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.

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...
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
Kiwi Bred Grey Wins Subzero for OTI at Flemington
New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 5
Here is the full list of 145 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
More Stakes Success for Air Assault
Group I placed last season in the SA Derby, talented gelding Air Assault kept the winning run going for Victoria Derby winning trainer Andrew Gluyas when taking out the Listed SAJC John Letts Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup Day.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.