Miracle Mile Field

Despite unbeaten Kiwi Auckland Reactor and defending champion Be Good Johnny both being withdrawn from the Miracle Mile the last running of the dash for cash at the Harold Park track promises to be an exciting event at NSW Harness Racing Club headquarters.

The John McCarthy-trained Be Good Johnny was ruled out because of a back injury putting paid to his chances of becoming the first horse to win three consecutive Miracle Miles while the quarantine restrictions, a legacy of last year’s EI outbreak, have seen Auckland Reactor stay home.

Three time Inter Dominion winner Blacks A Fake is shooting for his first Miracle Mile crown and has drawn ideally in gate 2. He should work his way to the front with Special Albert handing up from the pole.

If for some reason, and brain fade in major races is not uncommon with both harness racing drivers and jockeys at the GGs you might want to have a little saver on Divisive to storm home all over the top of them if, as i said, there was some brain face involved.

It really does look a case of Blacks A Fake rolling to the lead and then walking before sprinting home.

We’ll find out tomorrow night.

Miracle Mile Field

1 62131 SPECIAL ALBERT W J Dawson Michael Dawson C17 M8 FR1
2 11113 BLACKS A FAKE N C Rasmussen Natalie Rasmussen C33 M28 FR2
3 14632 MASTER OF DISGUISE (Em 2) B P Hancock (Hdpark 28/11/2008) Darren Hancock C13 M3 FR-
4 4s111 DEANNA TROY G A Lang SCRATCHED C14 M4 SCR
5 31322 IRON HUDGE NZ  M C Rolfe Mark Rolfe C7 M2 FR3
6 15213 CHANGEOVER NZ  G C Small David Butcher C19 M14 FR4
7 2s213 DIVISIVE P H Rixon Peter Rixon C13 M7 FR5
8 6s271 ROBIN HOOD P W Tonkin Joshua Willick C16 M11 FR6
9 11185 MAKE ME SMILE (Em 1)  P R J Fitzpatrick Gavin Fitzpatrick C19 M14 FR7-
10 13111 MELPARK MAJOR  A R Tubbs Amy Tubbs C12 M7 FR8

Menangle Trots at Menangle Park Paceway

Sydney Trots got a boost today with Menangle Trots kicking off at a state of the art Menangle Park Paceway which was officially reopened with a new 1400m track that will see horses running blistering times. CO class horses were breaking the clock returning 1:56 mile rates at a midweek trial run ahead of the big opening.

The racing on the trial run produced far superior times than that returned in the opening race when it would be hard to argue that the drivers involved provided the perfect example of everything that is wrong with harness racing. You can have a 3000m track if you have people with little or no intelligence in the sulky.

Or did they just all have a bet on the race favourite because it be hard to argue that any of them actually tried to win the race. Nobody made a move, even after a first half of 64:5, the alarm bells still didn’t ring when the third quarter was posted in 30:1 and then they all pulled out trying to storm home, only problem was the final quarter was a somewhat quick 27:2.

Unless you’re driving a Ferrari, you’re not going to catch the leaders. But then, I guess, that just sums up why the term “boat races” will forever be associated with the red-hot trots.

Think this through. You’re sitting last, you can tell they aren’t going quick, the first half is posted in 64:5, these are city class horses MO and M1s, You already know CO (country class horses with 0 wins) have gone 1:56, yeah, so you’re sitting last with no speed on and you’re not thinking that you should get going if you want to win?

What are you thinking? It’s ok the horse has been flying in trackwork, I’ll just pull out at the top of the long straight and run my last quarter in 21 seconds and swamp them on the line.

Fellas, maybe I’m an idiot, but I don’t think pacers can go that quick unless they are in the back of a truck.

No, the idiots were behind the sulky.

The speed in Harness Racing is determined by the horse sitting outside the leader so the King Idiot is JOSHUA WILLICK, the silver medal went to BLAKE FITZPATRICK who was sitting last and thought his horse was going to zip home in 22 seconds, the other notable idiots in the race were , ADAM RUGGARI and BEN SARINA who claimed the bronze.

To highlight exactly how disgraceful the opening race on the card at Menangle trots was, the 2YO Filly Ananz ran a 1:55 mile rate in the second race.

Sydney Trots

The New South Wales Trotting Club hosts Sydney trots at Harold Park Paceway every Tuesday afternoon and Friday night. Harold Park is the home of the Miracle Mile a race that saw Robin Dundee win the inaugural event in 1967 becoming the first horse to break the “two-minute barrier” under race conditions in Australia.

Betting on Harness Racing and the Miracle Mile in particular has always proven popular with outstanding Pacing champions such as Mount Eden, Hondo Grattan, Paleface Adios, Popular Alm, Village Kid, Our Sir Vancelot, Christian Cullen and Sokyola all successful in this test of strength and speed.

Previous winners of the Miracle Mile:

Year Horse State Driver Mile Rate

1967 Robin Dundee NZ Robert Cameron 1:59.0

1968 Halwes TAS Kevin Newman 1:58.6

1969 Adaptor VIC Jack Hargreaves 1:59.2

1970 Lucky Creed QLD Vic Frost 1:59.0

1971 Mount Eden WA Jack Miles 1:58.8

1972 Bay Foyle NSW Charlie Parsons 2:00.6

1973 Reichman VIC Rex Hocking 1:58.4

1974 Hondo Grattan NSW Tony Turnbull 1:59.0

1975 Young Quinn NZ Charlie Hunter 1:58.8

1976 Paleface Adios NSW Colin Pike 1:58.4

1977 Royal Force WA Dudley Anderson 1:59.5

1978 Pure Steel WA Ted Demmler 2:00.4

1979 The Scotsman NSW Graeme Sparkes 2:00.7

1980 Locarno NZ Robin Butt 2:00.4

1981 Friendly Footman NSW Kevin Newman 1:59.2

1982 Gundary Flyer NSW Michael Day 1:56.9

1983 Popular Alm VIC Vin Knight 1:57.7

1984 Double Agent NSW Joe Ilsley 1:59.6

1985 Preux Chevalier WA Barry Perkins 1:56.7 Replay

1986(January) Village Kid WA Chris Lewis 1:56.9

1986 (December) Master Mood NZ Kevin Williams 1:56.1

1987 Village Kid WA Chris Lewis 1:57.7

1988 Our Maestro VIC Vin Knight 1:58.1

1989 Westburn Grant NSW Vic Frost 1:57.9

1990 Westburn Grant NSW Vic Frost 1:55.6

1991 Christopher Vance NZ Tony Herlihy 1:57.9

1992 Franco Tiger VIC Brian Gath 1:56.7

1993 Chokin NZ Tony Herlihy 2:00.0

1994 Chokin NZ Tony Herlihy 1:56.2

1996 (June) Norms Daughter WA Kellie Kersley 1:55.6

1996 (December) Iraklis NZ Ricky May 1:54.2

1997 Our Sir Vancelot NSW Howard James 1:55.5

1998 Christian Cullen NZ Danny Campbell 1:54.4

1999 Holmes DG NZ Barry Purdon 1:56.4

2000 Holmes DG NZ Barry Purdon 1:54.6

2001 Smooth Satin NSW Steve Turnbull 1:56.9

2002 Double Identity NSW Harry Martin 1:55.2

2003 Sokyola VIC Lance Justice 1:54.5

2004 Sokyola VIC Jodi Quinlan 1:54.9

2005 Be Good Johnny QLD John McCarthy 1:55.8

Harold Park also hosts the Chariots of Fire. The Chariots of Fire was first run in 1995 and is the premier race in Australian Harness Racing for four-year-old pacers. The race is worth $200,000 in prizemoney and has already supplied two Miracle Mile winners and one Inter Dominion champion Elsu.

Miracle Mile – Harold Park Trots

The Miracle Mile is hosted by the New South Wales Trotting Club at Harold Park Paceway. The inaugural Miracle Mile race was held at the famous Glebe circuit in 1967. Robin Dundee went on to win the race becoming the first horse to break the “two-minute barrier” under race conditions in Australia.

Miracle Mile Betting has always proven popular in this invitation only race. Outstanding Pacing champions such as Mount Eden, Hondo Grattan, Paleface Adios, Popular Alm, Village Kid, Our Sir Vancelot, Christian Cullen and Sokyola have all been successful in this test sustained test of both strength and speed.

Previous winners of the Miracle Mile:

1967 Robin Dundee NZ Robert Cameron 1:59.0

1968 Halwes TAS Kevin Newman 1:58.6

1969 Adaptor VIC Jack Hargreaves 1:59.2

1970 Lucky Creed QLD Vic Frost 1:59.0

1971 Mount Eden WA Jack Miles 1:58.8

1972 Bay Foyle NSW Charlie Parsons 2:00.6

1973 Reichman VIC Rex Hocking 1:58.4

1974 Hondo Grattan NSW Tony Turnbull 1:59.0

1975 Young Quinn NZ Charlie Hunter 1:58.8

1976 Paleface Adios NSW Colin Pike 1:58.4

1977 Royal Force WA Dudley Anderson 1:59.5

1978 Pure Steel WA Ted Demmler 2:00.4

1979 The Scotsman NSW Graeme Sparkes 2:00.7

1980 Locarno NZ Robin Butt 2:00.4

1981 Friendly Footman NSW Kevin Newman 1:59.2

1982 Gundary Flyer NSW Michael Day 1:56.9

1983 Popular Alm VIC Vin Knight 1:57.7

1984 Double Agent NSW Joe Ilsley 1:59.6

1985 Preux Chevalier WA Barry Perkins 1:56.7 Replay

1986(January) Village Kid WA Chris Lewis 1:56.9

1986 (December) Master Mood NZ Kevin Williams 1:56.1

1987 Village Kid WA Chris Lewis 1:57.7

1988 Our Maestro VIC Vin Knight 1:58.1

1989 Westburn Grant NSW Vic Frost 1:57.9

1990 Westburn Grant NSW Vic Frost 1:55.6

1991 Christopher Vance NZ Tony Herlihy 1:57.9

1992 Franco Tiger VIC Brian Gath 1:56.7

1993 Chokin NZ Tony Herlihy 2:00.0

1994 Chokin NZ Tony Herlihy 1:56.2

1996 (June) Norms Daughter WA Kellie Kersley 1:55.6

1996 (December) Iraklis NZ Ricky May 1:54.2

1997 Our Sir Vancelot NSW Howard James 1:55.5

1998 Christian Cullen NZ Danny Campbell 1:54.4

1999 Holmes DG NZ Barry Purdon 1:56.4

2000 Holmes DG NZ Barry Purdon 1:54.6

2001 Smooth Satin NSW Steve Turnbull 1:56.9

2002 Double Identity NSW Harry Martin 1:55.2

2003 Sokyola VIC Lance Justice 1:54.5

2004 Sokyola VIC Jodi Quinlan 1:54.9

2005 Be Good Johnny QLD John McCarthy 1:55.8

2006 Be Good Johnny QLD John McCarthy 1:54.3

Dual Miracle Mile Winners

Village Kid (1986-1987)

Westburn Grant (1989-1990)

Chokin (1993-1994)

Holmes DG (1999-2000)

Sokyola (2003-2004)

Be Good Johnny (2005-2006)

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