Aroused might have been beaten at Flemington on Cox Plate Day, but it hasn’t stopped Grahame Begg aiming up with the untapped filly.
The daughter of Snitzel will take on some distinguished types in the $1 million Group 3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes at Sandown.
The 1200-metre event will be just her third start, with a dominant debut maiden win followed up with a short-head defeat in the Listed Crockett Stakes (1200m) on October 24.
Saturday’s race is a further step up on that, with Natural Fling, Chayan, Lady Catalina, Sequinned and Crockett Stakes winner Caddington among her rivals, but Begg is convinced his filly has further improvement in store.
“She ran very well, she just got a little bit exposed for inexperience up the straight,” he said.
“Also, she had to do it at both ends. She drew the outside gate and the one down on the inside probably dropped off a bit quick and she got left in front but she ran very, very well and we think this is a nice race for her.
“It’s a nice time between both races that three-week gap.”
Her maiden win, a three-length rout over 1000m at Ballarat, was on September 30.
Aroused is out of the Written Tycoon mare Sexy Eyes, who cost $700,000 at last year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and wears the Fairway Thoroughbreds colours of Winx’s breeder John Camillieri.
She came up with barrier three n the big field of 15 with Jordan Childs, who has ridden Aroused in her two starts to date, again aboard.
Aroused forms part of a strong book for Begg and Childs in the day’s features, also combining with Splash Back in the day’s $1 million Orr Stakes and defending champion She’s A Hustler in the $750,000 Group 2 Zipping Classic.
