by Adam Hamilton

This race truly has it all.

A potential all-time great trying to defy history, a young gun out to add to the great record of 4-year-olds, two champion Kiwi brothers trying to add to their country’s proud record, a small Aussie state trying to punch above its weight and a trainer unlike any other trying to build on his juggernaut of success.

That’s just a snapshot of Saturday night’s (March 9) $1 million Miracle Mile, Down Under’s premier speed test around the spacious 1400m Menangle track, just outside of Sydney.

Let’s start with the headline act, Leap To Fame. He’s the potential all-time great I’ve mentioned with 34 wins from just 44 starts and over $2.2 million in earnings despite having only recently turned 5.

If this race was 2000m or further, he would be a dominant favorite.

The son of Bettor’s Delight has already won the Inter Dominion pacing final (December) and Hunter Cup (February) and is trying to become only the second pacer to the Aussie Triple Crown in the same campaign. Hall of Famer Preux Chevalier did it back in the summer of 1985.

The key is the distance. Leap To Fame has a good record at a mile, but his most dominant displays and biggest wins have been in staying races.

He reminds many of two other Down Under champions of the past 20 years: Lazarus and Blacks A Fake. As great as they were, they tried six times between them to win the Miracle Mile but couldn’t.

The challenge went up another level when Leap To Fame drew barrier 9, meaning he will start from 7 when the emergencies (or ballots) are withdrawn.

Since the Miracle Mile field was increased from six to eight in 2009, no horse has won from barriers 7 or 8.

His trainer/driver Grant Dixon didn’t even hide the fact he’s uneasy about it all.

“It’s certainly not the most suitable big race for him,” he said. “The distance is shorter than he likes and having to go into the [pre-race] retention barn doesn’t help him, either. If the race wasn’t worth so much and didn’t mean so much to Kevin [Seymour, owner], I’d happily keep him at home and target something else.

“There’s no doubt the further they go, the more it plays to his strengths. A mile is far from his pet distance and now he’s got a wide draw to overcome, too.”

So, why is the retention barn, which is so rarely used Down Under compared to the U.S., such an issue?

“I don’t have any issue at all with the concept,” Dixon said. “Some horses handle it better than others and Leap To Fame isn’t one of them. He’s a stallion who has a mind of his own at times. He spends his time in a yard at home roaming around and then we’ve got to keep him in a box in a barn for a couple of days before one of his biggest races.

“He’s obviously been in it before and performed well, but it’s a concern to me. He hasn’t enjoyed it at all in the past and I can only hope he’s a bit more used to it now.”

The enormity of the challenge is reflected in the betting odds on the Miracle Mile. Leap To Fame was as short as $1.80, for a $1 bet, before the draw but is now out to $3 and no longer favorite.

The last word goes to Seymour, who is so desperate to win the race.

“I do believe in miracles and it would be a miracle to win from [post] 7 because it’s never been done before,” Seymour said.

It’s a similar story with the explosive and untapped Frankie Ferocious, who is trying to add to the amazing strike rate of 4-year-olds coming through Chariots Of Fire wins (which he won last Saturday night).

The past eight Chariots winners have won or been placed in the Miracle Mile, but the one key change this year is the gap between races has been closed from two weeks to one. Most feel that will make it harder for the younger horses.

Frankie Ferocious looks a bit special and will need to be because he’s drawn even wider than Leap To Fame. He’ll start from the outside (post 8), another draw which is yet to produce a Miracle Mile winner.

Frankie Ferocious is the latest stable star for the remarkable trainer Jason Grimson, who has burst into the big league like no horseman we’ve seen before.

Grimson has won two of the past three Inter Dominion finals and finished in his “off year” with Swayzee in Brisbane last December.

He’s always had his sights on the Miracle Mile at his home track, Menangle, where he trains from.

Grimson has two starters, Frankie Ferocious and the injury-riddled Hi Manameisjeff. Grimson is a remarkable advertisement for his ability to resurrect pacers from other stables.

The 7-year-old Hi Manameisjeff has battled a string of nasty tendon injuries, but in 10 starts for Grimson, he’s won nine times, all at Menangle.

He stole the show with a blazing qualifying win at Menangle last Saturday night — in the fastest of the three qualifying races after having to work hard early — and has grabbed favoritism off Leap To Fame as a result at $2.80 (for a $1 bet). The fact he is a blazing beginner and the likely leader from gate 5 is a huge plus.

After the pandemic caused travel chaos and basically stopped the New Zealanders competing in our biggest races, Saturday night’s race marks the return of a truly Trans-Tasman Miracle Mile with two of the eight pacers from across the ditch.

Fittingly, they are trained by champion brothers Mark (Dont Stop Dreaming) and Barry Purdon (Sooner The Bettor).

New Zealand-trained pacers have won 15 of the 56 Miracle Miles and the Purdon brothers have trained seven of those, most recently when Mark co-trained and drove Spankem to win in 2019.

But the odds say the Kiwis are up against it this year.

Dont Stop Dreaming was beaten into sixth place behind Frankie Ferocious as a commanding favorite in the Chariots Of Fire last week and has a wide draw from gate 6. He’s out to $12 for a $1 bet.

Sooner The Bettor made the most of a lovely trip behind the leader to finish second in the Chariots, but hasn’t drawn as well, post 4, and has won four races in his 24-start career. He’s a $31 longshot.

Then comes the rare influence of Queensland — a relative minnow on the Aussie harness stage — with two of the eight pacers, including Leap To Fame in Saturday night’s feature. The emerging Speak The Truth is the other from barrier 1.

Just three Queensland-trained pacers have won the Miracle Mile. Lucky Creed was the first in 1970 and then Be Good Johnny — trained by Todd and Andy McCarthy’s father John — went back-to-back in 2005 and ’06.

Finally, it wouldn’t be fair if we didn’t mention the remarkable achievement of Spirit Of St Louis to qualify for a third consecutive Miracle Mile. He’s not out of it, either, from barrier 2 given his brilliant gate speed.

Spirit Of St Louis has been a mainstay of Australia’s biggest races for the past three years, especially in the Miracle Mile with second placings the past two years.

All the ingredients are there, the scene is set… now we just need a contest to match the build-up.