Kingman claims Victoria Cup
Kingman, by Always B Miki, confirmed his status as a rising star in the Australian open class pacing ranks when taking out the $250,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton on Saturday night.
Parked early, Kingman gave his connections a brief fright when galloping as Leap To Fame came round to take up the lead in the running line, but he quickly recovered his gait to land the one-one on the champion pacer’s back.
Looming up three-wide approaching the home turn, Kingman looked the main danger to the race leader Hi Manameisjeff, charging home strongly to comfortably reel him in and score by three-quarters of a length.
The Luke McCarthy trained and driven 4-year-old has now won 13 races, with his maiden Group 1 win taking his career earnings to $340,469.
Bred and raced by Mick Harvey, Kingman is out of the Dali mare Gotta Go Dali Queen, a daughter of the NZ Group 1 winner Gotta Go Harmony and grand-daughter of the NZ Harness Horse of the Year Elect To Live.
Kingman is the 16th Group 1 winner to date sired by Always B Miki in the Southern Hemisphere.