A BIG night of harness racing will hit Club Menangle on Saturday night with the Grand Circuit $750,000 Miracle Mile (Group 1).
It is due to start at 9.32pm.
The field of 10 runners has some standout runners starting, with Tiger Tara (Todd McCarthy), who has drawn the one barrier and comes into the $750,000 feature off two last start wins including the Canadian Club Sprint last week at Menangle with a mile rate (MR) of 1.51.5.
The former Kiwi pacer has had 84 race starts for 28 wins and 30 placings with $1,344,910 in stakes money.
Lazarus from the Purdon stables was the punters’ disappointment last week in the Canadian Sprint when he finished third to Tiger Tara. He has drawn barrier 10 with trainer Mark Purdon electing to “sack himself” from the driving and hand the reins over to partner Natalie Rasmussen to take the drive.
Lazarus always seems to rise again and will have to lift once again in Grand Circuit race. The NZ-trained pacer has had 44 race starts for 35 wins and nine placings and $3,673,438 in prize money.
Jilliby Kung Fu is the “heart string” runner trained by Margaret Lee and driven by her son Jason who accepted an invite into the race after a win in the Chariots of Fire with a MR of 1.48.8. He has drawn barrier five.
The stables will be looking for four wins on the trot for “the Fu”, with his first start in NSW being in the Chariots of Fire for the Victorian pacer who has had 28 starts for 14 wins and nine placings and $379,620 in prize money.
Anything For Love (barrier three) from the Tritton stables found his way into the Grand Circuit race after a win in the Allied Express Sprint last week with a MR of 1.48.7, and will be driven by Lauren Tritton. With 41 race starts, the gelding has 12 wins and 16 placings for $205,953 in prize money.
FROM July 2, $2.8 million is set to be injected into prize money initiatives. That was the announcement made by Harness Racing NSW chairman Rod Smith on Tuesday evening. There will be a “Reward Series” for regional and provincial heats and finals ($10,000) as a reward for continuing to be involved in the industry.
LOCAL harness racing will resume on Sunday, March 4 with the Inverell Carnival of Cups meeting featuring the $8000 Kevin & Kay Seymour Celebrating 50 years mare race as well as the $10,000 TAB Carnival of Cups Pace. Armidale will follow on Sunday, March 11 with one of the feature races, the Bill Barraclough Memorial, gaining attraction with a Missile Gig on offer as the trophy.
LOCAL runners will contest Friday night’s Newcastle meeting from the Sam Ison, Danny Mackney and Williams’ racing team. Good luck to all.
