Aaron Bain Racing | Aaron Bain News 63945 Abr Weekend Review

It is a busy time of year for Aaron Bain Racing with the round of yearling sales throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The sales give the opportunity for the ABR team to find the next Winx or Black Caviar as we continue to build the brand.

Aaron Bain, director of ABR, is at the Gold Coast this week, looking for our first Group 1 winner.

Speaking of that, ABR hopes we might have found a Group winner in New Zealand, a three-year-old filly called THUNDARA.

She has had just one run for a close up fourth over 1400 metres at Tauranga on Friday, January 2.

After settling slightly worse than midfield early, THUNDARA ran home powerfully to finish fourth to a stablemate, beaten a length, but only two noses away from second, and she was in front shortly after the post.

Trainers Aaron Bain & Ned Taylor hope she might be able to develop into an SA Oaks chance, and perhaps the Queensland Oaks this year.

THUNDARA was bred by the successful Mapperley Stud which has asked to retain a percentage in the filly.

It would be remiss not to wish co-trainer Ned Taylor a “Happy Birthday.”

Co-trainer Aaron Bain said Ned’s work was second to none and ABR is pumped to have him steering the ship for a big 2026.

No runners for ABR on Wednesday at Strathalbyn.

 

Harness Racing

NAROBI bounced back to her best at Gawler on Monday.

Despite an incredible betting drift from $1.50 out to $2.30, at which price she was still favourite, NAROBI found the front from gate five and gave nothing else a chance.

Trainer Peter Bain has done a great job to have the mare back and firing and it was a classic drive by Wayne Hill.

At Maryborough in Victoria on Monday, ABR’s SIGNATURE LOOK made a winning debut in the Vital Signs 3YO Maiden (1690m).

Trained by Emma Stewart, and driven by Kate Gath, SIGNATURE LOOK rated a very quick 1:54.4 with a last half of a smart 55.1 seconds, all the more impressive because he was forced to sit parked for the entire race.

The colt tended to race greenly as well indicating he will continue to improve with maturity.

Tuesday saw two heats of a Mares Classic at Globe Derby Park culminating in a $15,000 Final (1800m) on Saturday, January 24 at SA’s premier track.

MIKIS BEAUTY bounced back to winning form in heat one, the Ladbrokes Bet Ticker Pace (1800m).

Sent out a solid $1.40 favourite, MIKIS BEAUTY, trained by Peter Bain and driven by Wayne Hill, sat parked from gate four but was too strong winning by 2-1/2 metres rating a smart 1:55.9 with the race run in four sub-30 second quarters.

ABR will have two runners in the final with DREAMALITTLEDREAM running an excellent second in her heat, beaten a head in 1:57.2.

Weekend Star

An outstanding win by NAROBI saw her classed as ABR’s Weekend Star.

The former New Zealand mare found the front from gate five in the Lyndoch Motors Pace (2070m) and kept running giving nothing else a chance.

NAROBI crossed the line 30-1/2 metres clear of the second placegetter and rated an impressive 1:55.5, only 0.8 outside the track record held by former stablemate The Kapiti Express.

Trainer Peter Bain has the mare back to her best form and, hopefully, she can progress through the grades.

After an excellent first up win in SA for ABR, NAROBI had two unplaced runs having little luck, so Bain freshened her before a racetrack return.

He was so confident she was ready to produce he decided against a trial coming straight to the races and his judgement was vindicated.

 

Vale Val Bain

The ABR family was shocked to hear of the passing of our matriarch, Val, on Monday evening.

Val, 86, passed away after a short illness, and without a doubt was responsible for the building of Aaron Bain Racing.

With a passion for harness racing, she bred and owned countless winners with the Hilltop prefix trained by her son Peter.

The boutique business was taken to the next level by her grandson Aaron, and she took great pride in his building of Aaron Bain Racing.

Val was a very proud woman when Hilltop Blossom won the 2YO Fillies Southern Cross final last month at Globe Derby Park.

She had bred countless feature winners but that was her first Southern Cross success – a race she had been chasing.

Less than two weeks ago, Val, and her husband Trevor, were at Globe Derby Park cheering on the ABR team, and excited about possible trips to Melbourne during the year watching her horses.

Deepest condolences to the Bain family.