Midnight Interlude warmed up for the G2 La Jolla Hcp (1700m) at Del Mar on Saturday with a sparkling gallop earlier this week.

The son of Yarradale Stud shuttler War Chant reeled off 1200m in 1.13.40s and he will start a short-priced favourite in the final lead-up to the G2 Del Mar Derby on September 4.

Midnight Interlude (3c War Chant – Midnight Kiss by Groom Dancer) is a last start winner of the LR Tsunami Slew Stakes at Hollywood Park.  Trainer Bob Baffert gave him a break after that victory on June 17 and didn’t give the colt a solid workout for another month.

Midnight Interlude had won the G1 Santa Anita Derby earlier this year before unplaced efforts in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

Baffert sent him back to California and switched to turf for the Tsunami Slew.  He defeated Surrey Star (Dubawi) and Temple’s Door (Leroidesanimaux) and they will be the hardest to beat again in the La Jolla Hcp this Saturday.

War Chant (Danzig) will shuttle from Three Chimneys Farm to Yarradale this year and will stand for a $22,000 (inc gst) service fee.

Yarradale assistant manager Susan Bradfield travelled to Kentucky to ensure War Chant’s transition to life in Western Australia is as smooth as possible.

War Chant will receive another boost if his Perth based colt War Profile makes an impact before the start of the breeding season.

War Profile (3c War Chant – Killer App by Geri) is from a daughter of former Sunspeed star Jungle Dawn.  She was a G1 winner of the 1987 Railway Stakes at Ascot and was later sold to North American interests.

Jungle Dawn foaled a half-dozen winners in the United States and Ireland – the last of them was Killer App and she won 5 races up to 1200m.

The family turned full circle when Yarradale owner Ron Sayers purchased Killer App and mated her with War Chant to southern hemisphere time.  She arrived here in March 2008 and foaled down the following September.

War Profile was the result and Sayers kept a share after Remlap Stud owner Steve Palmer bought the colt for $105,000 at the 2010 Perth Magic Millions.  

War Profile is trained by Dan Morton and was placed in two barrier trials last month.  He will debut in the Westspeed 3YO Maiden (1000m) at Belmont next Monday, August 15.