Miles ready to rock The Great Square

By Dylan Mutu

Just like every rockstar needs an exceptional band, trainer-driver David Miles proves to be the perfect complement to his trotting star, Rockinwithattitude.

With multiple Group 1 victories together in Victoria and New South Wales, the duo is back, hoping to add a fifth to their trophy cabinet in Queensland, starting with this Saturday’s $150,000 Group 1 Haras Des Trotteurs The Great Square.

Based in Tamborine with local conditioner Shawn Grimsey for her Queensland Constellations campaign, Rockinwithattitude appears to have acclimatised well to her surroundings.

Despite being well-known for having her quirks back home at her Monegeetta-based stable, Miles has yet to see her miss a beat, pleasantly surprised by how well his mare has handled the travel and her first week since arriving in the Sunshine State.

“Yeah, she’s settled in great,” Miles said.

“We went halfway to New South Wales and stayed at Darren Hancock's for about twelve hours where she had a good feed and drink, then took off and arrived here at Tamborine late Tuesday morning – I’m very happy with her.

“She loves it here, and it's always a great place to escape the Melbourne weather.”

The four-year-old put on a brave performance in what was an awkwardly run 2024 Listed The Stellar Square on Saturday, boxing on gamely behind winner and highly-touted Kiwi trotter, Bet N Win.

Though it wasn’t the first placing Miles was looking for, the multiple Group 1-winning horseman believes his stable star will be much fitter heading into Saturday night’s The Great Square.

“Yeah, it was a strange sort of race, we thought we'd lead easily and then that didn't eventuate, and then there was a bit of carnage at about the 2000-metre mark,” Miles said.

“We had to do a little bit more work than we sort of expected, which probably played into why she got a little bit tired the last 100 metres.

“No discredit to the Kiwi horse (Bet N Win), he was super, and certainly the real deal, but I think we've got a little bit of improvement left in us.”

When it comes to evaluating Rockinwithattitude’s success across her trotting career, it’s tough to disagree that she’s one classy racehorse.

Boasting an impressive 17 wins from 29 starts, including four Group 1s, a Group 2, and three Group 3s for a total prizemoney haul of over $340,000, it’s clear the mare is made for the spotlight.

Now, with a year of maturity under her belt, Miles feels his rockstar is primed and ready for more success on the big stage, confident she can turn the tables as a four-year-old in her second attempt at the $150,000 event.

“Yeah, she’s much stronger,” Miles said.

“We had a few little niggling issues going into the series last year, but we can't be happier this year – she's trotting a lot better."

Although drawing the first row in the Group 1 contest, Miles is the first to concede his trotter will have to be switched on when the starter's gates fold in the star-studded affair.

“I think there's a little bit more depth in the race this year," Miles said.

“Bet N Win will find it tough from the 11, but he’s good enough, and London To A Brick will stay out of trouble out in seven beside us – it will be an interesting run to the first corner.

“I don't think Albion Park is her perfect surface, but I do think she's a much better horse than last year, and she’s going to have to be, being drawn out in six."

Looking ahead from this weekend, Miles is keen to make the most of the carnival, ensuring he doesn’t let any Group-level opportunities with Rockinwithattitude go astray.

As he did last year in the Group 3 Queensland Oaks and Derby, the Monegeetta horseman is looking to cash in on other races this winter with Rockinwithattitude, including the Group 3 Trotters Sprint and Group 1 Queensland Trotters Cup as imminent targets.

“Yeah, all going well, we’ll look at racing her in the Trotters Sprint and Trotters Cup later in the carnival,” Miles said.

“She thrives on racing. She has some really quirky habits at home that don’t show when she’s on the racetrack, so she's better off racing than trying to keep her topped up with fast work.”

Miles was quick to compliment the Queensland Constellations Carnival for offering a selection of high-prizemoney events for the trotters.

“Queensland are doing the right thing by the trotters and putting these nice races on. It’s great that they're on separate nights as well, they give more opportunity,” Miles said.

“Racing Queensland are doing a great job. They’re really pushing the carnival, and I just think it's going to keep going ahead in leaps and bounds.”

Whatever happens this weekend, we know Miles and Rockinwithattitude will be right in the finish, and if she happens to break the 56 mile-rate, then look out.

“You never know what’s hidden in their locker,” Miles said.

“But I think if she (Rockinwithattitude) can break 56, she's going to be very hard to beat, and if London To A Brick or Bet N Win can sit out wide and beat us doing that, then good luck to them.”