Japanese raider Curren Mirotic has reportedly taken well to his time in Australia so far and is on track for a competitive performance in the 2016 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 1st.
Tommy Berry will partner Curren Mirotic in the 2016 Melbourne Cup. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia
Curren Mirotic has produced a number of commendable results throughout his entire racing career so far; posting six wins and a further twelve minors through thirty-seven starts since debuting in late 2010.
Australian-based jumps hoop Kosi Kawakami has been riding the Heart’s Cry gelding in work since his arrival and told Racing Ahead that the horse is tracking well towards the Melbourne Cup 2016.
“The concern that connections had was actually travelling. He went to Hong Kong a couple of years ago and did not travel very well at all,” Kawakami said.
“This time he’s travelled really well, settled in really well and is eating well. So far, so good.
“He had some really good, strong work. We were very pleased with it. We worked over a mile and gave his partner a good ten lengths to start, and we caught up and went past him in the straight.
“Tommy Berry will come over here on Friday morning to give the horse a gallop.”
Kawakami said that it is either rocks or diamonds for the eight-year-old, who followed up a close second in the Group 1 Tenno Sho (3200m) in May with a pair of hapless performances for eleventh in the Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen (2200m) and ninth Group 2 Sankei Show (2200m) most recently.
Kawakami also worked stayer Fame Game in the lead-up to his 2015 Melbourne Cup appearance and believes there are several parallels that can be drawn between the two runners.
“He’s not a very big horse, but he’s a really good stayer – he stays all day,” Kawakami said.
“If you look into the Japanese form, they are really quite similar.
“Fame Game just missed out in the Tenno Sho and then he came to Australia, and Curren Mirotic is the same. This year in the Tenno Sho he only got beaten by a nose to the very good horse Kitasan Black.
“He’s a dead-set stayer and is a bit older, so he’s losing a bit of his sprint.
“The connections have said that he’s a bit inconsistent. When he runs well, he runs super but when he doesn’t he just doesn’t put in.”
Curren Mirotic has only raced at two miles twice through his career to date but performed well on both occasions; placing third behind Gold Ship and Fame Game in the 2015 edition of the Tenno Sho.
Curren Mirotic is currently available at 2016 Melbourne Cup odds of $21 with Ladbrokes Australia.
