Fitter Rose ready for Kensington Stakes

Miraval Rose has been beaten when well-supported at her only two run this season, but Grahame Begg has given the mare’s loyal fans reason to stick with her this Wednesday at Flemington.

The shrewd trainer is convinced they will see a fitter four-year-old in Wednesday’s Kensington Stakes (1400m).

The daughter of Grunt finished third in both the Village Stakes and $175,000 Magic Millions Victorian 3&4YO Classic at her past two, but has come on for those outings.

“I personally think she’s needed the runs her last two starts,” Begg said.

“We haven’t drilled her down, because we’ve had a mindset that we were going to have her running over the summer and going into the early autumn.

“Even the other day when she went to the races, when we got there I thought she looked too pretty and she obviously didn’t get much luck three-wide outside the leaders.

“With Craig Williams riding her and 54 kilos, we would expect her to run well.”

Miraval Rose drops from 57kg last start, when beaten 1-1/4 lengths in the 1200m Magic Millions Victorian 3&4YO Classic at the Caulfield Heath track with Saffie Osborne in the saddle.

The start prior, over 1100m on the Caulfield course proper, she had 54kg when beaten around the same margin with Jordan Childs aboard.

Miraval Rose is one of seven runners in Wednesday’s $175,000 Listed event, which sees The Open favourite from Running By.

Begg has a spring in his step heading into 2025 with stable stars Magic Time and Maharba back in work and in fine shape.

“She did her first bit of pacework on the grass on Saturday morning and she looks fabulous,” Begg said of dual Group 1 winner Magic Time, who is likely to resume in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) in March.

“Maharba only had a couple of weeks off, just ticking over after Perth, so he’s going to run in the Rubiton Stakes on the 8th (of February) and then wait a month for the Newmarket.”