Raced by Keith and Craig Pennell, Te Toro Pearl placed in her first two trials before finishing sixth on debut at Te Aroha, her only defeat in four starts.
"Her second trial at Cambridge, she sat 10 wide and only got beaten a head, and I began to gallop her with Waipipi Lad as a mate and she was not only keeping up but beating him," Miller said.
"I said to the guys 'if she lives up to her trials and trackwork, we're going to have a bit of fun'. She has surprised me though, just how quickly she has come to it. I'd have been happy to get one win out of her in her first preparation."
Millar was delighted with the improvement Te Toro Pearl has made through each of her runs and her courage in overcoming tough runs on heavy tracks to record wins at New Plymouth, Avondale and Tauranga leading into today's race.
"She's in great order going into this one too. She's jumping out of her skin," Miller said. "Four in a row will be hard but as long as she kicks on and does what she's been doing, she should be competitive. She handles these heavy tracks."
Safely through today's race, Miller intends continuing to take Te Toro Pearl through the grades with a view to stepping her up to better company next preparation.
He will have two runners at today's meeting with Waipipi Lad tackling the Sinclair Electrical 1800 after the Mr Nancho gelding's Te Rapa target of the 1600m open handicap was canned through lack of entries.
"He got taken on the whole way at Te Rapa last time so it was a tough run, but he never gave it away," Miller said.
"He's better off left to his own devices in front and if he's out in front bowling along, he'll be a chance."
Miller, a former accountant, is looking forward to the new season with a promising young team coming through as he approaches a year since shifting base from South Auckland to Cambridge last September.
However, he has lost the services of his group one Thorndon Mile (1600m) runner-up Prince Of Passion, who has transferred stables with a view to a possible Australian campaign.
- NZ Racing Desk
