Kennedy Victoria Oaks (Group 1)

DANNY O’Brien and Damien Oliver teamed up again on Thursday to claim the A$1 million Victoria Oaks with Miami Bound on the third day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The logical pick by breeding buffs; by the Prix du Jockey Club winner Reliable Man and out of the Victoria Oaks winner Arapaho Miss, Miami Bound went into the race having won the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes over 2,000 metres on Derby Day.

She put the race away a long way out to win by over three lengths as the Trusting filly Never Listen took second ahead of the Puissance De Lune filly Moonlight Maid.

“It’s been the culmination of a long range plan. It’s been fantastic,” said O’Brien. “The two main horses we thought were going to measure up Cup week were Vow And Declare and her – they’ve had three runs here and won them all.

“I’m thrilled for this filly. We’ve been waiting to run her at 2,500 metres from the day we got her and I knew when he let the brakes off today she would just charge and she’s got that motor, that stamina.”

Bought for NZ$120,000 at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock yearling sales, Miami Bound has improved her record to four wins from seven starts with the Group 1 registering Damien Oliver’s 119th at that level.

“She was left there a fair way out but I think she was just the best stayer in the race and she was too good,” said Oliver. “She did the job well.”