The Clarendon Stakes at Hawkesbury has proven a valuable launching pad for numerous promising horses, and trainer Michael Freedman is hopeful that Aerodrome will soon be counted among them.
Aerodrome, a son of Ole Kirk, made a strong first impression earlier this month when he overpowered Hidden Motive, who went on to place at a Saturday city meeting, during a 1200m race at Warwick Farm. The pair outclassed their rivals by nearly five lengths in a dominant display.
Freedman, who celebrated a major victory with Marhoona in this year’s Golden Slipper, rates Aerodrome highly. He indicated that if the youngster runs up to expectations in the Clarendon Stakes (1400m) next Saturday, a campaign during Queensland’s winter carnival could be on the cards.
“I thought his first-up effort was terrific and he has improved off the back of that,” Freedman said.
“He will head to the Clarendon at Hawkesbury and if he can put in a good performance there, he will earn himself a trip to Queensland for something.
“A run over 1400 on Saturday will give us a much better idea (of his distance range) and if he is able to perform there, we could look at going up for races like the Sires’ Produce and J J (Atkins) potentially.”
Although the Clarendon Stakes does not hold black-type status, its scheduling between Sydney’s and Brisbane’s major carnivals provides an ideal platform for later-maturing two-year-olds to showcase their talents.
Among its most famous graduates is Zoustar, who won the race at his second career start in 2013 before securing victory in the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1350m) and later adding two Group 1 triumphs in the spring, ultimately paving the way for a stellar career at stud.
Other notable winners include Graff, who captured the race in 2018 and later achieved stakes success, and Godolphin’s talented mare Zardozi, who added her name to the honour roll in 2023 before claiming the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) six months later.
Hawkesbury’s stand-alone Saturday meeting has developed into a popular and significant date on the racing calendar, highlighted by four stakes races including the Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m), which offers Big Dance eligibility for participants.