Horse racing: NZ’s best jockey gives confidence to Aegon’s trainer for longest race of career at Pukekohe

Aegon has been a high-class galloper from the time he hit the track. Photo / Bradleyphotos.com.au

The words of New Zealand’s best jockey give trainer Andrew Forsman confidence for the longest race of Aegon’s career at Pukekohe tomorrow.

The millionaire galloper contests favouritism for the $450,000 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic, the 2050m weight-for-age group 1 feature of one of the glamour days of New Zealand racing.

Though Aegon has been a high-class galloper from the time he hit the track, with a series of major wins as a 3-year-old, he has raced past 1600m only once, and that was when unlucky in this race two years ago over 2000m at Ellerslie.

But something champion expat jockey James McDonald said to Forsman after Aegon had closed bravely for fifth behind global superstar Golden Sixty in the Champions Mile in Hong Kong in April adds to the camp’s confidence.

“He was running on well that day behind a great horse, and James got off and said he felt like he was ready for 2000m,” says Forsman.

“We have been looking for the right races to step him up to it a couple of times since he tried it two years ago but most of them haven’t worked out, but we think this race suits.

“He is well in himself and had no luck in that messy false-start race at Trentham, so he is ready to go.”

Aegon has spent much of the past two years getting back and running on in red-hot group 1 fields in Australia, but he is not a big, robust horse who likes to be exposed in his races, so often has to play the hand dealt him by Lady Luck.

So while Forsman would like a solid pace to ensure a clean race and fair crack tomorrow, a more sedate 2050m tempo than a quick last 600m would suit Aegon better than the big-name stayers in the race like Platinum Invador, No Compromise, Prise De Fer and even Aquacade who, while proven at weight-for-age, wouldn’t be as sharp as Aegon.

Even if he can outsprint them, Aegon may have to come around and past his main danger, Campionessa.

The latter is in the zone, having won at 1400m and 1600m at her last two starts, and last time she tried weight-for-age 2050m it took Prowess to beat her.

With Michael McNab on Aegon and Opie Bosson on Campionessa, it is going to take something special from one of their rivals to beat them both.

Forsman has two high-class 3-year-old fillies also heading to Pukekohe tomorrow in Ethereal Star (R2, No 7) and Mary Shan (R8, No 3) against her 1000 Guineas conqueror Molly Bloom in a superb edition of the Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic.

“Ethereal Star seems really well and we are hoping she is a little better back right-handed at home after she didn’t show her best in Victoria in the spring,” he explains.

“It is a nice field, but I think she can go close.”