A new season and a new stakes race double for Always B Miki
Always B Miki has begun the new season in the same fashion as he finished the last, siring a stakes race double at Melton on Hunter Cup and Great Southern Star night.
The Emma Stewart trained Miki To Success began his 2024 campaign on a winning note when he proved too strong for his rivals in the Group 3 4YO Bonanza.
After working hard early to hold the lead from barrier one, he led throughout the remainder of the 1,720m race to score a convincing 4.6m win over stablemate and fellow son of Always B Miki, Kingman, in a career best mile rate of 1:50 flat.
A Group 1 winner last season, Miki To Success has now won 10 races and $204,400 in stakes earnings.
He is out of the six-win Elsu mare Jo Louleone, a half-sister to the Group 1 winners Mach Cruiser and Bus To Harland.
Three races later the brilliant Always B Miki mare Aardie’s Express notched up her 20th career win in style in the Group 3 Alabar Ladyship Cup.
Despite sitting parked for the entire last lap, after moving up from the tail of the field, Aardies Express simply shrugged off a quality field of mares to win by just over a length from last season’s Group 1 Golden Girl winner Eye Keep Smiling in a mile rate of 1:50.5, with another 2024 Group 1 winner in Sweet Bella a further two lengths back in third place.
The winner of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Mile last season, Aardies Express has now won 20 of her 31 race-day starts and banked $495,434 in career earnings.
Bred by Bromac Lodge Ltd and Slingsby Holdings Pty Ltd, Aardie’s Express is out of the stakes performed Rocknroll Hanover mare Tatijana Bromac, who has also left the Group 1 winning full sister to Aardies Express, Aardie B Miki – winner of the 2024 Queensland Oaks.
Always B Miki enjoyed a terrific season in 2024 and was the joint equal leading sire of individual Group 1 winners in the Southern Hemisphere with both him and Bettor’s Delight siring nine apiece.