Miracle Mile Pace

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This article is about the horse race. For the race between Roger Bannister and John Landy, see Athletics at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games – Men's 1 mile.
Miracle Mile
Group I race
LocationMenangle Park Paceway, Sydney
New South Wales, Australia
Inaugurated1967
Race typeStandardbred - Flat racing
WebsiteMenangle Park Paceway
Race information
Distance1609m (1 mile)
Track1400m oval, left-handed
QualificationThree-year-olds and up
PurseAUD $1,000,000 (2020)

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.

History[]

The 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).

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.

Winners list[]

Year Horse Driver Time Mile rate
2021 Luke McCarthy 1:49.2 1:49.2
2020 Luke McCarthy 1:48.0 1:48.0
2019 Mark Purdon 1:47.7 1:47.7
2018 Anthony Butt 1:46.9 1:46.9
2017 Chris Alford 1:49.2 1:49.2
2016 Natalie Rasmussen 1:47.5 1:47.5
2015 Not run due to change in feature race schedule
2014 Dexter Dunn 1:49.1 1:49.1
2013 James Rattray 1:50.2 1:50.2
2013* 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 Peter Rixon 2:06.9 1:56.0
2007 Not held due to Equine Influenza (E.I.)
2006 Be Good Johnny John McCarthy 2:05.0 1:54.3
2005 Be Good Johnny John McCarthy 2:06.7 1:55.9
2004 Jody Quinlan 2:05.7 1:54.9
2003 Lance Justice 2:05.3 1:54.3
2002 Harry Martin 2:06.0 1:55.2
2001 Steve Turnbull 2:07.8 1:56.9
2000 Barry Purdon 2:05.3 1:54.6
1999 Barry Purdon 2:07.3 1:56.4
1998 Christian Cullen Danny Campbell 2:05.1 1:54.4
1997 Our Sir Vancelot Howard James 2:06.3 1:55.5
1996 Ricky May 2:04.9 1:54.2
1996* Kellie Kersley 2:06.4 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 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 Vin Knight 1:58.1 1:58.1
1987 Village Kid Chris Lewis 1:57.7 1:57.7
1986 Kevin Williams 1:56.1 1:56.1
1986 Village Kid Chris Lewis 1:56.9 1:56.9
1985 Preux Chevalier Barry Perkins 1:56.7 1:56.7
1984 Joe Ilsley 1:59.6 1:59.6
1983 Popular Alm Vin Knight 1:57.7 1:57.7
1982 Michael Day 1:56.9 1:56.9
1981 Kevin Newman 1:59.2 1:59.2
1980 Robin Butt 2:00.4 2:00.4
1979 Graeme Sparkes 2:00.7 2:00.7
1978 Pure Steel Ted Demmler 2:00.4 2:00.4
1977 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 Rex Hocking 1:58.4 1:58.4
1972 Charlie Parsons 2:00.6 2:00.6
1971 Jack Miles 1:58.8 1:58.8
1970 Vic Frost 1:59.0 1:59.0
1969 Jack Hargreaves 1:59.2 1:59.2
1968 Halwes Kevin Newman 1:58.6 1:58.6
1967 Robert Cameron 1:59.0 1:59.0

See also[]

External links[]


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