Racing: Aegon ready for the $20 million Champions Mile in Hong Kong

Aegon takes on top local horses in Hong Kong tonight. Photo / Bradleyphotos.com.au

Star Kiwi trainer Andrew Forsman is taking a realistic attitude to the Herculean challenge that awaits Aegon in the HK$20 million Champions Mile in Hong Kong tonight.

Forsman will have his first starter in Hong Kong at Sha Tin; the first New Zealand-trained horse to compete there since Enzo’s Lad in 2019.

Aegon takes on top local horses California Spangle and Golden Sixty, who is a Karaka Ready To Run sales graduate, in the Mile and Forsman understands even finishing third to that pair would be a huge result in the race set for 8pm.

“To travel all this way and expect to beat local horses of that quality might be asking too much,” says the Cambridge trainer. “But it is a great opportunity for the horse, the owners and myself and a wonderful experience.

“After his last-start ninth in the All-Star Mile, we were looking at the Doncaster in Sydney, but that would have meant taking on 19 rivals with a horse who likes to find his feet early, whereas the field was always going to be a lot smaller here.”

There are just nine starters, with Aegon to start from barrier six with James McDonald in the saddle.

Forsman says Aegon is a happy horse who has travelled well.

“He has done a lot of travelling and always handles that well and is ready but a top-five finish would be a good result.”

Forsman will apply blinkers to Aegon, and while that can sometimes cause horses to get fired up, the race looks set to be run at a good tempo, so he is unlikely to have the time to start over-racing.

If Golden Sixty, sold out of the Riversley Park draft, wins tonight, he will pass Winx as the greatest stake earnings thoroughbred of all time.

● Aromatic rounded out her campaign with another impressive victory when she cruised home in the Group 2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa yesterday.

The grey 6-year-old has gone to a new level in her performance lately, with little luck when running sixth at Group1 level in the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) two starts back, followed by a comprehensive win in the Group 3 Manawatū Breeders’ Stakes (2000m) a fortnight ago.

With trainer Mark Walker suggesting this was most likely the last run of the season, the daughter of Sacred Falls showed she was heading to the spelling paddock at the peak of her powers as she dominated proceedings in the final stages of the contest in the hands of Opie Bosson.

Bosson had Aromatic perfectly positioned one off the fence in midfield throughout, as 3-year-old filly Sakura Girl, who started favourite ($2.80), set up a steady pace.

Just as Sakura Girl tried to establish a winning break at the 300m, Bosson and Aromatic swooped on her and dashed clear to win by two lengths.

Walker was pleased to see the mare finish off so strongly on the soft5 surface.

“She’s in great form and she has gone to another level in the second part of the season,” Walker said.

“She is more mature now and over all the niggles she has had throughout her career.”

- NZ Racing Desk