Miracle Mile qualifiers should be epic
by Adam Hamilton
This has all the makings of the best Miracle Mile in more than a decade.
Just making the elite eight-horse field for the March 14 event will be daunting and the stars who will miss out could comfortably make-up a hot secondary race in its own right.
The change of heart from the connection of Down Under’s champion pacer Leap To Fame (Bettors Delight—Lettucereason) means he will headline a mouth-watering array of contenders.
Leap To Fame’s older sibling Swayzee (Rock N Roll Heaven—Lettucereason), a dual New Zealand and Hunter Cup winner, will be there.
So, too, will new sensation Kingman (Always B Miki—Gotta Go Dali), winner of the Victoria and New Zealand Cups late last year, and his stablemate Don Hugo (Art Major—Cinco Amigos), who returns to try and defend his Miracle Mile crown from last year.
Former Kiwi pacer Rakero Rocket (Rock N Roll Heaven—Motu Pocket O’Jewels), the fastest southern hemisphere pacer for the past seven years, is chasing a spot, along with high-class stablemate Hi Manameisjeff (Art Major—Honour Lady). Their trainer Jason Grimson also has huge hopes for recent Kiwi import Chase A Dream (Captaintreacherous—Secret Lotion).
Then there is emerging Queensland star The Janitor (Always B Miki—Weka Lass) and proven Group 1 performer Captains Knock (Captaintreacherous—Scarlett Finn).
Given that even the greatest horses like Leap To Fame and Swayzee have to qualify to gain a Miracle Mile start, the only certain starter ahead of this weekend is the remarkable Victorian veteran Bulletproof Boy (Art Official—My Riviera Girl).
The 11-year-old stormed home from last to win last Friday night’s $100,000 Group 2 Newcastle Mile, which carried the first golden ticket into the $1 million Miracle Mile.
Bulletproof Boy is trying to become the second-oldest Miracle Mile winner behind 12-year-old Double Agent in 1984.
For context, the next closest to them is former sprinting great Smoken Up, who won his second Miracle Mile as a 9-year-old in 2011.
Amazingly, considering the stellar list of contenders, it is the potential “baby” of the field who is stirring the most talk around this Miracle Mile.
Captains Mistress (Captaintreacherous—Imaginary Bet) is aiming to create history.
Since the race started in 1967, no 4-year-old mare has won it. In fact, just three mares have won, full stop. Robin Dundee was an 8-year-old in the inaugural running, Norms Daughter as a 5-year-old in 1996, and Baby Bling was also 5 in 2013.
While everything says Captains Mistress is trying to climb Mount Everest, her trainer Jason Grimson and driver Cam Hart think otherwise.
But to get her crack at the race, she has to land a golden ticket in by winning Saturday night’s (March 7) $250,000 Group 1 Chariots Of Fire — Australia’s premier 4-year-old race — at Menangle.
To win that, she will need to step into rarefied air. Only three other mares have beaten the boys in the Chariots. They were Innocent Eyes (2005), Oaxaca Lass (2003), and Lombo Rapida (2000).
Such has been Captains Mistress’ impact in five Australian runs — for five scintillating wins — she is expected to toy with her rivals on Saturday.
Drawn ideally in gate 3, she is a $1.10 favorite (for a $1 bet). That’s about as short as it gets in a feature race.
Captains Mistress’ five Aussie wins have been by a remarkable aggregate of 89.2 meters.
The biggest of them was thrashing Australia’s best mares in the $150,000 Group 1 Queen of the Pacific at Melton on Feb. 14 by 24.6 meters in a scorching 1:54.2 mile rate for the long 2,760-meter trip.
In the words of Hart: “She won with plenty in reserve.”
On the same night Hart won the iconic Hunter Cup on stablemate Swayzee and was asked to compare the two.
“Swayzee is the most remarkable and special horse I’ve driven, this mare [Captains Mistress] is the most exciting,” he said.
Pressed further as to whether she could have won the Hunter Cup, Hart said: “If she had the run of Republican Party (behind the leader and on Swayzee’s back), she’d have won by a length.”
Grimson, who could have as many as four of the eight Miracle Mile runners if results go his way in the qualifiers this week, didn’t hold back when asked to rate Captains Mistress.
“I’m lucky to have a terrific team of horses at the moment, but she’s the best of them,” he said. “If she gets into the Miracle Mile, she’ll win it.
“I wouldn’t hesitate to run her if she got an invite. She’s that good.”
Ironically, Grimson’s great stayer Swayzee is the one really up against it trying to qualify for his second shot at a Miracle Mile.
He will start from the outside [gate 10] in a cracking field over a mile, which is well short of his pet distance for a stayer.
Swayzee needs a top two finish to land a golden ticket, although he could snare one of the two “discretionary” spots with a top three finish.
But can enforce himself enough from that draw in a field boasting Kingman, emerging Queensland star The Janitor, talented Kiwi pacer Pinseeker (Downbytheseaside—Nickys Power), star mare Eye Keep Smiling (Sweet Lou—Oh Eye See) and his own exciting stablemate Rakero Rocket.
While Grimson and Hart are chasing their first Miracle Mile win, champion trainer/driver Luke McCarthy has three contenders to try and build on his record driving wins in Australasia’s premier speed test.
After trying so hard to win it for so long, McCarthy has driven four of the past six winners. A record three in a row with King Of Swing (2020, ’21, and ’22) and then Don Hugo last year.
Don Hugo is back chasing a spot to defend his crown, Kingman is favored to win his qualifier, and Eye Keep Smiling is drawn well enough to push for a spot in the big dance from gate 3 in the same qualifier as Kingman.
“All three are right where I want them going into this week,” McCarthy said. “They’ll need to be because this is a heck of a charge to get a spot in the [Miracle] Mile. The strongest group I’ve seen for years.
“It was already strong enough before they decided to bring Leap To Fame down, too.
“I love the fact he’s coming. Yes, it’s another great horse for us to have to beat, but you want all the very best horses together in these great races.
“Don Hugo’s got the draw and is going at least as well as when he won [beating Leap To Fame] last year.
“Kingman has freshened up beautifully after his long stint in Melbourne. I can’t wait to get him back to Menangle where he loves it.
“And don’t be surprised if the mare [Eye Keep Smiling] runs a huge race. She just wasn’t quite herself in Melbourne, but the turnaround since coming back home has been amazing. She’s raring to go.”
The Miracle Mile is still over a week away, but this weekend is anything but the calm before the storm.
This is the storm before the storm.
And whatever the final make-up of the eight-horse Miracle Mile field, we’re in for an epic.
