Eurell’s Got Aurie’s Star in his sights
Armed with a handy fresh record and a liking for the Flemington straight course, the Greg Eurell-trained We’ve Got This will be out to make an immediate impression in his season return in the Aurie’s Star Handicap.
Saturday’s Group Three Aurie’s Star (1200m) has been the first-up target for some time and We’ve Got This has won a Cranbourne barrier trial as part of his build-up.
“He’s had a good preparation. Everything has gone to plan,” Eurell said.
“It will be a tough race, as always, but he’s in good shape.
“This looked a nice race to kick him off. He races well down the straight and he’s good fresh, so it ticked a few boxes.”
We’ve Got This has won one of his four first-up starts and been runner-up in two others.
He won over the straight 1200m at Flemington in February last year while in the spring he was third in the Group Two Bobbie Lewis Quality and second in the Group Two Gilgai over the course and distance.
The Aurie’s Star, in which he will be ridden by Craig Newitt, will be the six-year-old’s first start since he was unplaced in the Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Sandown in November.
“I would say the horse is back to where he was, certainly from what we’ve seen at home and the way he trialled the other day,” Eurell said.
“We’ve had this in mind and hopefully want to capitalise on his freshness, and he’s had a good steady preparation.
“We’ve got a lot of miles under his legs. It’s always hard to beat race fitness but he’s in good shape and this has been the target race for him.
“We’ve certainly done as much as we can to hopefully have him as best we can on the day.”
The 17 Aurie’s Star nominations are headlined by Group One winners Hey Doc and I Am A Star, while premier Victorian trainer Darren Weir has Japanese import Brave Smash entered for his Australian debut.