Promising filly Aberlour added plenty of value to a future breeding career when she won a tooth and nail battle against the heavily supported Hakadecree to capture the Listed Liquorland Gore Guineas (1335m).
The daughter of former Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) winner Mongolian Falcon had won stylishly in maiden company on her home track on New Year’s Day for Riverton trainer Kelvin Tyler, with many prepared to say she would take the jump to stakes company in the feature event at Gore in her stride as they installed her a $3.20 favourite.
That task wasn’t made easy by the well supported Illicit Dreams ($4.70) who niggled away on her inner as the pair set up a strong pace at the head of affairs throughout.
Under northern rider Jasmine Fawcett, Aberlour shook off all challenges bar Hakadecree ($3.70) who loomed on her outer rounding the home bend and at one point put his head in front and looked to be going the better of the two.
Fawcett asked for one final effort with the filly responding to take back the lead and go to the winning post a head clear of Hakadecree with Epee Beel making up good ground to finish third.
Tyler wasn’t on hand to witness the victory as he was at Trentham saddling up his Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) hope Prince Alby but managed to take in the race on television.
“I managed to duck into the Farrier’s room to watch the race and was having a pretty decent shout at the TV,” Tyler said.
“She is a really good quality filly and she is plenty tough.
“I’ve been up here (at Trentham) lately but the camp at home had been happy with her so we thought she would be a chance today.
“She is from a good family including Tobilicious and she has the same traits as him as she is talented and very genuine.”
Tyler will now look at several of the upcoming three-year-old races on the southern circuit for his charge.
“We will most likely miss Wingatui (Listed Dunedin Guineas, 1500m) and go to Invercargill (Listed Southland Guineas, 1600m).
“After that there is a good race at Dunedin (Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes, 1400m) and we may look to step her up over further later in the autumn.
“I guess the only downside is that we lost her dam when she was foaling last year, but we have her and a lovely Satono Aladdin filly to carry on the family so it’s not all bad news.”
Aberlour is out of the Postponed mare Sophie Louise who is the dam of Tobilicious, a five race winner who ran second in the 2020 Gr.2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) before going on to finish fourth in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) in 2021.