Miraval Rose kicks off early at Caulfield

The Grahame Begg stable will use an end of season weight-for-age race to kick start an early spring assault.

Miraval Rose is down to run in the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday, her first outing since running fourth in the Group 2 Hot Danish Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill in November.

The rising six-year-old missed an autumn campaign following what Begg described as a ‘little bit of a setback, nothing major’, but has progressed well for her return.

Miraval Rose has had three trials or jump-outs in preparation for Saturday.

She ran second over 800m in May, followed up with another second in a Caulfield Heath trial over 900m on June 11 before winning a 1000m jump-out on the Pakenham Synthetic on June 23.

Begg conceded Saturday’s outing was short of Miraval Rose’s preferred trip but said the outing was all a part of the long term.

He said Miraval Rose was likely to head to the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on July 25 before an early assault on potentially some of the better early season weight-for-age races.

“She had a little bit of a setback, nothing major, and that’s why she didn’t race in the autumn,” Begg said.

“We’ve brought her up nice and steady, but she’s not really well suited on the ground.

“She’s trialled good, she’s prepped up good, but there was nothing for her, so that’s why we’ve spaced her trials.

“She’s OK on the soft, but hopefully we get a fairly good rest of the week, while the 1100 metres is probably a bit short of her best distance.

“It’s probably not ideal, but it’s a matter of getting a run under her belt and then she can push on to the Bletchingly after that.

“We’re trying to get a bit of fitness on the other ones late in the season and then she might be able to go on to the PB Lawrence (1400m at Caulfield on August 15), or something like that, or there’s those mares’ races in the early spring.”

Miraval Rose hit the ground running last spring.

After running third first-up at Moonee Valley, Miraval Rose went on to score at Moonee Valley before winning the Group 2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m) at Flemington in October.

Harry Coffey rides the mare for the first time on Saturday.