Nearly a century after the legendary Peter Pan dazzled Australian racing fans during Melbourne Cup week, his iconic colours could make a return to the spotlight — this time in the Victoria Derby through promising colt Miewa.
Peter Pan, a hero of the Great Depression era, famously claimed the Melbourne Cup and the Melbourne Stakes — now known as the Champions Stakes — in both 1932 and 1934.
Miewa will don those historic orange-and-green silks in Saturday’s Group 1 Derby (2500m), a coincidence that came about more by luck than design.
“The colours were accidentally bought at a charity auction in Melbourne about 15 years ago,” said breeder Peter Newsom, who still owns a share in the horse. “One of our hands were still in the air when the hammer went down so we thought we’d better race in them.”
The Peter Pan colours have since enjoyed success in New Zealand, but Miewa now has the chance to reconnect them with Australian racing history — following in the footsteps of Hitotsu, the 2021 Derby winner and another son of Japanese sire Maurice.
“We bred Miewa and Nick Ryan bought him,” Newsom said. “He said his interest in the horse was through lines he saw with Hitotsu.”
Miewa is rated an $11 chance for the Victoria Derby after finishing runner-up in both the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) and Group 3 Caulfield Classic (2000m).
Trainer Nick Ryan believes the colt has had the perfect lead-up. “He came through the Caulfield run super and I thought he was a little unlucky,” he said. “His last two races have been slowly run and he’s been a victim of that. Flemington with a full field will be a different story.”
Miewa’s half-brother, Coonamble Cup winner Justadeel, will also race in the The Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day.
“We’re in the game for fun and we’ve never made a fuss of having the colours but we’re very proud of them,” Newsom said. “It would be lovely to see them go past the post at Flemington on Saturday.”
To back Miewa in the Victoria Derby, check out odds and offers at trusted Australian betting sites.
