presented itself at home,’’ she said.

“We just opted to run him and he certainly didn’t disgrace himself.”

The gelding’s first-up win two weeks ago was considered a bonus by Pearce who said she wasn’t confident he’d be able to overcome a tricky set up from a wide gate over the short 1000m trip.

But not only did he make light work of that challenge he did it with something in hand, showing he’d come on significantly from his first preparation.

“It was a bit of a shock win because it was 1000m,’’ she said.

“He drew wide and I said to Kenny (Dunbar) to see if you can slot in somewhere and see if you can work home. And he certainly worked home.

“We have been patient with him, because he’s a very big horse and mentally he’s not quite there yet either.”

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday's meeting at Dubbo