The Mike Miller-trained Argonaut filly Clear Sailing became the latest in a long line of mares in foal to succeed on the racecourse when winning the Listed Kwa-Zulu Natal Stakes over 1000m at Scottsville on Sunday and she completed a feature double for Miller in the process.

Miller had earlier sent out the Argonaut colt Rob’s Jewel to land the Non-Black Type Sentinel Stakes over 1000m at odds of 1/3, although he beat home just three opponents in a disappointingly small field.

Being by Argonaut was not the only thing the two horses had in common as both were originally owned by Robert and Robin Muir.

Argonaut was also originally wholly owned by the Muirs. Shares in Argonaut were sold after he had won two Gr 1s as a two-year-old for Geoff Woodruff, including a start to finish five-length destruction of the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes field over 1600m at Clairwood.  He was exported to Australia, where he was injured and never raced. He then returned to South Africa to stand at Cheveley Stud, who bred him. Argonaut, who was ultimately shunned by breeders and recently sold on, is now suddenly beginning to fire. Clear Sailing and Rob’s Jewel follow the like of Natal and Beat The Retreat as horses to have recently put their hands up for the sire.

Clear Sailing’s former trainer Dennis Drier revealed she had cracked a pelvis as a weanling and later developed a breathing issue. Argonaut was not firing as a sire either, so the Muirs decided to put her up for sale after just three career starts, which included a debut win over 1200m at Clairwood.

Well known Durban owner Cecil Baitz then bought her together with his son Gary, a veterinarian practicing in Australia. Upon moving her to the Miller yard Gary advised the use of a “spoon bit”, which is used in Australia to keep the tongue down. Whether the bit is the reason Miller has been able to extract another three wins from her is open to question because it did not solve the same breathing issue found in another Drier horse named Eternal Jet. The latter’s claim to fame, on top of being promising as a youngster, was being the fastest horse the Onderstepoort veterinary team have ever witnessed on their Overground Exercise Laryngoscope. He is now battling in Port Elizabeth.

Clear Sailing showed her class in her second victory for Miller, in a handicap over 1000m at Scottsville, as she downed the useful Paul Gadsby-trained sprinter Miss Varlicious. However, she was found after the race to have bled. The connections consequently decided to have her covered by the former Pat Shaw-trained Singapore dual Gr 1-winning sprint-miler Ato, who now stands at Summerhill Stud. She then returned to training at Summerveld.

Miller believes she has been more relaxed since being scoped in foal.

She enjoyed the forgiving conditions on Sunday and loves running down the rail, so the low draw suited. Anthony Depech also gets on well with her and she finished 0,75 lengths clear of the hot favourite, the Wendy Whitehead-trained Free State. The latter lost her unbeaten record but a lot more will be heard of this Ideal World three-year-old as that was her first run for five months.

Clear Sailing will be scoped again and if proven to still be in foal, as opposed to the possibility of having absorbed the foal, she will be retired. Otherwise she will remain in training.

Rob’s Jewel was bred by the Muirs and they sold him after a promising fourth place finish in the Listed Storm Bird Stakes over 1000m at Turffontein, which followed a debut win over 800m. Miller believed he had needed the Turffontein run as he moved up well and only ran out of steam in the last few yards.

Gold Circle CEO Michel Nairac bought a share in him together with Miller’s son Sterling and Mauritian ML Jean Hardy. The purchase yielded immediate dividends on Sunday, as Rob’s Jewel repelled the only other previous winner in the field, Skip The Red, to win by a comfortable 1,75 lengths under Alec Forbes. His time of 57,58 seconds was 27 seconds quicker than the subsequent winner of the Non-Black Type King’s Pact Stakes, the Mike de Kock-trained New Approach filly Al Hawraa, who ran on strongly under Anton Marcus.

Miller might now aim Rob’s Jewel at the Gr3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville on May 1. However, he is reluctant to enter him in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m in early June, regarding it as too tough a race and one which can effect a horse’s future.

Miller also has another promising two-year-old in the superbly bred filly Call Me Winter, who is by Western Winter out of a mare the Miller yard trained, Outcome by Muhtafal, who won the prestigious Gr 1 Garden Province Stakes over 1600m. Call Me Winter impressed on debut with a fluent win over 1200m on the poly. The form has been franked and Miller is now targeting the Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1400m at Greyville on June 11, although she is due to race again before then.

Miller will run the promising Warm White Night gelding Executive Power in Friday night’s Gr 3 Byerley Turk over 1400m in order to “find out how good he is.”

He won over the course and distance last time out.

By David Thiselton