Saturday test for Aberro at Moonee Valley

Brad Waters - Tuesday September 5

A tough first campaign has stood Aberro in good stead for his natural progression to Saturday grade at Moonee Valley.

Advertisement
Matt Laurie will give promising three-year-old Aberro a chance in Saturday grade at Moonee Valley. Photo: Darryl Sherer

Aberro was competitive with Caulfield Guineas fancy Merchant Navy on debut before he went down narrowly to multiple city winner Eshtiraak at his first two runs last time in.

Aberro closed his autumn campaign with a reasonable effort in the Group I Champagne Stakes (1600m) in Sydney but returned with a good effort to break his maiden at Sandown on August 16.

That win left Saturday's Super VOBIS 3YO Handicap over 1509m as trainer Matt Laurie's next target in a promising campaign.

"It is a natural step to go over the 1500m and I have to run him in that," Laurie said.

"There are a few handy horses in it but he's a good horse and I wouldn't put winning past him. He got beaten by Merchant Navy in his maiden and then he arguably should have won the Mornington Sires'."

Laurie was one of the trainers that took the chance to send horses to work at Moonee Valley on Tuesday morning and the son of All Too Hard pleased the Mornington trainer with his work.

Laurie didn't clock the gallop but Racenet's Darryl Sherer timed Aberro to run 1200m in 1:25.99 while building up to run his last 400m in 24.91 seconds.

"I was very happy with him. He just strolled around by himself and he handled it pretty well," Laurie said.

"He wouldn't have run up as quickly as some of the others but he went nicely. I didn't bother clocking it."

Aberro is a half-brother to Laurie's SA Derby winner Escado and the Group II winner Se Sauver but the trainer said the Victoria Derby was a possibility some way down the track for the colt.

"It (the Victoria Derby) is certainly in the picture but we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it because I just want to make sure we've got a horse for next season and the season after," Laurie said.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Wednesday June 4
Here is the full list of 48 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Stakes Performed Zousain Filly Too Good At Doomben
Third in the Listed Calaway Stakes two starts back, lightly raced two-year-old Zousain filly Sweet Pretender produced the goods at Doomben, charging late to win the Mullins Lawyers QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden Plate (1350m).
Sires With Winners - Tuesday June 3
Here is the full list of 30 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Written By Filly Dominates Warwick Farm Juvenile Contest
First seen at the two-year-old trials back in September, Marc Conners’ chestnut filly Penpel (Written By) produce a quality effort at just her second racetrack appearance, racing clear at Warwick Farm to score by more than three lengths.
Blueblood Import - American-Bred Jillaroo Records First Win
Purchased at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Ciaron Maher, the now 4yo mare Jillaroo (USA) (Curlin) initially started her racing career in the United States but after an Australian debut second at Caulfield in early May, recorded her maiden victory at Doomben.
Pride of Jenni to Visit I Am Invincible - Match Made in Heaven
Three-time Champion Sire I Am Invincible has been confirmed as the first mating for reigning Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year Pride Of Jenni, who will head to the breeding barn this season following a phenomenal racing career.
Second Winner For Ghaiyyath As Observer Scores By Five
Second on debut when just three parts of a length off the winner at Pakenham, the James Cummings’ trained Observer (Ghaiyyath) looked sensational as he made a mess of his rivals to score over 1400m in the Tile Importer Handicap on the Sandown Lakeside course.
$1500 Weanling Becomes $525,000 Top Lot at MM National Yearling Finale
A colt by Harry Angel set a new benchmark in Australia for his sire and topped the final day of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale when selling for $525,000 to conclude a hugely successful two weeks of sales.
Wootton Bassett 2YOs on the March
Wootton Bassett’s star Northern Hemisphere two year-old Albert Einstein has been ruled out of Royal Ascot with a sprained joint that will require a few weeks off, but the red hot sire added two more talented debut winning juvenile colts at The Curragh overnight.
Frosty Girl impressive on debut
The Chris Waller-trained Frosty Girl made the perfect start to her career when coming from last to land the Asahi Super Dry Plate (1300m) on debut at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.