Young Matamata trainer Daniel Miller is sticking to the Kiwis when he starts his smart filly Sheezallmine against some promising Australian sprinters for the first time at Doomben on Saturday.
Miller, a former jumps jockey, will line Sheezallmine up in the JRA 3YO Plate (1200m) with the former New Zealand jockey Jason Collett booked to ride the Super Easy filly, who was a bargain basement $1000 purchase from gavelhouse.com by his parents, John and Maree, and has won three of her four starts. “When the nominations came out, I was a bit worried whether she'd have enough prizemoney ($39,435) to get a start, but she's in and I'm happy to get Jason Collett,” Miller said.
Sheezallmine has unfortunately landed the outside draw, but the size of the field has fallen away to just nine starters at this stage, though it does include Zoustyle, who is unbeaten in five starts. Miller (22) is no stranger to taking horses to Australia, having done so on a few occasions as travelling groom for Te Akau Racing, but he admits it's a different feeling this time. “It's the first time I've had to do all the organising myself,” Miller said. “But it's all working out all right.”
Sheezallmine was flown to Brisbane on Sunday and is stabled at the Gold Coast alongside fellow New Zealand gallopers Mongolianconqueror and Beefeater. “She travelled over pretty well,” Miller said. “It was a long trip and she was a bit tired, but that's understandable. “She can be quite tarty, but she has settled in well, though she did sulk a bit the first night. She's bounced back and I'm happy with her.”
Sheezallmine provided Miller with a perfect start to his training career when successful as his first starter, following up two trials wins with a debut victory over 1200m at Pukekohe last December in the hands of his partner, Tegan Newman.
She then won again six weeks later at Tauranga and continued her unbeaten streak when defeating the promising pair Qiji Express and Burgundy Belle at Te Rapa last month before she faced black type company in the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders Stakes (1200m), in which she did well to finish fourth, a length from the deadheat winners Speedy Meady and Vigor Winner. “That was a huge run,” Miller said. “She was three-wide the whole way and was entitled to drop out, but she kept going. “She's still got a bit of learning to do, but we decided to have a crack at the good prizemoney over here in Brisbane. “She's up against some smart horses on Saturday so we will see how good she is. The thing with her is she can go on most types of track. “
Miller ensured Sheezallmine was up to the mark fitness-wise before she boarded the flight to Brisbane. “She had a jump-out on Friday (at Matamata) before she came over, so I don't have to do a lot with her this week,” he said. “If she goes well on Saturday there's a Listed fillies and mares 1200m at Doomben on June 1 she could run in. She'll stick to 1200m and there are plenty of options over here for her.