Milford Lands Third Black-Type Win

The tough Mike Moroney-trained Savabeel gelding Milford produced another dominant black-type display to land today’s Gr.3 Lomaro’s Hotel Eclipse Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.

Jockey Blake Shinn had the front runners within striking distance upon straightening and with 200m to go, had the race at his mercy, crossing with half a length to spare from El Gladiator (Ghibellines).

Milford is raced by Elsdon Park’s Lib and Katrina Petagna along with Greg Clarke and David and Nicki Wilson. To date, he has provided great cause for celebrations with a total of three stakes wins and with a bold runner-up performance in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby.

Milford registered his first stake win in New Zealand’s Listed Te Akau Gingernuts Salver (2100m) at Ellerslie when he was trained by Stephen Marsh. He reiterated this black-type class upon transfer to the Melbourne yard of Mike Moroney, with victory following in the Gr.3 Easter Cup (2000m).

Milford was purchased by Bloodstock agent Bruce Perry for $360,000 from Waikato Stud’s 2019 NZB Book One Yearling draft.

Bred by Waikato Stud, Milford is out of the unraced O’Reilly mare Etiquette and hails from the Gr.1 family of Sacred Falls.

Milford represents the third individual stakes winner this season for the Elsdon Park racing team, with successful earlier counterparts including One Kiss (Tivaci) in the Listed CJC Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) and Lost and Running (Per Incanto) in Randwick’s Gr.2 ATC Premiere Stakes (1200m).