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Emerging talent Aberlour extended her winning sequence to three and completed a southern Guineas double with a tour de force in Saturday’s Listed ILT Ascot Park Hotel Southland Guineas (1600m) at Ascot Park.
The Riverton filly had begun her career with a fourth and two thirds, including a third placing during the New Zealand Cup Carnival at Riccarton in November. She broke through with a six-length maiden win on her home track on New Year's Day, then stepped up to stakes level with a narrow but authoritative long-neck victory in the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) last month.
Trainer Kelvin Tyler bypassed the Listed Dunedin Guineas (1500m) on February 3, believing the 1600m of the Southland Guineas made it an ideal target, and Aberlour proved him right on Saturday with a dominant performance.
Aberlour jumped from gate two and jockey Kylie Williams drove her forward, taking the lead inside the first 50m. She dictated terms from there and was travelling easily all the way down the back and side of the Invercargill racecourse.
Williams released the brakes at the home turn and Aberlour bounded away, opening up a winning margin of five and a half lengths over Quintabelle and Riviera Rebel.
Aberlour has now recorded three wins and two placings from six starts, earning more than $135,000 in stakes.
"She was dominant today," Tyler said. "I went into it thinking she was a very good chance, but she probably ended up being a bit better than I expected, to be honest.
"She loved that step up to 1600m today, and I think she'll go further than that. She'd probably relish the distance of an Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m), but I purposely didn't put her in the nominations for that because I didn't think she'd quite be ready for it. I just wanted to play the patient game with her.
"I think she's definitely one of the better three-year-old fillies I've had come through the stable. She just puts herself in her races, has a high cruising speed and keeps going. She's exciting."
Tyler had been eyeing up a Listed feature for three-year-old fillies at Wingatui on March 2 as Aberlour's likely next target, but her blistering performance may prompt a rethink.
"If you'd asked me this morning, I probably would have said we'll go to the Airfreight Stakes (1400m) next and work our way towards the Warstep (Listed, 2000m)," Tyler said. "Now I'm not sure if we stick to that plan, or if she might possibly be a little bit better than that.
"I think I'll let the dust settle on this win and see what happens. I have been tossing up the idea of taking a couple over to Queensland. Maybe she could enter the frame for that."
Aberlour was bred by Av Todd, who shares ownership with son and daughter-in-law Michael and Emma Tyler, along with Kelvin Tyler and his wife Vanessa.
Aberlour is the headline act among the three winners so far sired by Gr.2 Hawke's Bay Guineas (1400m) winner Mongolian Falcon. The son of Fastnet Rock stands at Hau Ora Farm in Hawke's Bay, where his service fee is $3,000.
