Horse racing: Potential issue may help Aegon in Oz wfa debut

Aegon winning the group 2 Hobartville Stakes in February. Bradleyphotos.com.au

One of Aegon's potential issues as he steps up to weight-for-age racing could help him in his A$1 million target in Melbourne on Saturday.

The Cambridge superstar makes his weight-for-age debut in the Memsie Stakes over 1400m, meeting a strong but not scary Group 1 field including former New Zealand mare Tofane.

Aegon, who took New Zealand's three-year-old scene by storm last summer, crossed the Tasman yesterday with stablemate The Chosen One and are stabled at the usual Flemington base of their trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.

The stable were unable to send their own staff so co-trainer and part-owner of Aegon, Andrew Forsman, says they are thrilled to be able to secure the services of Waikato horseman Sam McLeod, who now live in Victoria, to look after their horses.

"That is a real bonus, being able to get somebody like Sam to look after the horses and work for us while they are there," said Forsman.

One other bonus is that Aegon is still the athletic gelding he was last season and while Forsman might have liked to see him bulk more to handle the rough and tumble of weight-for-age racing, his medium-sized frame is a reason he goes into Saturday ready to show something like his best.

"He hasn't grown that much but he is a horse who doesn't take a lot to get fit and is quite light on his feet so I think we will see a forward showing from him.

"Whether that is good enough to win a Group 1 against race fit horses we will find out and from barrier seven he might be midfield so he will need some luck," said Forsman. "But if he gets that luck he is forward enough to go very well."

Aegon is rated an $11 chance with Australian bookmakers.

Earlier on the Caulfield programme, Matamata mare Probabeel is the $2.60 favourite to win her A$200,000 comeback race the Cockram Stakes even after drawing the outside of the 10-mare field.

The barrier draws have been kinder to Probabeel's stablemate Avantage who has drawn perfectly at four for $110,000 Foxbridge Plate at Ta Rapa if New Zealand racing can proceed on Saturday, which will be possible for regions at level 3 or better.

Avantage has opened the $1.80 favourite over Tavi Mac, with Opie Bosson declared to ride Avantage at 57.5kg, all weights for flat races over the next two weeks raised 1kg to help more jockeys to be able make weights during lockdown.

The Cambridge Stakes at Te Rapa has drawn an outstanding field of three-year-olds after the cancellation of yesterday's Taupo meeting, with Imperatriz the $2.20 favourite even after drawing the outside of the nine runners in Hamilton.