The $160,000 Listed ATC Winter Cup (2400m) at Rosehill on Saturday produced a stakes quinella for Aga Khan Stud’s Sea the Stars, who sired Emily Upjohn to win the Group I Coronation Cup at Epsom on Friday.
It was also a Chris Waller quinella with Al Aabir (IRE) edging out his stablemate Desert Icon (FR) to win by a neck in a thrilling finish with Kerrin McEvoy taking off on the favourite a long way from home to put him into the race.
Al Aabir came to Australia after just two starts in the UK where he placed both times and broke his maiden at Ballarat last September. He has gradually worked through his grades and was favourite for the Winter Cup with his first Black Type success taking his overall record to five wins and five placings from 13 starts.
“It was a bold move from Kerrin to get going as early as he did,” Waller said.
“The plan was to ride him conservative, just steady and build. But that’s the art of these good jockeys they make these decisions based on the lack of tempo, which the race was lacking in the middle stages.
“He got going and he knew what he was doing.”
Al Aabir was originally purchased by Shadwell as a yearling at Tattersalls October for 200,000 guineas and was then bought by Go Racing NZ for 50,000 guineas at the 2021 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.
He is the best of two winners from Wo De Xin, an unraced Shamardal mare from the family of Group I winners Love Divine, Sixties Icon and Dunboyne Express.
Al Aabir is the 106th stakes-winner for Galileo’s champion half-brother Sea the Stars, who stands at the Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud at a fee of 180,000 euros.