She’s well named along seafaring lines, has been given plenty of mooring time and can sail home a debutant winner at Thursday’s feature Newcastle meeting on the Beaumont course. Aptly named Aweigh, a three-year-old daughter of Group 1 powerhouse Merchant Navy, has her first start in an intriguing Fillies and Mares’ Maiden Hcp over 1200m to close the meeting. Trainers Sterling Alexiou and Gerald Ryan have given Aweigh time to mature.
Credit: Getty And she seemingly won’t be anchored down by the wide draw if her latest trial at Canterbury is any form reference. Travelling off the fence on Soft 7 ground, Aweigh covered plenty of territory in the run, but still found the line nicely, despite being a little wayward in the straight. That fresh effort 16 days ago came after an 18-week spell since having two quieter winter trials.
Based in the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou stable at Rosehill, with a long list of owners, Aweigh has been given plenty of maturity and growth time and looks primed to start with a bang, especially if the rain sticks around and the surface settles in soft range. She opened up in a wide race on the second line of betting around $4.80, but is set to start shorter with early favourite Hurry Miss being preferred at Wednesday’s Warwick Farm meeting.
That should leave Aweigh battling for market honours with Exceed And Excel three-year-old Alliteration, who debuts for the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott yard behind two progressive trials. An emerging showd.
