By Neil Evans
She’s well named along seafaring lines, has been given plenty of mooring time and can sail home a debutant winner at Thursday’s feature Newcastle meeting on the Beaumont course.
Aptly named Aweigh, a three-year-old daughter of Group 1 powerhouse Merchant Navy, has her first start in an intriguing Fillies and Mares’ Maiden Hcp over 1200m to close the meeting.
Trainers Sterling Alexiou and Gerald Ryan have given Aweigh time to mature.Credit: Getty
And she seemingly won’t be anchored down by the wide draw if her latest trial at Canterbury is any form reference.
Travelling off the fence on Soft 7 ground, Aweigh covered plenty of territory in the run, but still found the line nicely, despite being a little wayward in the straight.
That fresh effort 16 days ago came after an 18-week spell since having two quieter winter trials.
Based in the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou stable at Rosehill, with a long list of owners, Aweigh has been given plenty of maturity and growth time and looks primed to start with a bang, especially if the rain sticks around and the surface settles in soft range.
She opened up in a wide race on the second line of betting around $4.80, but is set to start shorter with early favourite Hurry Miss being preferred at Wednesday’s Warwick Farm meeting.
That should leave Aweigh battling for market honours with Exceed And Excel three-year-old Alliteration, who debuts for the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott yard behind two progressive trials.
An emerging showdown also looms earlier in a Maiden Handicap for the boys over 1200m.
Exciting Pierro three-year-old Cold Brew debuts for the Freedman stable at Rosehill five weeks after an impressive trial win. Third in that trial was Great White Shark, who has taken big strides since, rushing home to just miss before blitzing his maiden opposition over a longer trip at Canterbury six days ago.
Cold Brew is locked in a battle royal with Monty The Missile, second up for the Waterhouse-Bott stable, and another first starter, Gosford-based four-year-old Prosperous Dragon, by Russian Revolution, who also won the second of two lead-up trials in smart fashion.
Tempted too tough to resist
Tempted led in a Godolphin and Street Boss trifecta in the two-year-old fillies race (1000m) at Warwick Farm on Wednesday to mark herself as one to watch.
In a seven-horse field of first-starters, Tempted got the one-one sit from jockey Zac Lloyd among a Godolphin foursome up front before wearing down stablemate Daphnes for a half-length win. Lipstick was four lengths off the winner in third. All three James Cummings-trained fillies are daughters of Street Boss.
“She’s a very nice filly,” Lloyd said. “She really impressed me at her first trial, and I was equally impressed with her second. I didn’t get the choice of the ones today, but she would have been my choice.”
Autumn Dream ready to go the distance
Trainer Annabel Neasham expects Autumn Dream to be even better over longer after a surprise debut win at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
A daughter of The Autumn Sun, the $26 chance edged out favourite Hurry Miss in a photo finish to claim the 1300m race for three-year-olds. Jockey Chad Schofield made it a double in the next race with an easy victory on John Thompson-trained Impunity, another product of Arrowfield Stud.
“I thought we’d just lost the nod, but it was a lovely debut, particularly because she’s a filly who I think will get out to a mile,” Neasham said. “I knew she’d run well today, but I thought she might need a touch further. But a lovely ride from Chad.
“She’s a pretty relaxed customer in everything she does at home, so you never quite know what you are going to get with her at the races.”
Malabar later made it a double for Neasham and co-trainer Rob Archibald.
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
