Adrian Keatley’s charge has taken seven races at Newcastle and now tries to keep up his winning spree in Southwell’s Win £250,000 With BetMGM’s Golden Goals Handicap on Thursday
Unstoppable bargain buy Aisling Oscar is hunting his eighth straight win as he works towards a £100,000 all-weather bonus.
Adrian Keatley’s charge will equal the 1996 feat of the Reg Akehurst-saddled Ballynakelly if he can take his form to Southwell on Thursday.
Aisling Oscar has scooped seven races on the bounce at Newcastle and now has a record which has stood for 30 years in his sights.
Bloodstock agent Dan Astbury, also responsible for sourcing Keatley’s useful juvenile jumper Indian River, found the seven-furlong and mile runner while looking for a horse for some of his pals.
“Aisling Oscar is getting better and has been more dominant as time has gone on,” said Keatley, operating at a 50 per cent strike rate in the last fortnight.
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“We’ve been having a good ride with him. He’s a sound horse who we have been able to back up quickly and avoid penalties for some of his wins.
“Hopefully he can keep it up.”
A 3,200 guineas purchase from the Tattersalls September Online Sale, Aisling Oscar began his sequence in November off a mark of just 46. The son of Rajasinghe and full-brother to Waiting All Night, a thoroughbred with a peak rating of 100, is now off 71 after the latest handicapping assessments were published on February 3.
Keatley, who has around 40 horses in training at a yard in the racing town of Malton, hopes his charge can secure the £100,000 AW Horse of the Year bonus after already collecting his share on monthly prizes.
“He has done really well,” added the Classic-winning trainer, based in North Yorkshire since 2019. “The record for handicap wins goes back to 1996.
“We have been a bit lucky, having the right horse for the right races. It’s his first time on the track at Southwell and that’s the only little question mark.”
Apprentice jockey Oisin McSweeney, successful on Aisling Oscar twice before, takes the reins in the Win £250,000 With BetMGM’s Golden Goals Handicap.
Bookmakers William Hill have the five-year-old gelding at the top of the market at odds of 7-4.
