Son of Always B Miki takes out Maurice Holmes Vase

The Robert and Jenna Dunn trained Dalton Shard took out the Group 3 Maurice Holmes Vase at Addington on Friday night, and in doing so booked himself a spot in this yearʻs New Zealand Trotting Cup.

Fresh up since finishing second in the Listed NZ Country Championship Final back in May, Dalton Shard led early before finding himself three back on the running rail, after both Charlie Brown and Macandrew Aviator went round him.

Able to extract himself from the rail late in the back straight, Dalton Shard sprinted home strongly three-wide to score by a length from his stablemate Charlie Brown.

It was the 4-year-old son of Always B Mikiʻs eighth career win and took his earnings to $154,799.

Bred by Mark and Debbie Smith, Dalton Shard is out of an unraced Christian Cullen half-sister to the Group 1 winner New Age Man – making him from the same maternal family as this seasonʻs Northern Derby winner Cold Chisel, who is also by Always B Miki.

Across the Tasman, the Group 1 winning Always B Miki mare Aardieʻs Express was far too good for her rivals in the Ranji Bill Stakes at Menangle on Saturday night, downing a fellow daughter of Always B Miki, My Moonlite Dream, by almost 14m.

Aardieʻs Express has now won 18 races and over $420,000 in stakes earnings.

She is out of the multiple Group 1 placed Rocknroll Hanover mare Tatijana Bromac.