An Australian Guineas campaign is at the forefront of autumn plans for Aeronautical, a lightly-raced three-year-old expected to resume against older sprinters later this week.
Aeronautical is slated for an early return to racing under lights in the Listed Canterbury Classic (1100m) on Friday night.
“I’ll wait and see what the acceptances are like but he’ll most likely run,” trainer Lionel Cohen said.
“It’s not ideal that’s he’s a three-year-old racing against older horses but if he did race against his own age, at this time of the season he would get too much weight.
“He’s ready to race and you can’t dodge them forever.”
Aeronautical is on the cusp of being a genuine Group horse after making promising inroads during a winter and spring campaign – his first preparation.
At his fourth start he produced what promises to be a trademark finish when he overhauled Bello and Queenian to win The Rosebud at Listed level.
His spring came to an end after finishing at the back of the field in the Group One Golden Rose and the Group Two Roman Consul Stakes.
Aeronautical won a Rosehill barrier trial last week with Corey Brown in the saddle but the Melbourne Cup-winning jockey will miss Friday night’s meeting because of suspension.
Blake Shinn, who rode Aeronautical in a Rosehill track gallop on Monday, is in the box seat for the Canterbury ride.
Nathan Berry has ridden Aeronautical in four of the gelding’s six starts but Cohen said a jockey hadn’t been locked in for the autumn.
“It’s always a tricky one,” he said.
“I would like to take the horse to Melbourne for the Australian Guineas and with jockeys it is a matter of who’s where at the time because there will be some races that will clash along the way.”
The $750,000 Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) will be run Flemington on March 3.
On the same day in Sydney, the Group Two Hobartville Stakes for three-year-olds will be run during the Silver Slipper Stakes meeting at Rosehill.
AAP TURF
