MIAMI BOUND FOR OAKS, THROUGH MANIFOLD
Boom filly Miami Bound will be tested for the first time at Stakes level on Saturday but her trainer Danny O'Brien thinks she'll pass with flying colours as she progresses towards the Group 1 VRC Oaks.
The daughter of Reliable Man has earned herself a big reputation after two impressive victories at Bendigo, the first being a 1400-metre maiden and the second in BM70 grade against her own age and sex over 1600m.
What has really caught the eye in her three starts to date is her electric turn of foot and for a staying filly who is bred to be effective right out in trip, O'Brien believes she's got x-factor.
"She's a really impressive filly, she's only had the three starts and they've all been excellent," O'Brien said at Flemington trackwork on Tuesday.
"She's a filly that's got a great pedigree, she's out of an Oaks winner (Arapaho Miss).
"The Edward Manifold (1600m) looks like the perfect race for her to go deeper into the spring.
"She's there to win and win everything she steps out in and although it's a Group 2 it's probably not a dissimilar field to what she's been meeting and I think she's really well placed on Saturday."
Ridden by Damien Oliver, Miami Bound worked in company on the course proper at Flemington on Tuesday morning and led stablemate Vow And Declare, who heads to the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes first-up on Saturday. View gallop below.
"Vow And Declare is not the flashiest worker, although he did a little bit this morning, he sat off Miami Bound and joined her late in the gallop and they were pretty solid their last 400m, so I'm happy with the way they both worked," O'Brien said.
The filly's dam is Arapaho Miss who, trained by Pat Carey, won the 2007 VRC Oaks.
O'Brien explained that he knew a lot about the family prior to inspecting Miami Bound at the Karaka Yearling sale last year.
"She's a filly I bought in New Zealand because I trained her half-brother, De Little Engine, and he was a terrific stayer for us over many seasons," O'Brien added.
"We've always had high hopes for her and the Oaks has been the race that we would have loved to see her get to from the moment we bought her and so far, so good."
Story by Grace Ramage for Racing.com
Pic by Racing Photos