A trip to California is on the cards for our talented two-year-old AESTERIUS following his win in the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg at Longchamp on Sunday, 1st September.
Wathnan Racing’s son of Mehmas scored his third win in five starts in the five-furlong sprint, making virtually all the running to beat fellow British raider Kaadi by a comfortable length and a half.
Now Archie is planning to take his chance in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar on 1st November – after a possible crack at Group 1 company in France.
“He’s in the Prix de l’Abbaye on Arc weekend which we almost won with Soldier’s Call as a two-year-old after he had taken the d’Arenberg,” explains Archie.
“We’ll discuss that with the owners but the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar will be his final target of the season. He’s a very talented colt and it’s fantastic to train a Group Winner for Wathnan Racing as they have really supported us.
“He bought a strong level of form into the race in Paris. Everything went smoothly and he won it impressively, as I hoped he would. James Doyle was delighted with him and said it was very straightforward,” he adds.
Aesterius, who was bought for £380,000 by Blandford Bloodstock at the Goffs Breeze-Ups, went close to winning the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Glorious Goodwood after taking the Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown Park.
Before that he finished a close fifth in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, just a short-head behind subsequent Group 1 Prix Morny winner Whistlejacket.
Archie, who has enjoyed many successful raids to France with his juvenile division, won the Prix d’Arenberg with Soldier’s Call in 2018, when the race was run at Chantilly.
By Simon Mapletoft
