The impressive Group I VRC Oaks (2500m) victory of three-year-old filly Miami Bound, who became the second Group One winner for sire Reliable Man, has been the highlight of a stunning ten-day period for the Westbury Stud-based stallion.
The dual hemisphere Group One-winning son of Dalakhani, who produced last season’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Sentimental Miss, has been represented by twelve individual winners of 13 races since the first day of the month with the Danny O’Brien trained Miami Bound securing a stakes double with her Oaks victory preceded by a win in the Gr.2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m).
Westbury Stud Managing Director Russell Warwick believes the best is still to come from Reliable Man who has just the four crops of racing age on the ground, with his sole two-year-old representative this season De La Terre, scoring impressively over 1000m at Te Rapa on Saturday.
“He (Reliable Man) has had a nice book this year without being too big as he had a few years where he did too many mares,” Warwick said.
“He was doing 150-170 mares but this year we will be around the 90-100 mares, but he is a chance to pick up a few more off the back of the last week.
“I truly believe the next 12 months will be his best as his crop of two and three-year olds are quite easily the best two books that he served, both by numbers and quality.
“He’s got Miami Bound, a Group One winning filly and Battenburg, a Group One placed three-year-old colt, while De La Terre looks very smart.”
Warwick was delighted to see Miami Bound take the step up to Group One company in the VRC Oaks which he hopes will be reflected in support for Reliable Man from breeders on both sides of the Tasman Sea.
“It was extremely rewarding and fantastic to see, both for the stallion and for a graduate off the farm,” he said.
“When you think about the quality of racing at this time of the year, it’s not easy so any of those horses that are competing successfully in spring carnivals are well above average.
“He (Reliable Man) has had the two Group One winners, both in Oaks races, from his four crops of racing age although he has only the one two-year-old runner so he only has the three crops of true racing age.
“He has had Group One performers in each of those crops, so he is well on the way to making the grade.
“We’ve had a few of the Australian breeders who have mares in New Zealand breed to him including Bob Peters, who has bred a couple of nice horses by him and bought a couple of Reliable Man fillies who are racing very well for him in Perth.
“He’s free of Danehill which gives breeders the chance to mate wisely with their mares.”
Reliable Man stands for a fee of $15,000 + GST for the 2019 breeding season. – NZ Racing Desk
