Unbeaten Kiwi Headed for Australia

Media Release - Wednesday January 27

Aegon’s career looks set to mirror that of his sire Sacred Falls for a little while yet, with a trip to the Sydney autumn carnival on the way.

Andrew Forsman, who trains the gelding in partnership with Murray Baker, said Aegon wouldn’t race in New Zealand again this season following his exciting victory over the top filly Amarelinha in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m).

Aegon wins the Karaka 3YO Million - Trish Dunell.

Aegon will leave New Zealand shores next month with an unbeaten record, as Sacred Falls did when he headed to Sydney in 2013. Though they did not take identical paths, both numbered the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) among their New Zealand victories.

And like Sacred Falls, Aegon is set to contest at least the first two legs of the Sydney three-year-old Triple Crown: the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) on March 6 and the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 20.

His performances in those races, particularly the Rosehill Guineas, will determine whether he heads for the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) on April 3, a race Baker has won five times, or follow the Sacred Falls path to the Gr.1 Doncaster Mile (1600m).

Aegon’s jockey Leith Innes said after the Karaka Million that 1600m would probably be Aegon’s best distance, but Forsman said they will test him at further.

“I think we will give him his chance to get over ground, and that will probably mean a 2000m race,” Forsman said.

“We’ll decide then whether we press on to a Derby distance or keep him back to mile racing.”

Forsman said the team had considered heading to Melbourne for the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) on February 27, but that is a less likely option.

“We’ve always been leaning toward Sydney with the good age group schedule they’ve got there. It means he can run against his own age group the whole way through.”

Aegon could have one run prior to the Randwick Guineas, with the Gr.2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) on February 20 the likely option.

Advertisement

Likely to join Aegon in Sydney are two stablemates that ran well in Sydney last autumn, The Chosen One and Quick Thinker.

The Chosen One was runner-up in the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) last year and is likely to be headed for that race again, while plans are a little more fluid for Quick Thinker, who disappointed in the Melbourne spring after having won the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) last year.

“We haven’t mapped out a plan for him, but the key is just getting him back racing right handed with a little bit of give in the ground,” Forsman said.

Meanwhile, Forsman and Baker are likely to line up both Robusto and Vee Cece in the Gr.3 NZ Campus of Innovation and Sport Wellington Cup (3200m) on Saturday.

Robusto will be one of the best-backed runners behind likely favourite Waisake, while Forsman said he wouldn’t rule out Vee Cece either.

“We’re mindful this will be Robusto’s second two-mile race this preparation and we really want to get her through to the Auckland Cup, so we’ve raced her pretty sparingly since the New Zealand Cup,” Forsman said.

“The reason we’ve had a go at this one is that it’s probably more winnable and suitable and she’ll be a very good chance.

“I’d also give Vee Cece a chance. We put the blinkers on to sharpen her up last start and she probably just over-raced, but she’s been crying out for getting up over more ground on a big roomy track, and that’s what the Wellington Cup is.”

Also headed to Trentham is the filly Sweet Anna, who contests the Gr.3 New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) after finishing behind the placegetters in the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and Gr.2 Royal Stakes (2000m) at the Ellerslie Christmas carnival.

“She perhaps didn’t get the best of luck at Ellerslie,” Forsman said. “Getting back to a mile on a left handed track should suit her.” – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
First G1 Winner for St Marks Basilica - 1.7million Filly Undefeated
The top lot at the 2025 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale was a blueblood St Mark’s Basilica filly from blue hen Prudenzia that sold for €1.7million to MV Magnier and she became the first Group I winner for her sire when charging home to win the Group I Prix Marcel Boussac (1600m) at Longchamp.
Briasa Wins $1million G2 Premiere Stakes- Everest Next
Twin Hills Stud’s Smart Missile will have a runner in the $20million The Everest and his explosive grey sprinter Briasa will be going into the race in top form following an exciting win at Randwick on Saturday in  the $1million Group I ATC Premiere Stakes (1200m).
Sires With Winners - Friday October 3
Here is the full list of 61 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Pedigree Watch – Juvenile Stakes-Winners
Three new season juvenile stakes races on Saturday produced a $1million yearling purchase that gave Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside the perfect start to his stud career, a pinhook winner turned stakes-winner and a colt foaled in Australia with a Kiwi pedigree.
Surprise Bart Cummings Victory Secures Valiant King Melbourne Cup Run
It’s not often you see a runner from the Chris Waller stable go around at 50/1 odds, but 6yo gelding Valiant King (GB) produced an outstanding effort to win Saturday’s $350,000 Group 3 VRC Bart Cummings (2520m) at Flemington, securing himself a run in this year’s $10m Gr1 VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m).
Media World Adds to Millionaire Yearling Stakes Success
Stakes racing on Saturday produced a number of stakes-winners purchased for seven figures as yearlings in Australia with $1.8million Inglis Easter sale-topper Autumn Glow leading the way in the Group I ATC Epsom after earlier success for $1million 2YO Incognito, while at Flemington $1.4million entire Media World took out the Listed VRC Paris Lane Stakes (1400m).
Sires With Winners - Saturday October 4
Here is the full list of 119 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
First Stakes Horse for Home Affairs
The Group III ATC Breeders Plate (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday attracted a strong field of talented colts from the recent official 2YO trials in Sydney and Home Affairs looks to have a quality youngster in I’m Ya Huckleberry.
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 5
Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Warwick Farm
We had three heats for 2YO’s run at Warwick Farm on Friday morning over 815m with winners by Farnan, Ole Kirk and Kia Ora Stud’s first season sire Captivant, while Stay Inside had an impressive trial winner at Murray Bridge.