Soon-To-Be Trainer Robson Aguiar On The Hunt For Next Group 1 Star At Goffs

[Wandering Eyes]

DONCASTER, ENGLAND – The training ranks in Ireland could be set for a massive shake-up with Robson Aguiar, widely regarded as one of the sharpest minds in bloodstock, confirming that he hopes to join Adrian Murray on the licence later this year. 

The Brazilian native is due to sit the trainers' course in September and, in anticipation of being granted the licence by the authorities [IHRB], he has been busy searching for the next big-name star in Doncaster ahead of the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale. 

It is at this sale where Adrian Murray's recent Group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner Power Blue was sourced. In his current role as assistant trainer to Murray, Aguiar has almost single-handedly been responsible for the upsurge of fortune of that outfit, from which big-race successes have also been achieved with Bucanero Fuerte, Arizona Blaze, Valiant Force and more. 

“I am doing the trainers' course at the moment and, if that goes well, the plan will be to train on a joint-licence [with Adrian Murray] later this year,” Aguiar commented. “This sale has been lucky for us. We bought Queen Jo Jo, Brave Emperor, The Lir Jet, Arizona Blaze and Power Blue here. I have seen a lot of horses here this week and I like a few. There are a few racy horses here and, if they come my way, I will try to buy them. If they don't, that's okay.”

Power Blue was bought by Aisling Noone and Simon Kavanagh of Drumloose Stables for just £44,000 here last year. After winning the first maiden of the year at the Curragh, a race that Murray landed the previous two seasons with Arizona Blaze and Bucanero Fuerte respectively, Power Blue went on to chase home Albert Einstein in the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes before being sold to Amo Racing. It was Amo's familiar purple silks that Power Blue carried when making all to win the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh earlier this month and Aguiar has big ambitions for the Space Blues colt. 

He said, “I had an idea that Power Blue was a Group 1 horse early in the season because I had been working him with Valiant Force, Arizona Blaze and Bucanero Fuerte. He matched them so I always knew he was a good horse. I think there is a lot more to come from him. If I had my way, I would put him away for this season because he had a hard race in the Phoenix Stakes and has already raced six times this year. I think he could be a Guineas horse for next year and he could even stay further when he fills into his frame. If you keep doing more now, you could empty him for next year.”

Aguiar added, “Power Blue cost £44,000 and I gave £82,000 for Arizona Blaze. Not everybody jumps on first-season sires because they don't know what is going to happen so that's why we didn't have to give a lot of money for either of those. When I see a horse at the sale, I want to race them so I look for athletic types and I don't look much at the paper [pedigree]. The paper helps but it doesn't make them go faster. If you have paper and a nice horse, better still but you cannot run with only pedigree. I prefer to have the horse over the pedigree.”

Aguiar has been busy inspecting horses at Goffs since Sunday. Few people have a better track record at unearthing hidden gems at bargain prices than he does and at times it seems as though he can see things that others can't given his roll of honour. 

Speaking about his approach to the sales, he commented, “I work hard [inspecting horses]. I look for racy, athletic horses with good action and they need to be strong enough as well. A little bit of size and scope is good too. Attitude doesn't bother me so much because some horses show a bad attitude here [whilst showing] because they are too tired to show or maybe they are too fresh. Attitude is nothing because, if a horse has a little bit of a bad attitude, you can work on them or maybe even give them more work and then they will put their head down for you.”

He added, “I don't come to the sales to spend £200,000 or £500,000. I come here to buy a nice, racy horse for what they should be worth. I don't like overpaying for horses. If you like a horse but it goes over your price, let it go and move onto the next horse or even the next sale.”

Aguiar may have cut his teeth at the breeze-up sales but his focus is almost entirely focussed on being involved in the training of horses for the track now. And while Kia Joorabchian remains one of the biggest clients on the books at his Mullingar-based operation in County Westmeath, he admitted that he would be open to outside owners joining the stable ahead of next year. 

He said, “If you invest a million in breeze-up horses you can maybe make two million but when you enter a horse for a breeze-up sale, the horse needs to be fast, sound and you need to tick all of the right boxes to get paid. It's not easy. When you race, if your horse is not ready, okay, no problem. You can run in another two weeks. You need to be ready for one day for the breeze-ups. Take Power Blue for example, he is a good horse but is not fast enough for the breeze-ups so maybe he would have only made £50,000 or £60,000 if he went there. Who are buying breeze-ups now? Wathnan Racing, Godolphin and Kia [Joorabchian, Amo Racing] buy the ones at the top. But if you don't hit the clock, you lose. I prefer to try and win a maiden on the racecourse and sell. And if you have a filly you can always try to get black-type and sell in December either.”

Aguiar concluded, “I bought two – by Wooded and Hello Youmzain – for myself in France already this year and I usually try to buy two or three at every sale. Then I bring them home and maybe try to get some partnerships together. Because I am going training next year, I need a few two-year-olds so I will try to buy a few this week and maybe bring in some owners, sell some shares or something like that.”

The two-day premier yearling sale, from which this year's Group 1 July Cup heroine No Half Measures is also a graduate from, kicks off on Wednesday at 10am.

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