20°C 
Tabcorp Park (Menangle)
Väder Melbourne
All the harness racing pundits trying to predict the outcome of this years $750,000 Sew Eurodrive Miracle Mile at Tabcorp Park Menangle today agreed on one thing...read on
Free For All Pacers 1.609 m auto Purse: $750 000
| Pl | Horse | Prize- money |
Row & Br |
TAB # |
Trainer | Driver ( C = Concession ) |
Mgn (m) |
Starting odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HAVE FAITH IN ME NZ | $450,000 | Fr5 | 7 | M Purdon | N C Rasmussen | $ 2.50 fav | |
| BAY GELDING 4
by
BETTORS DELIGHT USA out of
SCUSE ME (NZ) Owner(s): D M Dunford, M D Dunford Breeder(s): C J (Charles) Roberts |
||||||||
| 2 | LENNYTHESHARK | $112,500 | Fr4 | 6 | D Aiken | C A Alford | SHFHD | $ 3.80 |
| 3 | ARMS OF AN ANGEL NZ | $75,000 | Fr1 | 1 | S P Tritton | L R Panella | 10.00 | $ 11.10 |
| 4 | MY HARD COPY NZ | $37,500 | Fr6 | 8 | G E Hall Snr | C W Hall | 13.70 | $ 29.90 |
| 5 | BLING IT ON | $30,000 | Fr8 | 10 | B J McCarthy | L A McCarthy | 13.70 | $ 51.20 |
| 6 | BLAZIN N CULLEN NZ | $15,000 | Fr7 | 9 | J P McCarthy | T P McCarthy | 15.20 | $ 176.60 |
| 7 | BEAUTIDE | $15,000 | Fr3 | 4 | J R Rattray | J R Rattray | 27.70 | $ 2.80 |
| 8 | MONIFIETH NZ | $15,000 | Fr2 | 2 | J P McCarthy | J P McCarthy | 32.30 | $ 52.60 |
 |
| photo |
| Have Faith In Me wins the SEW-Eurodrive Miracle Mile. |
All the harness racing pundits trying to predict the outcome of this years $750,000 Sew Eurodrive Miracle Mile at Tabcorp Park Menangle today agreed on one thing.,
The margins between the first four leading candidates on paper was so close it became incredibly hard to say with any certainty who would come out on top.
Well in one minute, forty seven point five seconds this afternoon, all those questions were well and truly answered.
When the dust had settled, boom New Zealand four year old Have Faith In Me had written himself into the record books with a run that will long live in the memories of harness arcing followers in Australasia.
As expected the mare Arms Of An Angel from barrier one flew the start and zipped through the first quarter in 26.4 with Beautide and James Rattray on her wheel.
Lennytheshark and Chris Alford slotted into a lovely one out trail behind Beautide while Have Faith In Me and Natalie Rasmussen followed Lennytheshark everywhere.
Arms Of An Angel kept rolling in front with the next quarter flying by in 27.4 for an opening half of 53.8 and at that speed there was no moves midrace.
Incredibly Arms Of An Angel upped the tempo even more down the back straight with a 26.5 quarter and the first to feel the pinch was Beautide, who began to battle at the 400 metres mark.
Lennytheshark was quickly out to chase Arms Of An Angel at the top of the straight with Have Faith In Me chasing hard on his back.
Half way up the long Menangle straight, Lennytheshark claimed Arms Of An Angel but was immediately challenged by Have Faith In Me and it wasn't until right on the line that the the four year old got his nose in front of a very game Lennytheshark.
Arms Of An Angel showed real stamina to stick on for a great third after such a tough run while My Hard Copy from three back inner finished on into fourth.
The time of 1:47.5 took 1.6 seconds off the old Miracle Mile race record and is the fastest mile ever run down under.
All eight runners in todays Miracle Mile broke 1:50.
Natalie Rasmussen was just in awe of what Have Faith In Me had done post race.
" This horse is such a big baby still and is a long way from the being complete racehorse, yet he has just run 1:47.5.
" He was goofing about at times during the race and paced roughly in the home straight but thats just him at this stage of his career.
" I can't believe how good he went considering all the little things he still does wrong during his races."
" He will go for a long spell now and I think when he comes back he will be a man and not the boy he is at the moment."
" It is hard to imagine how good this horse could be when he finally puts it all together," Natalie told Harnesslink this afternoon.
One thing Natalie was sure of was the significance of todays win.
" Todays win is a huge career highlight, right up there with some of Blacks A Fakes big wins, Natalie said.
The Lennytheshark camp were thrilled with how their horse had gone.
Owners Kevin and Mark Riseley were smiling even though they had only been grabbed in the last stride.
"He has gone huge and we were thrilled with the performance.
"He has broken 1:48 and it has taken a champion sitting on his back to beat him so you can't be disappointed."
"We just needed Beautide to take us to the home straight and I think we may have held on but when he stopped at the 400 metres, that left us a bit of a sitting duck."
"It was such a great race to be a part of and if we were to be beaten, I am glad it was my other trainers in Mark and Natalie who beat us," Kevin said.
Shane Tritton was also upbeat at the run of Arms Of An Angel for third.
"Beautide made us work a bit hard early and then again in the second quarter so she never really got a breather."
"That told a bit in the last 200 metres but to hang on and run third was a great effort for such an inexperienced mare."
"She has been timed in 1:48.2 and I think there is so much further improvement in Arms Of An Angel that I am already looking forward to next years race with her," Shane said.
Todays race was a milestone in harness racing in Australasia.
When our major races are being run in 1:47.5 the so called gap between the hemispheres is shrinking quicker than the Arctic.
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