Class above his rivals

PROVING to be a class above his rivals at Globe Derby tonight, rising star pacer Miki To Success will return home to prepare for a title defence.

Sent across the border for the South Australia Cup, Miki To Success dominated the time-honoured event for trainer Emma Stewart.

Smashing the track record to win a heat last weekend, Miki To Success was scarcely challenged in the Group Three to provide Stewart with her fourth Cup triumph.

Stewart won the 2015 edition with Guaranteed before scoring with Shadow Sax in '18 and Wheres The Gold in '23.

Naturally pleased with Miki To Success' performance, Stewart has turned her attention to the upcoming Vicbred Super Series, which begins with heats in Bendigo on November 12.

Miki To Success captured last season's Final in Melton with Jackie Barker in the cart.

"Tonight's Cup looked like an ideal race for him and that's the way it panned out," Stewart said. "His run in the heat was phenomenal and he went terrific again tonight.

"He'll come home and have a few easy days now before we get him ready for a Vicbred heat in a couple of weeks."

Driven by premier local reinsman Wayne Hill, Miki To Success was caught wide early from his second row draw before being sent forward to find the front as the early pacemaker, Dhaulagiri, was eased to take a trail.

Striding clear of the pack at the top of the home straight, the son of Always B Miki was untouched on his way to an eight-metre win from Dhaulagiri.

Hezrockinroyalty was 18 metres away third as the winner rated 1:58.4 over 2645 metres.

"Coming from the second line could have made it tricky for him, but once Wayne took him to the front he was never going to be run down," Stewart said.