aaron_bain | Aaron Bain News 61128 Abr Weekend Review

Three winners in four days resulted in an excellent weekend for Aaron Bain Racing.

NAVY GOLD was a narrow, but solid, winner at Oakbank on Thursday and ABR hopes he can continue to progress through the grades.

Saturday saw an outstanding debut win by SHADY THINKER around the Morphettville Parks circuit and a look at the post-race interview by trainer Aaron Bain shows the significance of the victory for ABR.

Then on Sunday, PACIFIC JEWEL overcame a bit of race traffic to score in great style at Naracoorte to give Western Australian owner Geoff Evans his first success with ABR.

ABR had two acceptors at Wednesday’s Strathalbyn meeting, but BEACH PAD was scratched after drawing the extreme outside gate in a field of 17 with just one emergency.

The well-named BUCKINGHAM PALACE will take his place in race three, the Fleurieu Community Bendigo Bank Maiden (1200m) at 2.15pm SA time.

Formerly with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, BUCKINGHAM PALACE has drawn barrier nine in a field of 17 with three emergencies. In-form apprentice Taylor Johnstone will ride and claim 1.5kg off his weight of 57kg.

The three-year-old is out of the mare Queen’s Fashion hence the name.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE ran second on debut at Randwick on a heavy track in June last year before a fourth at Warwick Farm, then a sixth on the Sandown Lakeside in Melbourne before being purchased by ABR.

He ran third in a Strathalbyn 1000m trial on January 28 behind Ad Astra, which started odds-on favourite and ran second to ABR’s SHADY THINKER at Morphettville Parks on Saturday.

ABR is expecting a good SA debut by BUCKINGHAM PALACE

ABR Weekend Star

While all ABR’s three recent winners were very good, SHADY THINKER had to come out as our weekend star with his excellent debut win at Morphettville Parks on Saturday.

After settling third, SHADY THINKER burst between the leaders to race away in the Sportsbet Fast Form Maiden (1000m).

Ridden by Jason Holder, the three-year-old picked up the $27,300 first prize and also collected a $21,120 Racing Rewards bonus for a $48,420 return.

Starting at $7.50, SHADY THINKER won by 2-1/4 lengths from Ad Astra ($1.60 fav) with Aramoso ($12), a half-length away third.

Trainer Aaron Bain said the victory had been very special for Aaron Bain Racing.

“We have got a lot of time for the horse,” Bain said.

“We had to back ourselves in today.

“Mark Pilkington from Seymour Bloodstock rang early in the week and asked if we wanted to find an easier assignment first up.

“I slept on it for 48 hours then said to Ned (Taylor) and Will (O’Malley) what are we doing and decided to back ourselves in.

“I rang Mark back on Thursday and said fortune favours the brave and we are running.

“The concern was whether he would be sharp enough at the 1000 metres because had had had two trials at 1000 and been impressive on both occasions. He just had to come and deliver on race day.”

Bain said SHADY THINKER had been purchased at the Magic Millions Adelaide Sale in 2023 for $50,000.

“It was special, to get one here out of the sales.

“As a stable, we are trying to get started with young horses and he was a horse that not many people bought into.

“We only sold 20% of him and I owned about 65%. I went on Darren Thomas’ farm tour at Seymour Bloodstock which he holds once a year, and he rang me on the way home and said to invoice him for a third and he would take the pain with me.

“So to go to Darren’s farm then sell a share of the horse back to him after he sold it at the Adelaide sale is a credit to Darren and Mark for their trust in us so to deliver today was special.”

Winning jockey Jason Holder was full of praise for SHADY THINKER.

“It was fantastic,” Holder said.

“He went through his trials nicely and brought it to race day.

“He jumped well and got a nice position.

“In the straight there were horses running up and about and I went to the inside because I thought it was our best option.

“He took the gap really nicely and went though it really well.

He was stronger today than he was in his trials, so he has benefitted from those trials.”   

ABR was also taken with the win of PACIFIC JEWEL at Naracoorte on Sunday and delighted to have a first winner for Western Australian owner Geoff Evans.

At Naracoorte, a lot of credit to apprentice jockey Taylor Johnstone, who grabbed an opening turning for home allowing the four-year-old to lengthen and grab victory in the Trans Australian Livestock Maiden (1430m).

“Geoff (Evans) is a new owner to our stable,” trainer Aaron Bain said.

“He lives in WA and has eight horses with us at the moment, a lot of them young horses.

“Any time with a new owner you want to get the result on the board early.

“He’ll be chuffed over in WA, and it was good to see his colours go past the post first.”

Bain said his introduction to Evans had been through a horse taken from Cornerstone Stud as a favour.

“I then took two days away to meet him in WA to build that relationship.

“We went and saw his horses on his farm – he has a lot of young horses mainly by WA sires. He sent six of them over along with the two racehorses.

“Hopefully, we can build on today’s win.

“Geoff also owns Revelare which won at Flemington yesterday, making it five from five.

“Marty Young helps Geoff out with some racing advice, and he is a pleasure to train for.”

Bain said PACIFIC JEWEL had no luck on debut.

“She had to pay to get back in at the 300 (metres),” Bain said.

“She got taken off the track, not her fault at all.

“We thought she would be right in that race but there was a runner inside her which pushed her to the outside fence – it was a complete write off.

“An 11/10 (ride) today by Taylor (Johnstone).”

At Naracoorte, PACIFIC JEWEL jumped nicely, and Johnstone settled her third on the fence in a field of 12 approaching the home turn.

As runners tried to improve from the back, the field suddenly became quite congested and the ABR mare looked to be in an awkward spot turning for home, but Johnstone found an opening and found clear galloping room.

PACIFIC JEWEL ($4.40) took a short while to lengthen but finished off powerfully to win by a neck from Hot Strut ($7.50) with Slayrider ($7.50), 2-1/2 lengths away third.

Winning jockey Taylor Johnstone said she had been a bit concerned about getting a run turning for home.

“Aaron said the step up to 1430 metres would suit her today,” Johnstone said.

“He said to get a bit of cover and be handy.

“I thought I was in a bit of trouble coming to the turn as there was nowhere to go.

“I was patient, and the run came, and she showed a nice turn of foot.

“She was really good.”