Stable stalwart Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls) will spearhead a three-strong team for Andrew Forsman at Caulfield on Saturday when he attempts to build on a bold but luckless first-up showing across the Tasman.
The seven-year-old will tackle the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) for a third time while black-type challenges also await his younger stablemates Yaldi and Positivity.
Unplaced in last season’s Memsie and fourth in 2021, Aegon opened his Australian campaign when a resuming fourth in the Gr.2 PB Lawrence Staes (1400m) from a horror barrier.
“We were rapt with him, it was a shame he drew the outside and when he does draw wide it means he has to go right back,” Forsman said.
“He’s always vulnerable to needing that bit of luck and he didn’t quite get it when he needed it, if he wasn’t held up for those few strides he might have finished closer.”
Aegon has done well in the interim and Vlad Duric will retain the ride on the gelding, who is within touching distance of breaking the $2 million mark in career earnings.
“He’s trained on great and we’re really trying to make a point of keeping him as fresh as we can,” Forsman said.
“Typically, on a two-week backup he hasn’t produced his best so we’re trying something a little bit different this time around.
“It’s race by race with him as it has generally been for the last year or so, we’ll see how he performs on Saturday and work it out after that.”
Yaldi (NZ) (Ardrossan) and Red Sea (NZ) (Pierata) were both nominated for the Gr.3 McNeill Stakes (1200m), but only the former will take his place on Saturday.
“They went to Caulfield this morning (Tuesday) for a gallop and had a nice hit-out and have settled in really well,” Forsman said.
“Michael Dee will ride Yaldi who is forward, I just think that there might be a couple a bit slick for him.
“It’s very much a run to get his campaign going and we’d like to see him hitting the line well with his main targets the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (Gr.3, 1400m) and the Caulfield Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m).”
Yaldi was a debut winner at Pukekohe last season before the son of Ardrossan was spelled following his third in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.
Pierata three-year-old Red Sea ended his juvenile campaign with a runner-up finish in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
“He will have a jump-out at Flemington on Friday and at this stage, he’ll probably kick off in the Poseidon Stakes (Listed, 1100m) on September 14,” Forsman said.
Positivity (NZ) (Almanzor) is set to resume in Tile Importer Heatherlie Handicap (1700m) with Harry Coffey to partner the daughter of Almanzor, who won the Gr.3 SA Classic (2500m) at her last appearance.
“She’s had a couple of jump-outs and is as forward as we can have her,” Forsman said.
“If she is going to do anything as a four-year-old mare, it’s never easy coming out of their three-year-old year, it will be over ground.
“This is very much a starting point for her and hopefully we can get a couple of runs into her before we get her out over further.”
Meanwhile, Forsman will have three runners on the synthetic track at Cambridge on Wednesday with Retrostar (NZ) (Vespa) in the Give A Little Rahul Shinde (1550m), Magnastar (NZ) (Magna Grecia) in the Cambridge Equine Hospital (1550m) and Richard And I (NZ) (Ocean Park) in the Saddlery Warehouse (1300m).
“I think they’re all chances, Retrostar will have the blinkers on to hopefully get him out of the gates and rolling,” he said.
“The other two obviously performed well at their last starts, Magnastar won his only race start and I’m happy with how Richard and I came through his trip to Ruakaka.”