She always looked to be the winner, and Miraval Rose (Grunt {NZ}) finally got her Group win in the Gr.2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes at Flemington on Saturday. Trained by Grahame Begg, the five-year-old mare, previously the winner of two Listed races, led from the jump and held off an advancing Tuileries (So You Think {NZ}) to score by a length and a quarter in the 1400-metre event.
“She loves that sort of ground,” stable spokesman Rohan Hughes said after the win. “Grahame gave her a decent break. It is the first time she has had a decent break, and she’s come back great. Her trials and three runs in, she’s flying.”
The Good 4 at Flemington was much more to Miraval Rose’s liking than when she has previously ventured out of state, hitting Heavy tracks in Sydney and Soft up in Queensland.
“We went to Queensland with her after her first preparation and we were quite bullish with her, but we kept running into wet tracks. It just stymies their preparation, and they lose rhythm.”
Yulong sold Miraval Rose for $250,000 to Rohan Hughes and Graeme Begg Racing at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. She is a half-sister to multiple Group winner Gypsy Diamond (Not A Single Doubt), as well as to the dam of dual Listed winner Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt). She is also closely related to Finance Tycoon.
Her dam Gypsy Tucker (Zabeel {NZ}) has a two-year-old colt by Lucky Vega (IRE) and is due to foal in October to Alabama Express.
Written for TTRAusNZ
