Newnham Follows Proven Path With Miravalle
Mark Newnham compares Miravalle favourably with his Group One winner Maid Of Heaven and he hopes the former can achieve a feat her stablemate could not.
Now retired, Maid Of Heaven finished sixth in the 2018 Flight Stakes before backing up seven days later to outshine the colts and geldings in the Spring Champion.
Newnham is following the same template with Miravalle but he believes she is capable of achieving a superior result in Saturday’s Group One Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
“She’s got a very similar form pattern to Maid Of Heaven,” Newnham said.
“Maid Of Heaven ran a similar race in the Tea Rose and was quite unlucky in the Flight and then went on to win the Spring Champion.
“They are very similar. This filly has probably got a touch more class if anything.”
Miravalle resumed with a strong maiden win at the midweek’s last month and was warming up late when seventh to Dame Giselle over 1400m in the Tea Rose Stakes.
In hindsight, Newnham says they rode Miravalle too negatively last start and he anticipates her taking up a more prominent position in the Flight.
The filly is a $13 chance in a market dominated by the two fillies who have finished one-two in the Furious and Tea Rose Stakes, both run over sprint trips.
Aiming to become the first horse since Samantha Miss in 2008 to clean sweep the Series, Dame Giselle is a $2.80 second favourite behind Hungry Heart ($2.30), who punters believe can turn the tables up to the mile.
Newnham likewise expects Miravalle to relish a distance rise, while there is a query over Dame Giselle running the journey out strongly.
“Her chance to beat those is that she’s looking for the mile and they may struggle at a mile,” Newnham said.
“The history of the Flight Stakes will tell you it’s a different race when they get to the mile than the six and seven furlongs of the lead ups.”
Like Maid Of Heaven, Miravalle is raced by Arrowfield Stud and Newnham is hoping he can continue his outstanding record for the Hunter Valley-based thoroughbred nursery.
“Miravalle is the second one I’ve had for them so hopefully we can end up with the same result,” he said.