Tira Mira returns in style with Capalaba Cup heat win
Tira Mira returned to racing after a seven-month break to take out her heat of the Group 2 Capalaba Cup on Sunday.
The Cliff Houston-trained chaser was sent to the boxes as a +360 prospect in the first of five heats of the 366m open feature.
Jumping from box three, she drove to the outside as race favourite Lose Your Cool (+150) and I'm Peakin' (+750) jumped the best.
Tira Mira gained the lead with a clear run and powered home to clock the best time of the heats in 19.52, beating I'm Peaking by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
Capalaba Cup Heat 1 – Tira Mira (19.52) – T: Cliff Houston
She had not raced since March 12, when she saluted by five-and-a-quarter lengths in front of Aston Serpens down the 366m straight at Capalaba.
Last year, she finished runner-up in a heat of the Capalaba Cup, one-and-a-quarter lengths behind Milligan, who took out the Group 3 final a week later with Tira Mira finishing in third.
Tira Mira has turned the 366m straight at the boutique bayside track into a happy hunting ground, with seven wins and four minor placings from 11 starts there.
The Zinzan Brooke x Kyella bitch will jump from box five next week in the Capalaba Cup Final, which has been elevated from Group 3 to Group 2 status and now carries $112,500 in prize money.
The other heat winners were Top Gun (19.89), Blue Bertram (19.76), Fernando Grand (19.55) and Valhalla (19.56).