Don Hugo held off Leap To Fame in epic battle.

by Adam Hamilton

What a family.

Luke McCarthy added another amazing chapter to one of harness racing’s greatest families with a record-breaking $1 million Miracle Mile win at Menangle Saturday night (March 8).

Global fans know so much of the U.S. heroics of younger brothers Andy and Todd, but Luke continues to remind everyone he’s as good as any of them.

Luke, 42, became the most successful driver in the history of the great Miracle Mile when a masterly drive landed him a fourth win in the famed race aboard Don Hugo.

It followed his three successive wins aboard King Of Swing in 2020, ’21 and ’22.

But this one was different. This time it was Luke dethroning a “King” rather than winning on one.

Luke and Don Hugo had to beat Down Under’s champion and one of the all-time greats, Leap To Fame, who won the race last year.

And Luke did it with a mix of genius and daring.

It took about 500 meters for the race to settle down, by which time Luke had one of his main dangers, Swayzee, buried three-back on the marker pegs, was leading himself and had the biggest danger, Leap To Fame, racing outside him.

“The race pretty much panned out as I expected with Tact McLeod burning across us at the start, but that was to my advantage because he crossed Swayzee and then when I ran to the lead it put Swayzee three back and needing lots of luck,” Luke said. “I knew Leap To Fame would keep working forward and be outside me, but I thought tonight was the time to stand up and take the challenge.

“As great as he is, Leap To Fame, my horse went so well the week before and drew so well, I thought over the mile it was the right time to hold him out and see just where we stood.”

As hard as Leap To Fame kept coming, Don Hugo had all the answers and held on to win by 1.3 meters over Leap To Fame with another 3.5 meters away to early leader Tact McLeod in the third spot.

They went a slick but not outrageous 1:48.4sec mile, which was 1.5 seconds outside the race and Australasian record.

Becoming the first driver to win four Miracle Miles hit home with Luke.

“It’s such a great race, one you grow up in awe of and wanting to win… to do it four times is just amazing,” he said. “To be honest, I didn’t feel much pressure going into it. I felt I had the horse and the draw, but all the expectations were around Leap To Fame.

“It was awesome to win it, he’s just such a fighter and it’s incredible what he’s done in the past six months or so.”

The “roll” started when Don Hugo won the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1 million TAB Eureka at Menangle on Sept. 7.

He then returned to win an epic Inter Dominion pacing final at the same track on Dec. 14.

And now he’s added a Miracle Mile.

“It’s such a thrill to share not just this win, but all three big ones, with Tony [Licastro, owner] and all his family,” Luke said. “They love it and it makes it extra special.”

Luke has driven over 3000 career winners and the Miracle Mile was his 81st at the Group 1 level.

Leap To Fame lost no fans with a fantastic effort for second, while the Kiwi pacer Tact McLeod continued his terrific transition into the big league by fighting on well for third after the early burn.

The hard luck story was champion stayer Swayzee, who had little racing room back on the inside and charged home late for a close fourth, beaten just 4.9 meters.

NEXT BIG THING, ALWAYS HOT, WINS NEW SOUTH WALES DERBY

Unbeaten colt Always Hot snared the “next big thing” tag with his arrogant win in last night’s $200,000 Group 1 New South Wales Derby (2400m).

Trained by Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin, the Always B Miki colt made it eight wins from as many starts when he was unextended to beat a strong field by 8.6 meters in a slick 1:53.9 mile rate for 2,400 meters.

Going into the race, Stewart had dared to say the colt could be the stable’s “next Ride High.”

Ride High won 16 of his 18 starts and looked a champion in the making before injury ended his career.

“He’s big like Ride High, but not quite as heavy,” Stewart said.

Always Hot started from an outside draw, but worked forward to find the leader after 500 meters and never looked out of second gear.

“I didn’t drive him at his first start, but I loved what I saw and he’s just kept exciting me and getting better since,” driver Greg Sugars said. “He didn’t have much idea at 2, but he’s starting to know and that’s the scary part. He’s very, very exciting and he did it easily.”

Always Hot ran a :54 half from the 1,200-to-400 meters and still ripped home in :27.4 without Sugars asking him to extend.

Owner/breeder Peter Gleeson has already flagged taking on the 4-year-olds in the $2.1 million TAB Eureka back at Menangle in September.

“We wouldn’t be afraid to do that with him,” Gleeson said.

KEAYANG CHUCKY TAKES $100,000 HAMMERHEAD TROTTERS’ MILE

Brilliant trotter Keayang Chucky snared his first Group 1 win and wasn’t far off a Down Under record when he led throughout to win the $100,000 Hammerhead Trotters’ Mile last night.

The 6-year-old son of Love You’s 1:51.9 mile was just 0.4sec outside Maori Time’s Menangle track and Australasian record.

“He so deserved that one,” driver Jason Lee said. “He ran second in the Inter Dominion and so well again through the Great Southern Star, but we felt we had him the best we ever have going into this.

“We thought he could lead and if he did it was time to hold the front, unlike the Inter Dominion, and see if he was up to it.”

His cause was aided when favorite and star Kiwi Oscar Bonavena galloped away from the pole and the start and lost all chance.

But Keayang Chucky absorbed plenty of mid-race pressure from Inter Dominion winner The Locomotive and just kept rolling to win by six meters over London To A Brick with Arcee Phoenix third. The Locomotive was a fighting fourth.