Second Oaks winner for Reliable Man

Westbury Stud stallion Reliable Man has had an incredible run this past week, led by his all-conquering daughter Miami Bound who won the Gr.2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday, before her dominant victory in the Gr.1 VRC Oaks (2500m) at the Melbourne track on Thursday.

“He has had 10 individuals winners in the last seven days and they have won 11 races between them, with Miami Bound winning a Group One and Group Two. He has had a phenomenal last seven days,” Westbury Stud General Manager Russell Warwick said.

Bred by Westbury Stud principal Gerry Harvey, Miami Bound became Reliable Man’s second Oaks winner after Sentimental Miss’ heroics in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) earlier this year.

Miami Bound, who is a daughter of fellow VRC Oaks victor Arapaho Miss, was purchased out of Westbury Stud’s 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $120,000 by trainer Danny O’Brien.

Warwick said Miami Bound wasn’t an overly big yearling, but still attracted a lot of interest from two trainers who were well acquainted with the family.

“Arapaho Miss, the dam, isn’t very big and most of her foals were exactly the same.

“But Miami Bound was a very good walking filly, had a presence about her and had a good attitude. She was a nice filly, but just lacked size.

“That was probably the difference between her making $120,000 or $250,000 as a yearling.

“The year before we had sold an All Too Hard filly and Pat Carey bought her. Pat trained Arapaho Miss and he was obviously keen on Miami Bound.

“He ended up being the underbidder. Danny O’Brien who had previously trained the half-brother to Miami Bound, De Little Engine, was the winner.

“When he bought her he said she was hopefully going to be his Oaks filly.”

And that has turned out to be the case, with O’Brien also celebrating a remarkable couple of days after winning the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) earlier in the week with Vow and Declare.

Warwick was delighted with the win and said he is excited about a couple of her siblings heading into the future.

“It’s a fantastic family,” he said. “Happy Heart, her Granddam, was bought in Europe by John Foote and he brought her out to Australia. It’s a very popular and commercial international pedigree.

“The bloodlines are there and it’s heartening to see those families just keep producing good horses.

“The mare has a cracking Reliable Man full-brother to Miami Bound at foot at the moment and she has got a positive test to Tarzino from the covering this year.”

Warwick said it was also an interesting fact that Miami Bound recorded the Group One win on her foaling date.

“It was a pretty good effort when you think she effectively only turned three to the day yesterday,” Warwick said.

“It was a good training effort and now she is a very valuable filly wherever she goes.”

Warwick also noted that Miami Bound extended the South Auckland farm’s great association with Oaks races.

“We bred Miss Mossman and she went onto win the New Zealand Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m),” he said.

“A couple of years later we bred Sofia Rosa, she won the Australian Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) and got relegated in the New Zealand Oaks.

“For other clients we have had Bonneval win the Australian and New Zealand Oaks and now we have had this filly win an Oaks.

“We have had a really good run with our fillies going to those three-year-old staying races.” – NZ Racing Desk