Miller Excited about Melbourne

The Informant's Dennis Ryan reports that Te Akau Racing's Daniel Miller is excited about what awaits in Melbourne:

With 20 wins already to his name, 19-year-old Daniel Miller is one of New Zealand's most promising jumps jockeys, but before the 2016 jumps season swings into action he'll be on a quite different mission.

Miller is the strapper and trackwork rider of glamour colt Xtravagant and this afternoon he will be on the same charter flight to Melbourne, where the dual Group One winner will make his Australian debut at Flemington on Saturday. As the winner of the Gr. 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas against his own age group and the Gr. 1 NRM Sprint against all-comers, the Pentire colt has earned favouritism for the A$750,000 Australian Guineas.

With his bags packed this morning after putting Xtravagant and other members of the Te Akau team through their trackwork routine, Miller was understandably excited about his first trip across the Tasman.

“I've been to England and Wales, Hong Kong, Singapore, but I've never been to Australia,” said Miller, who spent several weeks in the United Kingdom working in a National Hunt yard two years ago. “This will be something else, I'm definitely looking forward to it.”

Miller, whose best win over jumps to date was last year's Manawatu Steeplechase on Upper Cut, has huge regard for Xtravagant, who in his view has made significant strides in the past few weeks.

“He's way more professional in his work and everything he does. Earlier in the season it was all new to him but on NRM Sprint day at Te Rapa, that was a turning point. He was really together before the race and we saw that out on the track when he went and did the business.

“He's a real character with a quirky attitude, but he's a different class of horse to most I ride and he's developing into a beautiful animal.”

What Miller is hoping most for now is that what he describes as his “special bond” with Xtravagant will help the brilliant colt to take his form to Melbourne and come up with a win against what is bound to be a tough line-up.

“He'll need to step up to another level again, and that will mean being on his best behaviour, so as long as he settles in and takes it all in his stride, we'll see what he can do.”

And all we can do is our best! Go the Kiwis!