Vandyke and Lloyd ready to unleash exciting filly Aithne
DAVID Vandyke remains hopeful his promising filly Aithne can impress at Eagle Farm on Wednesday despite drawing awkwardly for her race track debut.
Owned by Sona Bloodstock, Aithne comes into the event following a prominent trial at the Sunshine Coast on April 11 where she finished under half a length second over 850m.
A daughter of Foxwedge and Moonboat and a full younger sister to Sona’s talented race mare Aghna, there are plenty of people keen to see what Aithne can produce on debut when she steps out over five furlongs.
“She has trialled nice, she is a lovely type and she is very well bred, so I am not surprised people are expecting her to run well,” Vandyke said.
“She has had the one trial where she showed promise and prior to that she had a couple of jump-outs, so I think she is ready for the 1000m.
“She has come ahead nicely since the trial, but she will certainly benefit from the experience this Wednesday.”
Vandyke has a good opinion of the youngster and is expecting a forward showing when she she jumps from barrier seven over the sprint trip.
“She is in good shape, she is nice and fit, so I think she will run well,” he said.
“She is the type of filly which will improve with the experience – it’s her first day at the races, so we are always not 100 per cent sure what to expect.
“But her trials have been solid, her gallops have been good and I expect her to run a really good race.”
Vandyke said the barrier may prove a bit tricky, but says Aithne has plenty going for her including the skills of leading hoop Jeff Lloyd who takes the ride.
“She is drawn a little bit awkwardly in barrier seven, but we have got the master Jeff Lloyd on-board who is the leading rider in Queensland and he rode a winner for us on Sunday, so we are looking to continue the winning streak.”
And for those wondering about the name, which is Celtic for fire – the correct pronunciation is Ayth Nuh – although Vandyke quipped that may not matter come race day.
“It doesn’t matter how anyone pronounces it – it will sound great if she is first past the post,” he said.
Aithne will jump in race five at Eagle Farm on Wednesday, a two year old handicap worth $20,000 which is scheduled to start at 2.37pm.
In other news from the Sona Bloodstock stable, Aithne’s talented sister Aghna – previously under the watchful eye of David Hayes – is heading to Queensland to train under Toby Edmonds.