Source :- THE AGE NEWS
She’s his only runner on the program, but veteran trainer Les Bridge knows all about good things coming to those who wait.
The long-time Randwick-based horseman saddles up four-year-old mare Aye Aye Captain in an open Benchmark 72 Hcp over 1300m for the older gallopers, the final race of Wednesday’s testing Warwick Farm meeting.
And it’s only her second outing since the spring of 2024 when she promised so much as an early season three-year-old.
With intermittent rain returning in the 24 hours leading up to the meeting, a heavy track is likely, although that shouldn’t bother Aye Aye Captain that has always shown a liking for wet ground, and bolted in her only previous start in soft going.
That was first-up and back in early October 2024, with the daughter of Merchant Navy having only her third start.
She promptly underlined her potential motoring home to claim a very strong Rosehill maiden, beating Diddle Dumpling and Straand Beauty. Those two quickly went on to win at BM 72 level.
Aye Aye Captain then jumped sharply to a BM 68 finishing just behind the placegetters before saluting again as a well backed favourite in a similar race at Rosehill in mid-November that year.
But then came the setbacks, a frustrating 75 weeks off via two stop-start trials before she finally returned in mid-April on the Kensington course, hitting the line from midfield into a place in a handy fillies and mares’ BM 72 over 1100m.
Given time to recover, Aye Aye Captain had an easy trial at home 19 days ago, and is now seemingly ready to recapture the form that made her such an exciting young prospect.
In what is the most open race on a tough program, Aye Aye Captain opened about $5.00 in early betting, just behind Mamushka ($4.80), with a big gap to the next runner on the $8.50 mark.
It would be a nice mid-week tonic for The Everest-winning trainer Bridge after talented colt Inspired Legend ran third in Saturday’s Group 1 Qld Derby at Eagle Farm.
