Begg eyes Group 1 win with Miss Siska
GRAHAME Begg was only just starting his training career when Eye Of The Sky cut a swath through the 1990 winter carnival, culminating in his Group 1 Doomben Cup win.
Three decades on, Begg feels he has the horse that can give him a second win in the race, with Hay List’s little sister Miss Siska testing her Doomben Cup credentials in tomorrow’s Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast.
Begg’s last runner in Queensland was Bennetta in 2014. She is also his last winner here, taking the Magic Millions F & M in January 2013.
Eye Of The Sky remains Begg’s lone Group 1 winner in Queensland (although Bonanova did win the race now known as the Tatt’s Tiara twice, before it was upgraded), but the likes of Secret Admirer, Our Egyptian Raine and All Silent have placed in the best races up here.
Eye Of The Sky won the first Doomben Cup run at WFA, with a few classy types in his wake that year.
“It was the year I started training actually,” Begg said.
“He was rising nine-yearsold and beat Rough Habit, who was a three-year-old. He won three on the trot at that carnival. He was a very good horse.”
Miss Siska only transferred to Begg this autumn and she very nearly pulled off a major upset before running fourth to Hollindale rival Kenedna in last month’s Group 1 Coolmore Legacy.
“We got a big thrill. She probably got left exposed a bit early,” Begg said.
“She drew a good gate, travelled behind the speed and then they sort of opened up a bit because they were looking for better ground and she dived through.
“She hit the front pretty early and she only got run down in the last 10m.”
Miss Siska is a half-sister to outstanding sprinter Hay List, but has thrown more to her sire So You Think in being a horse that gets over ground.
“We think she’s in very good form. It was fortunate enough she didn’t run in Sydney over the really wet period, so she’s still got a bit of upside to her,” Begg said.
“It’s a natural transition in distance up to 1800m. Oregon’s Day won the Hollindale coming out of the same race last year so we think she profiles pretty similarly.”