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...
One to Watch – Geelong
Trilogy Racing will have high hopes for the their talented filly Queen of Clubs in the Group I ATC Flight Stakes on Saturday and their colours were in the frame at Geelong on Thursday carried by a Zoustar filly that saluted on debut.
Generation Foals Built for Speed
Victorian farm Lovatsville offer a diverse stallion roster for this spring geared to satisfy a wide spectrum of breeder ambitions and if explosive Aussie speed is your thing then Snitzel stallion Generation will fit the bill.
Blueblood Fillies From $3million Mares
Tom Magnier has been notable for his purchase of elite race fillies and broodmares in recent years to enhance the stellar Coolmore broodmare band and two of his $3million plus mare purchases have produced stunning fillies this spring.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Caulfield
Three barrier trials at Caulfield on Thursday morning produced heat winners for first season sires Wild Ruler and Profiteer with the quickest winner being Free Flying, the half-sister by Snitzel to brilliant Group winning mare Learning to Fly.
Sires With Winners - Thursday October 2
Here is the full list of 29 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
New SW Wrote - Fast Network Wins G3 National Day Cup
Trainer Dennis Yip claimed a timely first win of the 2025/26 season, taking out the feature HK$4.2 million Gr.3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin’s National Day fixture on Wednesday when his stable star Fast Network, a New Zealand bred son of Wrote, blitzed a strong field under Alexis Badel.
NZ Derby Hero Willydoit Primed for Epsom
Last season’s New Zealand Derby hero Willydoit will step back into the spotlight on Saturday when he contests the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick for trainer Ciaron Maher, with jockey Tommy Berry bullish the horse is ready to make his mark over the famous mile.
Milan Park Experience Highs and Lows
Tony Rider experienced the extreme highs and lows of breeding thoroughbreds within a matter of hours on Wednesday.
Melody Belle Daughter Set for Long Awaited Debut
It will be a full-circle moment for Te Akau Racing at The Valley on Friday night when Lyrics ‘N’ Song, a daughter of their former multiple Group One winner Melody Belle, makes her debut.
Inglis Ready2Race breeze up footage NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
Progeny of the likes of Toronado, Exceed and Excel, Harry Angel, Zoustar and Ole Kirk were amongst the standout performers from breeze up sessions conducted this week in the lead up to the Inglis Ready2Race Sale on October 16, footage of which is now available online.