Donn McClean paid a visit to Robson De Aguiar to get the latest on his strong team for the 2026 Flat season.
Robson De Aguiar took out his trainer’s licence just last November, and was quickly into his stride.
Formerly assistant trainer to Adrian Murray, he was deeply involved with the training of the Amo Racing horses who were under the care of the affable Westmeath man, including Group 1 winners Bucanero Fuerte, Power Blue and Arizona Blaze. De Aguiar had his first runner himself in mid-November, Bryant, in a 10-and-a-half-furlong handicap at Dundalk, and he had his first winner just two weeks later, Bryant again, in a two-mile handicap back at Dundalk. Then he sent out Square Necker to win his maiden back at Dundalk the following month, and he was on his way.
“We’re very happy with how things have been going,” says the Brazilian native. “The horses have been running well, so hopefully we can keep on improving. We don’t really set targets, we just try to have some nice horses and we try to get each horse to reach his or her true potential. We hope that we can continue to improve every year.”
Stable Tour
Bucanero Fuerte
5yo g (Wootton Bassett – Frida La Blonde)
Winner of the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes as a juvenile, he did well last season, winning the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes and finishing third in the Group 1 Flying Five at The Curragh in September.
He was well beaten at Cork on his return this season, but you can forgive him that. The ground was really soft at Cork that day and it was a windy day and he just didn’t give his running. He has come on for that run.
He worked at The Curragh last week and he worked well. He will go for the Greenlands Stakes back at The Curragh on 23rd May, and we hope that he can go well in that. Looking ahead to later in the season, we are looking forward to going back for the Flying Five again in September. He gets six furlongs, but he has the speed for five.
Ballinea Star
2yo f (Space Blues – Jeanne Girl)
She was due to make her racecourse debut at The Curragh on the first day of the turf season, but she couldn’t run on the day, she was coughing, and we gave her a little bit of time off after that.
She is going well now though, she worked at The Curragh on Monday and she worked really well. I think a lot of her, she has a lot of class. We’re looking forward to getting her out now and seeing how she goes. I think that she could be a Royal Ascot filly.
Chesham
2yo f (Sea The Stars – Newton’s Angel)
She’s a really nice filly. She hasn’t run yet, but we think that she will do well.
By Sea The Stars, she’s a sister to Space Legend, who finished second to Calandagan in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot two years ago. She’ll start off over seven furlongs later this season, and we think that she could develop into a talented miler or middle-distance filly next year.
Edward Thatch
2yo c (Blackbeard – Bright And Sunny)
He ran well for a long way on his racecourse debut at The Curragh three weeks ago. He showed a lot of speed early on there, and I think that he will improve a lot on that run.
He has lots of class. His dam is a sister to Iberia, who won over seven furlongs as a juvenile and who finished third in the Royal Lodge Stakes. He will probably be a six or seven-furlong horse later in the season, but he should have the speed to win over five.
Immortal Guard
2yo c (Persian Force – Souls In The Wind)
He’s a nice horse, his dam is a half-sister to Caliburn, who was a good middle-distance horse, and I think that he is a six-furlong. He’s going the right way. He will be making his debut soon, and he could be a Coventry Stakes horse if he continues to improve.
Ipanema Queen
3yo f (Sands Of Mali – No More Thrills)
She won listed races at The Curragh and at Dundalk last year, and she started off this season with a good run at Dundalk last month, when she was just beaten by Flanker Jet. She was a little keen in front that day, but she battled back well, and she only went down by a nose.
She has come on for that run and we’re happy with where she is now. She’ll go for a five-and-a-half-furlong listed race at Cork the weekend after next. She’s got lots of speed, she’s a real sprinter, and we hope that she will continue to improve.
Maria Quiteria
2yo f (Churchill – Livvys Dream)
We were obviously very happy with her win on her racecourse debut at Dundalk in March. She showed a lot of pace that day and she won well.
She has come out of the race well, and we haven’t been hard on her since. She’ll go for the Group 3 juvenile fillies’ race at Naas on Royal Ascot trials day, and hopefully she’ll go on to Royal Ascot after that. She could be an Albany Stakes filly.
Power Blue
3yo c (Space Blues – Visions)
He was really good last year in winning the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes from True Love, who went to Newmarket and won the Cheveley Park Stakes next time.
We were very happy with his seasonal return at Leopardstown last week toowhen he finished second in the Group 3 Red Rocks Stakes. He has come out of the race well, and he will go either for the Newmarket Guineas now or the Irish Guineas. I think that he will get a mile okay and, if he doesn't, we can always come back in trip. We know that he likes it at The Curragh, so the Irish Guineas is a race that could suit him well.
What A Girl Wants
2yo f (Persian Force – Hoodna)
She ran well on her racecourse debut at The Curragh on Sunday. She was just a little bit green, but she did well and she should improve a lot for the experience.
She is a half-sister to four winners, and her dam won twice over six furlongs and finished third in a Bunbury Cup. We’ll look for another maiden for her now, and then hopefully she will go to Royal Ascot. Colin Keane, who rode her on Sunday, said that she has the pace for five furlongs, but she should stay six.
Unnamed
2yo c (Wootton Bassett - Qabala)
We really like this colt, he shows a lot of class. We haven’t been hard on him, but we’re looking forward to him lots.
He’s a half-brother to Raammee, who has won his only two races, both over a mile, and his dam won the Nell Gwyn Stakes and finished third in the 1000 Guineas. He wasn’t cheap, but he’s a really nice colt, and he should be out in June or July.
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