Miami Mountain "wanted to win!"

Our headline image, snapped by JC Photos from across the standside track at Turffontein, shows the moment Miami Mountain (middle) burst through the gap between Kaalvoet (left) and Zalatoris (right) to win Sunday’s Betway Mythical Flight Sprint over 1100m in a photo finish that went to the judge.

That moment came literally two metres before the line, and Miami Mountain is making a name for himself as one that likes to run at horses and give his connections and supporters nail-biting experiences.

He gets there though, and, importantly, he enjoys getting his head in front, as jockey Callan Murray noted, “he wanted to win!”

It is worth watching the race replay below, which near the end shows the 100m-pole appearing on the bottom of the screen, Miami Mountain with more than two lengths to find and even appearing to hit a momentary flat spot inside that distance. Then, suddenly, he takes off powerfully and stretches himself across the line, a nose ahead.

This ability to quicken off a high cruising speed is going to win Miami Mountain more races in future, and Mike and Mathew de Kock, along with Hollywood Racing, will be hoping that his next big win can be the Golden Horse Sprint over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on 23 May. “I’m not sure if we’ll give him another run before that,” Mat said.

He described Miami Mountain as one of the toughest horses in the stable, one who tries his best every time and is turning out to be a fantastic sprinter. That he is unbeaten in his two previous starts over 1200m augurs well for the Golden Horse, in which three-year-olds have a good record.

Bred by Ridgemont Stud, Miami Mountain is a son of Canford Cliffs out of the 2018 Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship winner Miss Florida, a daughter of Captain Al. He is a half-brother to De Kock Racing’s exciting recent Wilgerbosdrift Gr2 SA Nursery winner Good Day Sunshine (Vercingetorix).