Rising training star Kate Gorman had to endure an anxious wait at The Meadows last Saturday night to see if TAB Hume Cup (600m) contender Mirror Illusion would be her first Group 1 finalist.
In the end, it was worth every minute.
Mirror Illusion, winner of eight of her 20 starts, had her first taste of Group company in the first of six Cup heats, where the daughter of Orson Allen led until the shadows of the post before being run down by Andrea Dailly’s Gypsy Urana.
Gorman, who’s based at Tanjil South, then had to sit nervously through the remaining five run-offs to see if Mirror Illusion would qualify for Monday night’s $75,000 to-the-winner final as one of the fastest two seconds.
“It was a very stressful night,” Gorman laughed.
“I didn’t know for sure that she was in the final until the last heat. I was driving home and had to pull over and have a minute.
“Mirror Illusion wasn’t too worried. She was asleep in the back of the car!”
Mirror Illusion is a relative newcomer to the middle distance ranks, having only had three ‘600s’ heading into the heats.
Drawn in Box 1, Mirror Illusion ($6.60) found the front and saw off $2.10 favourite Zipping Rambo before being claimed in the final bounds by Gypsy Urana in 34.39sec, the second fastest qualifying performance.
“I was rapt with her,” Gorman said.
“She was short of a run and I thought those dogs would go past her but she just puts in so hard. I couldn’t believe they only pinched her on the line and she’ll definitely be better this week.
“She ran the fastest first split of the finalists (8.91sec) and then the draw fell in her favour, with the early pace on her outside.
“The Hume Cup was my goal a few months ago but then she had a couple of minor setbacks and I wasn’t sure if she’d get there but here we are!”
After drawing Box 3 for the headline event at The Meadows’ traditional thoroughbred Melbourne Cup Eve meeting, Mirror Illusion is $11 in TAB’s market, with Andrea Dailly’s Gypsy Wyong (Box 1) $2.70 favourite.
Victory would be a special achievement for Gorman, whose only previous Group finalist was sprinter Monster Fish, which ran second in the G2 Traralgon and Cranbourne Cup finals in 2018, after leading on both occasions.
“My first Group 1 – finally,” Gorman said, judging herself a little harshly.
“It feels like it’s taken ages but Mirror Illusion has probably got me here a bit sooner than I expected. With the breeding and everything I’ve done to set things up, I hoped I’d be hitting my straps towards the end of next year.
