Westbury Stud Celebrate a Second Oaks Winner for Reliable Man

Media Release - Friday November 8

Westbury Stud stallion Reliable Man has had an incredible run this past week, led by his all-conquering daughter Miami Bound who won the Group II Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday, before her dominant victory in the Group I VRC Oaks (2500m) at the Melbourne track on Thursday.

Reliable Man “He has had 10 individuals winners in the last seven days and they have won 11 races between them, with Miami Bound winning a Group One and Group Two. He has had a phenomenal last seven days,” Westbury Stud General Manager Russell Warwick said.

Bred by Westbury Stud principal Gerry Harvey, Miami Bound became Reliable Man’s second Oaks winner after Sentimental Miss’ heroics in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) earlier this year.

Miami Bound, who is a daughter of fellow VRC Oaks victor Arapaho Miss, was purchased out of Westbury Stud’s 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $120,000 by trainer Danny O’Brien.

Warwick said Miami Bound wasn’t an overly big yearling, but still attracted a lot of interest from two trainers who were well acquainted with the family.

“Arapaho Miss, the dam, isn’t very big and most of her foals were exactly the same.

“But Miami Bound was a very good walking filly, had a presence about her and had a good attitude. She was a nice filly, but just lacked size.

Miami Bound wins the VRC Oaks - image Grant Courtney“That was probably the difference between her making $120,000 or $250,000 as a yearling.

“The year before we had sold an All Too Hard filly and Pat Carey bought her. Pat trained Arapaho Miss and he was obviously keen on Miami Bound.

“He ended up being the underbidder. Danny O’Brien who had previously trained the half-brother to Miami Bound, De Little Engine, was the winner.

“When he bought her he said she was hopefully going to be his Oaks filly.”

And that has turned out to be the case, with O’Brien also celebrating a remarkable couple of days after winning the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) earlier in the week with Vow and Declare.

Warwick was delighted with the win and said he is excited about a couple of her siblings heading into the future.

“It’s a fantastic family,” he said. “Happy Heart, her Granddam, was bought in Europe by John Foote and he brought her out to Australia. It’s a very popular and commercial international pedigree.

“The bloodlines are there and it’s heartening to see those families just keep producing good horses.

“The mare has a cracking Reliable Man full-brother to Miami Bound at foot at the moment and she has got a positive test to Tarzino from the covering this year.”

Warwick said it was also an interesting fact that Miami Bound recorded the Group One win on her foaling date.

“It was a pretty good effort when you think she effectively only turned three to the day yesterday,” Warwick said.

“It was a good training effort and now she is a very valuable filly wherever she goes.”

Warwick also noted that Miami Bound extended the South Auckland farm’s great association with Oaks races.

“We bred Miss Mossman and she went onto win the New Zealand Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m),” he said.

“A couple of years later we bred Sofia Rosa, she won the Australian Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) and got relegated in the New Zealand Oaks.

“For other clients we have had Bonneval win the Australian and New Zealand Oaks and now we have had this filly win an Oaks.

“We have had a really good run with our fillies going to those three-year-old staying races.” – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Karaka Million Goal for Reliable Man Filly
Promising two-year-old De La Terre will look to improve on the family record in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) after she looked to have cemented her place in the million dollar feature with a comfortable victory over 1000m at Te Rapa on Saturday.
$750,000 Farnan Colt Delights Lime Country Thoroughbreds
Kia Ora Stud’s Farnan has made a great impression with his first runners including $1million Golden Gift winner North England and the Golden Slipper winning sire produced an outstanding result for Lime Country Thoroughbreds at Magic Millions on Wednesday when they sold one of his colts for $750,000.
$500,000 Magic Millions Debut – Who are the Runners?
We know all about the two year-olds running in the $3million Magic Millions 2YO Classic on Saturday following the sun and surf barrier draw earlier this week, but what about the babies that missed the boat for that one, but are ready to kick off in the $500,000 Magic Millions Debut ?
Newgate Sell $1.7Million Snitzel Colt
Coolmore have become fast fans of Snitzel thanks to his Group I winning sons Shinzo (Golden Slipper) and Switzerland (Coolmore Stud Stakes) with Tom Magnier swooping on another outstanding colt by the champion sire at Magic Millions on Wednesday.
Benaud Chasing First Stakes Success
John O’Shea is hopeful Benaud can return to winning form when he lines-up in the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) on Saturday.
$1.15m for Wodeton Half-Brother by I Am Invincible
Segenhoe Stud produced their second million dollar yearling at Magic Millions on Wednesday when the half-brother by I Am Invincible to unraced boom colt Wodeton sold for $1.15million.
Five More Million Dollar Yearlings Star on Magic Millions Day Two
In Secret's full sister topped a successful second day of the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale when selling for $2.3 million this afternoon.
$1million for Blueblood Snitzel Colt
Arrowfield Stud produced their first million dollar offering at the Magic Millions on Wednesday when a stylish Snitzel colt from Dream Date was knocked down for $1million to China Horse Club/Newgate Bloodstock & Partners.
Reliable Man's Miami Bound Emulates Dam In VRC Oaks
The filly with the real Oaks pedigree, Miami Bound, kept the ball rolling for Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Danny O’Brien and Victoria Derby-winning jockey Damien Oliver when she proved a class above in Thursday’s $1 million Kennedy Oaks (2500m) at Flemington.
Rosemont Stud Rewarded With $700,000 Pinatubo Colt
Rosemont Stud have invested in some high profile quality young mares in recent years and one of them was multiple Group winning I Am Invincible mare Fiesta, whose first foal sold for $700,000 at Magic Millions on Wednesday.