Things will get much tougher for Aberfeldie Boy than the challenge he was issued at Pakenham last Thursday night, but Robbie Griffiths could not have been happier with how his Victoria Derby placegetter returned.
The gelding’s performance in a 1600m maiden only heightened the Cranbourne trainer’s enthusiasm for the autumn Derby he has set his sights on with the son of So You Think.
Minor issues forced Griffiths to abort plans for an ATC Australian Derby tilt, which was the race Griffiths identified as the ideal target after his luckless Victoria Derby third placing at $101, but realigned their sights and will now head to the Queensland Derby.
“We don’t think he’s anything near his peak, so it was nice to see him win, albeit in not a strong maiden, but it was well short of his best distance and we’re hoping that in six weeks’ time he can peak for the Group 1,” Griffiths said.
Aberfeldie Boy unleashed a strong finish from near the rear to score a narrow but impressive win at Pakenham.
While Griffiths and his training partner Mathew De Kock have a Group 1 goal in mind at the end of the preparation, Aberfeldie Boy will most likely be kept to Victoria’s provincial circuit for one more run before heading north.
“He came through the run really well, so the plan is to go to Ballarat on the 26th (of April) or Seymour on the 27th, whichever looks like being on the driest track, for a benchmark 64 over 2000,” Griffiths said.
“Then he’ll go to the Rough Habit on May 13 in Queensland and onto the Derby.”
The $250,000 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) will be run at Doomben, with the $1 million Queensland Derby to be run at Eagle Farm on May 27.