The Miracle Mile is an Australian harness racing event for Standardbred pacers that was held at Harold Park Racetrack each November until 2008 when the race was switched to Menangle Park Paceway. Prize money has long been among that of Australia's leading harness races and has often included bonuses for speed.
| Group I race | |
| Location | Menangle Park Paceway, Sydney New South Wales, Australia |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1967 |
| Race type | Standardbred - Flat racing |
| Website | Menangle Park Paceway |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1609m (1 mile) |
| Track | 1400m oval, left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-olds and up |
| Purse | AUD $1,000,000 (2020) |
History
editThe race was held twice in 1986 due to a change of dates from January to November/December, and again in 1996 due to the postponement of the 1995 race caused by track redesign and construction. When the new track opened in 1996 the race distance was changed from one mile (1609m) to 1760m. The 2007 running was abandoned due to the Equine Influenza outbreak. The 2012 race was also delayed until April 2013 due to renovations.
Since 2009, the race has been run at Menangle Park, once again at the metric mile distance. The 1400m track length and improved design allowed for faster times. The first winner at the new circuit was New Zealander Monkey King in a track record time of 1:50.8. In 2010 Victorian pacer Smoken Up, who ran 2nd the previous year, won the race and broke the Australasian record in at time of 1:50.3 (Smoken Up has subsequently lowered that record to 1:48.5 in the Len Smith Mile, also at Menangle).
In 2018, My Field Marshal, trained by Tim Butt and driven by Anthony Butt set the race record of 1.46.9 and in doing so, became the Southern Hemisphere record holder and the only standardbred horse to pace a mile in less than 1.47.0.
The fastest ‘miles’ at Harold Park were 1:55.6 by Westburn Grant in 1990, 1:56.1 by Master Mood and 1:56.2 by Chokin. When the race distance became 1760 metres the fastest mile rates were 1:54.2 by Iraklis and 1:54.4 by Christian Cullen.
The Miracle Mile proved elusive to legendary reinsman Brian Hancock who trained one winner in Our Sir Vancelot but due to suspension was unable to drive the three-times Inter Dominion champion on the night of his win in 1997. As set out below there have been several dual winners of the flying mile - notably Smoken Up, Be Good Johnny, Sokyola, Holmes DG, Chokin, Westburn Grant and Village Kid. Champion drivers Lance Justice, Vic Frost and Tony Herlihy have won the race three times each. Kellie Kersley became the first female driver to win the race in 1996. The oldest horse to win the race was 12-year-old Double Agent.
The running of the 2022 Miracle Mile was forced to be delayed for a week from the 5th March to the 12th March after the track suffered damage due to a heavy downpour of rain between the Ainsworth Free For All (Group 1) and the Miracle Mile.
Winners list
edit| Year | Horse | Driver | Time | Mile rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Leap To Fame | Grant Dixon | 1:48.3 | 1:48.3 |
| 2023 | Catch A Wave | Kate Gath | 1:48.8 | 1:48.8 |
| 2022 | King Of Swing | Luke McCarthy | 1:49.2 | 1:49.2 |
| 2021 | King Of Swing | Luke McCarthy | 1:49.2 | 1:49.2 |
| 2020 | King Of Swing | Luke McCarthy | 1:48.0 | 1:48.0 |
| 2019 | Spankem | Mark Purdon | 1:47.7 | 1:47.7 |
| 2018 | My Field Marshal | Anthony Butt | 1:46.9 | 1:46.9 |
| 2017 | Lennytheshark | Chris Alford | 1:49.2 | 1:49.2 |
| 2016 | Have Faith In Me | Natalie Rasmussen | 1:47.5 | 1:47.5 |
| 2015 | Not run due to change in feature race schedule | |||
| 2014 | Christen Me | Dexter Dunn | 1:49.1 | 1:49.1 |
| 2013 | Beautide | James Rattray | 1:50.2 | 1:50.2 |
| 2013* | Baby Bling | Mat Rue | 1:50.5 | 1:50.5 |
| 2012 | *Run in 2013 due to renovations | |||
| 2011 | Smoken Up | Lance Justice | 1:51.8 | 1:51.8 |
| 2010 | Smoken Up | Lance Justice | 1:50.3 | 1:50.3 |
| 2009 | Monkey King | Ricky May | 1:50.8 | 1:50.8 |
| 2008 | Divisive | Peter Rixon | 2:06.9 (1760m) | 1:56.0 |
| 2007 | Not held due to Equine Influenza (E.I.) | |||
| 2006 | Be Good Johnny | John McCarthy | 2:05.0 (1760m) | 1:54.3 |
| 2005 | Be Good Johnny | John McCarthy | 2:06.7 (1760m) | 1:55.9 |
| 2004 | Sokyola | Jody Quinlan | 2:05.7 (1760m) | 1:54.9 |
| 2003 | Sokyola | Lance Justice | 2:05.3 (1760m) | 1:54.3 |
| 2002 | Double Identity | Harry Martin | 2:06.0 (1760m) | 1:55.2 |
| 2001 | Smooth Satin | Steve Turnbull | 2:07.8 (1760m) | 1:56.9 |
| 2000 | Holmes D G | Barry Purdon | 2:05.3 (1760m) | 1:54.6 |
| 1999 | Holmes D G | Barry Purdon | 2:07.3 (1760m) | 1:56.4 |
| 1998 | Christian Cullen | Danny Campbell | 2:05.1 (1760m) | 1:54.4 |
| 1997 | Our Sir Vancelot | Howard James | 2:06.3 (1760m) | 1:55.5 |
| 1996 | Iraklis | Ricky May | 2:04.9 (1760m) | 1:54.2 |
| 1996* | Norms Daughter | Kellie Kersley | 2:06.4 (1760m) | 1:55.6 |
| 1995 | *Run in 1996 due to renovations | |||
| 1994 | Chokin | Tony Herlihy | 1:56.2 | 1:56.2 |
| 1993 | Chokin | Tony Herlihy | 2:00.0 | 2:00.0 |
| 1992 | Franco Tiger | Brian Gath | 1:56.7 | 1:56.7 |
| 1991 | Christopher Vance | Tony Herlihy | 1:57.9 | 1:57.9 |
| 1990 | Westburn Grant | Vic Frost | 1:55.6 | 1:55.6 |
| 1989 | Westburn Grant | Vic Frost | 1:57.9 | 1:57.9 |
| 1988 | Our Maestro | Vin Knight | 1:58.1 | 1:58.1 |
| 1987 | Village Kid | Chris Lewis | 1:57.7 | 1:57.7 |
| 1986 (Dec) | Master Mood | Kevin Williams | 1:56.1 | 1:56.1 |
| 1986 (Jan) | Village Kid | Chris Lewis | 1:56.9 | 1:56.9 |
| 1985 | Preux Chevalier | Barry Perkins | 1:56.7 | 1:56.7 |
| 1984 | Double Agent | Joe Ilsley | 1:59.6 | 1:59.6 |
| 1983 | Popular Alm | Vin Knight | 1:57.7 | 1:57.7 |
| 1982 | Gundary Flyer | Michael Day | 1:56.9 | 1:56.9 |
| 1981 | Friendly Footman | Kevin Newman | 1:59.2 | 1:59.2 |
| 1980 | Locarno | Robin Butt | 2:00.4 | 2:00.4 |
| 1979 | The Scotsman | Graeme Sparkes | 2:00.7 | 2:00.7 |
| 1978 | Pure Steel | Ted Demmler | 2:00.4 | 2:00.4 |
| 1977 | Royal Force | Dudley Anderson | 1:59.5 | 1:59.5 |
| 1976 | Paleface Adios | Colin Pike | 1:58.4 | 1:58.4 |
| 1975 | Young Quinn | Charlie Hunter | 1:58.8 | 1:58.8 |
| 1974 | Hondo Grattan | Tony Turnbull | 1:59.0 | 1:59.0 |
| 1973 | Reichman | Rex Hocking | 1:58.4 | 1:58.4 |
| 1972 | Bay Foyle | Charlie Parsons | 2:00.6 | 2:00.6 |
| 1971 | Mount Eden | Jack Miles | 1:58.8 | 1:58.8 |
| 1970 | Lucky Creed | Vic Frost | 1:59.0 | 1:59.0 |
| 1969 | Adaptor | Jack Hargreaves | 1:59.2 | 1:59.2 |
| 1968 | Halwes | Kevin Newman | 1:58.6 | 1:58.6 |
| 1967 | Robin Dundee | Robert Cameron | 1:59.0 | 1:59.0 |
See also
editExternal links
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