Miami Bound will now head to the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 3 where she will carry 51kg. It’s heartbreaking, you know.”. Kiwi jockey Michael Walker admitted he was devastated he couldn't win the Melbourne Cup for his family. He thinks he has the cat in the bag with this one, too. Miami Bound gave her connections the thrill of a lifetime when winning the Gr.1 VRC Oaks (2500m) at Flemington last year, but the New Zealand-bred mare now has the opportunity to usurp that moment at the Melbourne track on Tuesday-week. Lupton, who bred and races the mare, trained Etah James to finish third in the Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m) and fourth in the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) in March, having welcomed the mare home from Matt Cumani’s stable in Ballarat in January. “It has been difficult for those fillies who have won an Oaks to come back and win a Melbourne Cup, I don’t think it has happened for 30 or 40 years, but we will be there on the first Tuesday (of November) and giving it a crack.”. “You cannot beat a bit of time and a bit of patience and I’ve been lucky enough to do it. “It was a Soft7 today and she grew another leg. “And I can’t be there [in New Zealand]. It is the TAB’s biggest betting race of the year – about 4.5 times as many bets are placed on it as on the next biggest race, the New Zealand Trotting Cup. New Zealand's best hope may come from Chris Waller. Semi-retired horseman Mark Lupton is encouraged by reports on his top-class staying mare Etah James, as the eight-year-old daughter of Raise The Flag gets ready for a spring campaign. Etah James was aboard the last flight out of Auckland to Sydney prior to the COVID-19 shutdown, a move which paid dividends when she took the Sydney Cup first prize of  A$739,500 a matter of weeks later. “I can’t say the last time I lay my eyes on them [in person],” he said. Although qualified and nominated for the A$8million Melbourne Cup, Lupton has stressed the mare will only venture to Victoria if her form warrants it, with her first run likely to be in the Gr.3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on September 19. Walker is among four Kiwi jockeys taking part in the race, which starts at 5pm New Zealand time. TAB bookmaker Mark Stafford said it had been a strong start to the betting day. The four-year-old mare settled off the pace from barrier four and had all 11 of her rivals ahead of her with 650m to run, however, she soon got on the back of an improving Shared Ambition and drew level with the Chris Waller-trained runner with 200m to go. He rode Prince of Arran to third last year. Kiwi wins the 1983 Melbourne Cup. The Melbourne Cup is New Zealand’s single biggest betting event. Directed by Thomas Robins. 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Kiwi (1 August 1977 – 2 February 1995) was a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who in 1983 won both the Wellington Cup in New Zealand and the Melbourne Cup in Australia. As they fly the flag for New Zealand in Melbourne, 19 Kiwi owners have their hopes on one horse. “They’re missing out,” he said. "We have been very happy with her all spring but she has been running on firm tracks and probably unsuitable distances. Crowds packed out Flemington Racecourse for last year's Melbourne Cup, but there will be a very different atmosphere there next week. This year Finche is among the favourites, as Waller seeks his maiden Cup win. Walker will be riding Dashing Willoughby for “great supporter” and fellow Kiwi Sir Owen Glenn, after riding, and placing, on Prince Of Arran in recent years. Kiwi jockey Michael Walker is confident too. Kiwi raced from 1980 to 1987, and died in 1995 at the age of 18. NZTR holds the copyright in all material on this site. Third across the line, Prince Of Arran was elevated to second behind Vow And Declare after a stewards' protest. “She will definitely be an acceptor (for the Melbourne Cup) now,” O’Brien said. "She gave us a great thrill last spring in the Oaks and it's still a big effort to come back here and beat the boys in the Moonee Valley Cup.". Disputée sur l'hippodrome de Flemington à Melbourne, il s'agit d'une course à handicap de groupe 1 pour 3 ans et plus, longue de 3 200 mètres, courue sur le gazon, corde à gauche. 24 October 2020. Kiwi mare Melbourne Cup bound. Miami Bound winning the Gr.2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m). Or Sign-in with, This site is maintained by Racing and Sports (®) Pty Ltd (ABN 093 360 108) ("R&S"). “She has won that impressively and when you are that close to her it is pretty hard not to run. “There were a few things in our favour, but we are thrilled to see her win today. He is especially renowned for his last-to-first victory in the latter event, and remains the only horse to have ever won both cups. Melbourne-based Walker, who was spent his formative years in Taranaki and still calls the region home, said not having a crowd at such an important day would be challenging. With Nick Blake, Alison Bruce, Patrick Carroll, Phil Peleton. Depending on how the mare comes up, the Gr.1 Metroplitan (2400m) on October 3 looks a logical target, with the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) or the A$500,000 St Leger Stakes (2600m) as other feature options. (File photo), Walker, pictured in 2014, is used to having his New Zealand-based children in Melbourne watching him race, it's ‘heartbreaking’ they can’t be there this year, he says. Your daily fix of up-to-date thoroughbred news from across the globe. “I didn’t want to make the Melbourne Cup the be-all and end-all.