Deputising for James Cummings, assistant trainer Darren Beadman said Golden Mile, who is out of dual stakes winner Calaverite, had all the hallmarks of a classy galloper and he was confident the colt would be competitive in a Golden Rose.
“They don’t win much better than that,” Beadman said.
“He is out of a Group-winning mare by a Golden Rose winner, so he ticks a lot of boxes.
“The best thing I like about this horse is his attitude. He’s got a great set of jowls on him and when you push the button, he goes.”
Sam Clipperton settled Golden Mile ($3.40) on the back of the speed and when he hooked him out in the straight, the colt zoomed down the outside to win by 3-1/4 lengths over Matcha Latte ($21) with Basquiat ($10) another short neck away.
Clipperton has a history with Golden Mile’s family having ridden Calaverite to victory in the 2014 Gimcrack Stakes but says the horse reminds him more of his 2016 Golden Rose-winning sire Astern.
“I’m a big fan of this horse since I first sat on him in trials,” Clipperton said.
“He throws so much to the old man that it’s quite uncanny.
“He was much more of a racehorse today than what he was first up.”
Zou Tiger started a $3.30 favourite but tired after camping on a solid speed and jockey Tommy Berry said the horse just wasn’t seasoned enough for that scenario.
“It was a high-pressure race and he’s probably not ready for that yet. I wasn’t disappointed,” Berry said.