Aaron Bain Racing | Aaron Bain News 63728 Abr Weekend Review

The song says “Two out of three ain’t bad” but for Aaron Bain Racing, three out of four is better.

At Melton in Victoria on Saturday, ABR won three of the four Group 2 $100,000 Breeders Crown finals – and ran second in the other.

CAPTAIN PERFECT and BEACH DIAMOND were victorious in the three-year-old colts & geldings and fillies finals respectively, then LOUCASSO thrashed his rivals in the two-year-old colts and geldings final.

ONE MILLIE ran a valiant second in the two-year-old fillies final.

 Aaron Bain Racing was delighted that so many of the “ABR family” were involved in the winning trio, all trained by Emma Stewart.

“We have had some wonderful people who jumped aboard the Bain Train basically from day one, and it is wonderful they are enjoying our successes,” said Aaron Bain, director of ABR.

CAPTAIN PERFECT was the first to step out in the Woodlands Stud Breeders Crown (2240m) for three-year-old colts & geldings.

Coming from gate 10, the CAPTAIN opened at $2 in betting but drifted to $3 with heavy support for Its Confidential ($5 into $2.80 fav).

Driver Mark Pitt allowed the charge to settle early with Its Confidential finding the front before bringing the ABR pacer around to sit parked.

CAPTAIN PERFECT showed his customary staying prowess to draw clear for a 1-1/2 metre win from stablemate Viney rating 1:53.6.

Clayton Tonkin, of Tonkin Stewart Racing, was confident CAPTAIN PERFECT would win.

“He has been super all year, he has been in every dogfight and to win the Breeders Crown tops it off for him,” Tonkin said.

“It was so deserved.

“There is still a bit of green grass around so he can have a break and when he comes back, hopefully he switches on a little bit more and he can be Eureka bound.”

Next up was two-year-old filly ONE MILLIE in the Hyland Racing Colours Breeders Crown (2240m).

She found the front for driver Ryan Sanderson before allowing stablemate Arrhythmia to take the lead. The filly tried hard but could not catch the leader being beaten 2-1/2 metres.

Then it was the turn of Vicbred Super Series champion BEACH DIAMOND to contest the Nutrien Equine Breeders Crown (2240m) coming from gate seven, the outside of the front row.

Punters believed she was the likely winner, and she firmed from $2 into $1.50 favourite.

A rival driver decided his filly’s best chance was to hold the lead and make the favourite work. It was a tactic which did not work.

Despite racing parked BEACH DIAMOND had too much class and won by nine metres from archrival Soho Americano, rating 1:54.2 with a last half of 56.2 seconds.

Winning driver Cam Hart is in love with BEACH DIAMOND.

“I can’t take too much credit for the win, she was awesome,” Hart said.

“We know how tough she is and she proved it again.

“It was awesome to have the power under the bonnet with our girl.”

Last up was LOUCASSO in the IRT Breeders Crown (2240m) for two-year-old colts & geldings.

He was sent out the $1.10 favourite and that proved to be over the odds.

Reinsman Mark Pitt took advantage of gate one to lead throughout and he cruised home by 24-1/2 metres rating an outstanding 1:52.2.

“He is probably the best juvenile I have drive to date,” Pitt said.

“He’s got speed, he’s got strength and he’s got the looks to go with it.

“I have driven a lot of really top-quality horses, Ride High was probably the best I had driven, this guy is not far behind him.”

LOUCASSO will only have a short break with the New South Wales Derby in March a likely early target in 2026, but he also could be Eureka-bound.

On the local front, MIKIS BEAUTY remained unbeaten for ABR with an all-the-way at Globe Derby Park on Monday in the Ladbrokes Popular SRM Pace (1800m) rating 1:56.0.

The mare is likely to be set for the $25,000 Kevin & Kay Seymour Feature (2230m) at Globe Derby Park on Saturday, December 27.

With the thoroughbred racing at Port Lincoln on Wednesday, ABR won’t make the trip, instead we will be focusing on the Friday and Saturday meetings locally at Oakbank and Murray Bridge.

Last Saturday at Gawler it was a case of “missed it by that much” with both THERE GOES MY HERO and MRS PENNY CRACKER.

On a front runner’s track, both horses overcame awkward draws to settle back but were still able to run home with impeded runs.

THERE GOES MY HERO finished fifth, beaten 1.4 lengths, but there is little doubt with a clear run he would have won.

MRS PENNY CRACKER had a little more luck in the home straight to finish second and would have won in one more stride.

But there was joy for ABR at Morphettville on Friday with ONE MORE SONG.

She stamped herself as a filly of quality with an outstanding win.

After winning a maiden at Murray Bridge at her previous run, ONE MORE SONG was able to step up to taking on the older mares in a Benchmark 62 in the NRG Solar Handicap (1200m).

The filly was also ridden “upside down” to achieve the victory for trainers Aaron Bain & Ned Taylor.

In her maiden win, ONE MORE SONG came from midfield but on Friday, jockey Todd Pannell took the advantage of the barrier one debut to stride through and lead.

She grabbed a break early in the home straight and held on to win.

ONE MORE SONG ($4.40) scored by a long neck from Global Turn ($9) with Brown Nose Day Gal ($6), three-quarters of a length away third.

Trainer Ned Taylor confirmed the stable had a good opinion of ONE MORE SONG.

“I don’t think that was her preferred way to be ridden,” Taylor said.

“Good horses get you out of trouble and the way the track is racing, Todd (Pannell) did a good job there.

“That is why you put the good riders on, they do the job out there and make the decisions we can’t from the grandstand.

“She would be a better horse chasing for sure, we saw that first up.

“Today we knew we had to use the gate, thanks to Todd, that was a brilliant ride.

“Thanks you to Mr (Wayne) Mitchell for supplying us with a very nice horse, hopefully we can get her out over a bit further, 1400 metres would be nice this time in, but we may tip her out and come back for the carnival.

“It is hard to place three-year-olds here at this time of year so we will make a decision next week.

“She is a lovely filly, got a good frame and a great attitude like today where we raced her out of her comfort zone, she is very honest.

“It doesn’t get any better than training winners for the ‘Big Boss’ as we call Mr Mitchell, he supplies us with a beautiful property at Angaston, and we are really reaping the rewards.”

Winning jockey Todd Pannell also is an unabashed fan of ONE MORE SONG.

“She obviously stepped up really well today,” Pannell said.

“It wasn’t the intention to be in front, but we did.

“She is a nice enough horse to be able to adapt to different situations.

“She is versatile and that is a big plus.

“ONE MORE SONG stepped brilliantly today and nothing but was pushing forward to take up the lead.

“I was able to get into a position to take luck out of the equation because I didn’t want to be bottled up either and have bad luck so when we got the lead it was probably a bit of a blessing.

“Aaron and Ned are doing a good job with the horses, and it is nice to be a small part of the team to get the rides they are giving me, and every now and then getting one over the line for them.”

 

Weekend star

How do you separate three Group 2 Breeders Crown winners to select the weekend star?

CAPTAIN PERFECT was his tough self with a courageous win, then super filly BEACH DIAMOND sat parked to secure her crown.

To complete the ABR Breeders Crown hat-trick, LOUCASSO thrashed his rivals.

And the ABR Weekend Star is LOUCASSO.

Yes, he did have gate one and was able to lead throughout in his 2240 metre final for two-year-old colts & geldings, but his absolute arrogance in the home straight left watchers open-mouthed.

Driver Mark Pitt let LOUCASSO bowl along as if in trackwork early with a comfortable 30.3 second first quarter of the last 1600 metres, then he applied a bit of pressure to the accelerator.

It was as if Mark Pitt was saying to his rivals “keep up if you can.”

As LOUCASSO recorded a 27.8 second quarter, the majority of the field dropped astern.

A 26.8 second third quarter had the second and third placegetters gasping for air and in the home straight the ABR two-year-old cruised home in 27.4 seconds for an overall sensational mile rate of 1:52.2.

LOUCASSO won by 24-1/2 metres, untouched, beating stablemate Cardigan Dan which sat on the winner’s back, with Luvtobeuptome a neck away third.

That pair were 15 metres ahead of the fourth placegetter with the last placegetter beaten 253.9 metres.

Race caller Dan Mileicki said LOUCASSO was like a Concorde jet taking on Cessnas and that was how it appeared, so he is a worthy ABR Weekend Star.