Miami Bound (NZ) Dominates Moonee Valley Gold Cup

Karaka 2018 graduate Miami Bound (NZ) (Reliable Man) scored a dominant victory in Saturday’s A$500,000 Group Two McCafe Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m), becoming the first mare to win the race in 35 years. 

Miami Bound was bought for $120,000 from Westbury Stud’s draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2018, and last year’s Group One VRC Oaks (2500m) winner has now had 14 starts for five wins, two placings and more than A$1.22 million in stakes – 10 times her purchase price.

Ridden by Jamie Kah on Saturday for trainer Danny O’Brien, the quality four-year-old enjoyed a comfortable midfield run before mounting her challenge coming up to the home turn.

She moved up alongside the leaders at the top of the straight and quickened impressively to take control of the race, bursting clear to win by two and a half lengths.

Miami Bound booked herself a spot in the starting gate for next month’s A$7.75m Group One Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 3.

“She gave us a great thrill last spring in the Oaks, and it's a great effort to come back here and beat all the boys in the Moonee Valley Cup,” O'Brien said.

“We've been really pleased with her all spring, but she has been running on firm tracks and probably at unsuitable distances. She grew a leg today on the soft track. She was never going to get beaten.

“I would think she'd definitely be an acceptor for the Melbourne Cup now – she won that impressively. When you're that close, it’s pretty hard not to run.

“It's difficult for fillies that have won a VRC Oaks to come back and win a Melbourne Cup, I don't think it's been done for 30 or 40 years. But I think we'll be there on the first Tuesday in November, and we'll give it a crack.”

The countdown is already underway for Karaka 2021, which will again showcase the very best New Zealand thoroughbreds. Book 1 will run across three days from Sunday 24 January, followed immediately by Book 2 from Wednesday 27 through to Friday 29 January.