Tabcorp Park Menangle
Harness racing fans have been handed an early Christmas present with the elite pacers surprisingly set to have an A$1million race to decide who is Australasia’s best.
NSW harness officials confirmed yesterday the Miracle Mile set for Menangle outside Sydney on March 6 will be run for A$1million just months after they thought they may have to halve the stake.
Already stakes in many key pacing races have been reduced due to the economic impact of Covid while the Inter Dominions which were to have been held in Sydney this month were delayed a year.
Dan Costello Photo
What a way to cap the year. King Of Swing is the 2019/20 Australian Pacing Gold Grand Circuit champion following his brilliant display in the final leg of the harness racing season, the Gr.1 $175,660 TAB Blacks A Fake at Albion Park tonight (Saturday).
Following victories in the Hunter Cup and Miracle Mile earlier this year, the star pacer held an insurmountable lead going into the Queensland feature, but connections were keen to put an exclamation mark against his name.
And that they did.
Starting as a dominant favourite, King Of Swing ($1.50) completely dominated his rivals when racing clear of Colt Thirty One ($7.50) and Turn It Up ($12) in the 2680m feature under a rain-soaked skyline.
Pacifico Dream is top three-year-old
A top colt in Victoria this season – he has won eight races and been twice placed in 14 starts for $137,630 – is Pacifico Dream, a close relative of Guaranteed. He gave a taste of his class with a dominant win in the Group 3 VHRC Caduceus 3YO Cup at Melton last Saturday.
Earlier in the season he won the VHRC Sires Classic at Melton and the Central Victorian Pacing Championship at Wedderburn.
Pacifico Dream has a background of blood to back up his claims to further promotion, being by
Mach Three out of the unraced Mint Julep, by Presidential Ball from Australia’s first sub 1:50 mare Jadah Rose 1:49.6 ($465,424).