The trainer of Curren Mirotic says the horse will ensure the 2016 Melbourne Cup is run at a solid tempo.
Osamu Hirata has backed jockey Tommy Berry’s comments that Curren Mirotic will make Tuesday’s race a true staying test.
Speaking through an interpreter, Australian based jockey Kosuke Kawakami, Hirata said Curren Mirotic’s strength was his staying ability.
“The Melbourne Cup has been run at a slow tempo these days, a sit and sprint sort of race,” Hirata said.
“We will try and put the tempo up in the race and make it a true staying test so he can show his true ability.”
Hirata said barrier 18 would allow Berry to assess the pace drawn inside and he noted there was a long run to the first turn.
Although Curren Mirotic hasn’t won in nearly three years, the Melbourne Cup came on Hirata’s radar after the nine-year-old ran second in the Tenno Sho Spring over 3200m in May.
And Hirata said it would be wise to forget Curren Mirotic’s past two races, suggesting the 2200m was too short for the gelding.
“Those races were too busy for him, so I’m sure over two miles he will be at his best,” he said.
Curren Mirotic would become the first nine-year-old to win the Cup if successful on Tuesday and Hirata wondered what might have transpired had he brought the gelding to Melbourne as a younger horse.
With 11 years experience training in Japan, Hirata has around 50 horses in training at any one time and is impressed with the facilities in quarantine at Werribee.
“I was told there were some issues years ago but now there is a nice Polytrack that is really good to train on,” Hirata said.
“I’m very happy so far.”
