Stakes double for Always B Miki

It’s been yet another terrific weekend of results for the in-form sire Always B Miki, with stakes winners on both sides of the Tasman on Friday night including a new Group 1 winner.

First up it was Miki Shan who upset his more fancied rivals in the Group 2 Franklin Cup at Alexandra Park.

The outsider of the field, Miki Shan began the best from the stand to take the lead before eventually handing up to the race favourite The Big Lebowski midway through the race.

He was then able to dash home the best up the passing lane to score by a length from The Big Lebowski and Jolimont.

It was the Maurice McKendry trained 4-year-old’s seventh career win and took his earnings to $125,529.

Bred by Alabar NZ, Miki Shan is out of the Group 1 winning daughter of Dream Away, Yankee Dream.

A few hours later at Gloucester Park, boom WA pacer Mister Smartee treated his rivals with disdain in the Group 1 Golden Nugget, scoring an arrogant win in the $200,000 feature for 4-year-old pacers.

Parked for the entire trip, the Gary Hall Snr trained runner was simply too good, kicking clear late to win by almost a length and a half.

It was Mister Smartee’s fifth stakes win of the season and took his record to fifteen wins from eighteen starts for earnings of $555,051.

Bred by Dancingonmoonlight Limited, Mister Smartee is out of the Stonebridge Regal mare Luna Danza.

In winning Mister Smartee became Always B Miki’s ninth individual Group 1 winner for the season in the Southern Hemisphere.

It was also the second consecutive year that a son of Always B Miki has won the Golden Nugget with Tricky Miki saluting in 2023.