aaron_bain | Aaron Bain News 61178 Abr Weekend Review

Aaron Bain Racing has had an excellent start to 2025 as the benefits of our training operation reap rewards.

With ABR now fully established at Angaston Park, and the team have had the opportunity of a complete preparation at the magnificent venue, the results are coming through.

Make no mistake, our original Gawler racecourse stables are also an important part of the ABR training operation.

In January, ABR had 18 runners for four winners, three seconds and five thirds for a winning strike rate of 23% and a place percentage of 67%.

February was even more fruitful with 17 runners for five winners, a second and a third for a 30% win strike rate and 42% place.

Importantly, of the five winners, three have been metro winners, with a winner on each of the last three Saturdays.

Those three Saturday winners have put the co-training team of Aaron Bain & Ned Taylor into 10th place on the metro SA trainer’s premiership.

Last Saturday, the ex-Singapore galloper BAKEEL made a brilliant start to his campaign with ABR racing wide but still proving too good for his rivals.

Make no mistake the ABR vision is to finish the season in the top five, so hopefully there will be more city winners to come as we head into the SA autumn carnival from March through to May.

Our main focus this week is to the Morphettville Parks meeting on Saturday with another ex-Singapore galloper Asif scheduled to run.

ABR Weekend Star

No argument that BAKEEL was definitely the ABR star of the weekend.

Trainer Aaron Bain said the ex-Singapore galloper was the best horse in the ABR stable at the present and he hoped BAKEEL would step up to black-type company over the next few months.

On Saturday, BAKEEL, still owned in Singapore, made a spectacular return to racing at Morphettville.

Despite being caught wide throughout, BAKEEL, trained by Aaron Bain and Ned Taylor, finished strongly to win the Happy 40^th Birthday Chris Bieg Rating 68 Handicap (1200m).

Ridden by Manoel Nunes, the four-year-old, backed from $5 into $2.50 favourite, scored by two lengths from Dancing Storm ($14) with Press Express ($26), a long neck away third.

BAKEEL is owned by leading Singapore businessman Mr Mansoor Ghandi who sent a number of horses to be trained by Aaron Bain Racing and was the first of the group to race.

From his extreme outside draw of 12, Bakeel began soundly but was caught wide in the run down the side to the home turn.

The gelding was the widest runner turning for home but was powerful through the line gathering up the leaders and winning well.

Trainer Aaron Bain said BAKEEL was a serious racehorse.

“He had been working very well and looked well placed in a rating 68 but I was nervous on the home turn when he had been wide and giving away a start,” Bain said.

“But, he has got gears and ran right up to his work.

“He is even better suited over more ground and will step up to a benchmark 76 over 1400 metres at Murray Bridge on Saturday, March 8.

“If he runs well again, his next start could be the Listed City of Adelaide Handicap over 1500 metres at Morphettville on Saturday, April 12.

Winning jockey Manoel Nunes said BAKEEL had made an excellent return to racing.

“He was very impressive,” Nunes said.

“I was travelling three and four deep the whole way. I had to push him to go around the bend.

“I know the horse but loved the way he hit the line.

“I thought it might have been a bit short today, but he has a lot of class.

“I’m sure he will be improved.”