Toowoomba trainer Ron Macrae’s ban on cushion tracks will see under-rated three-year-old Aquatorial make a surprise return to midweek racing at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.
Aquatorial will contest the www.brc.com.au Handicap (1000m) in his first start since finishing fourth to Paris Blu over 1350 metres at Doomben on September 10.
Macrae is aiming Aquatorial for the Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast in January and is looking for an easy option to launch the gelding’s campaign.
“I could have given him a barrier trial or a race at Toowoomba but I’ve put a bar on the cushion track here,” Macrae said.
“He loves the cushion tracks and has won two from two on the Toowoomba cushion but he jars up and gets stiff in the shoulder.
“In his first win on the cushion he won by more than two lengths and in his second he won with a leg in the air by more than seven.
“But I don’t like the cushion. There’s no slide to take the jar out for a horse like him.”
Macrae believes Aquatorial will easily run 1400 metres and eventually will get 1600 metres.
“I was delighted with his last run. It was enormous,” Macrae said.
“He was caught three wide all the way without cover and only got beaten a neck for second.
“Paris Blue won the race easily and is pretty smart but he should have finished a lot closer.”
Macrae is confident Aquatorial will be highly competitive at the midweeks before backing him up in an 1100-metre three-year-old race at Doomben on Saturday week.
“It’ll only be 10 days between tomorrow’s run and his next start but he’s raced well on quick back-ups in the past,” he said.
“I want to give him four runs before the Magic Millions and we’ll see how he goes when he steps up in class after his Doomben run in the Gold Edition and Vo Rogue Plate.”
The Listed Gold Edition Plate (1200m) will be run at Eagle Farm on December 17 with the Group Three Vo Rogue Plate (1350m) at Doomben on December 31.
Aquatorial cost $50,000 as a yearling at the Magic Millions sales and he has returned almost $100,000 in prizemoney with three wins from 10 starts.
“He’s half brother to the good horse I once had, Bonza Crop,” he said.
Bonza Crop had to be euthanased after snapping his near side foreleg in a two-horse fall at Eagle Farm in June, 2007.
AAP TURF
