![Officiate is chasing his first victory for trainers Aaron Bain and Ned Taylor at Morphettville Parks. [Bradley Photos]](https://betsy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2165247.jpg)
Aaron Bain still has a little way to go to recoup Officiate’s purchase price, but the Angaston trainer is confident the Stakes-placed gelding will prove a profitable commodity in the long run.
The four-year-old, who started his career with Chris Waller, will chase his first win since relocating to South Australia in Saturday’s Hahn Handicap (1569m) at Morphettville Parks.
The son of Justify earned just over $16,000 for minor placings at his first two runs for Bain and Ned Taylor but chases a $27,300 winner’s cheque this weekend and Bain is still pinching himself that he was able to get him for $60,000 via Inglis Digital in May.
“We probably didn’t think we’d be able to get him for that, to be fair,” he said.
“I knew a few people from Chris’s and reached out and they said he was sound, happy and healthy and he’s been all of that.
“The way he’s performed in a lot of those class races was going to be good enough to measure up in Adelaide for a couple of seasons and target some better races.
“There was a lot of upside from our perspective.”
Bain’s purchase price was a fraction of the $700,000 Yulong forked out at Magic Millions’ 2YO Horse In Training Sale for the horse who earlier sold for $300,000 as a yearling.
He arrived at Bain’s a winner of just one race, but placed in the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) and was deemed worthy of a start in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) last spring and Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) earlier this year.
His South Australian career started with a third placing over 1250m on July 11, before a second placing to Centu Cavaddi over 1600m at Morphettville a fortnight later.
Bain kept him up to the mark with a 600m jumpout at Murray Bridge on August 6.
“He’s in a great spot, we’re just drawn a little bit tricky for the Parks track, but he probably brings in a class factor and he should be going close,” Bain said.
Officiate drew barrier 10 in the field of 12, but comes into eight after a couple of early scratchings with Jackson Murphy to ride with the pair at $7 in the market headed by the Michael Hickmott-trained Extinguish at $4.80.
