Accomplished Savabeel gelding Milford (NZ) took his career earnings past A$700,000 with a powerful come-from-behind win in Saturday’s L.V. Lachal Handicap (1600m) at Flemington.
It was the fifth win from 32 career starts for Milford, and his first since the Gr.3 Eclipse Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield in November of 2022. He has earned A$746,021 for Elsdon Park’s Lib and Katrina Petagna along with co-owners Greg Clarke and David and Nicki Wilson.
The six-year-old settled second-last among a strung-out field on Saturday, with Bank Maur (Maurice) setting a solid speed out in front. The field bunched up coming up to the home turn, and Milford’s rider Declan Bates was able to pick a path between horses to lodge his claim in the final 300m.
Milford lengthened stride and charged home in between Green Fly (Frankel) and El Soleado (Toronado), getting up to win by a neck in a $31 upset.
Trainer Mike Moroney is still recuperating after being hospitalised with illness last month. He was represented at Flemington by assistant trainer Glen Thompson.
“I thought he could sneak into a place, but I didn’t think he was a winning chance,” Thompson said. “He’s been going well. His first-up run was okay. He got back, but didn’t really have any luck.
“It was a nice patient ride by Declan (Bates). He needed that in that class. He’s won better races than this before, so hopefully it’s a good sign for the remainder of the prep.
“It’s good to get a winner for Mike. He was watching and I spoke to him after the race, and that will give him a good uplift today.”
Milford began his career with Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh and won the Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) during his three-year-old career, while he was also runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) won by Rocket Spade (Fastnet Rock) before joining Moroney’s operation.
Bred by Waikato Stud, Milford was a $360,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale purchase by agent Bruce Perry on behalf of Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock. He is out of the unraced O’Reilly mare Etiquette (NZ), who is a sister to the four-time Group One winner and ill-fated sire Sacred Falls.
Milford’s Flemington victory came one week after his brother Savoir Faire (NZ) captured a 2000m Benchmark 78 handicap at Caulfield on May 11.
