By Adam Hamilton
New Zealand’s hopes of adding to its proud Miracle Mile strike look even slimmer after the barrier draw.
Kiwi prospects were dealt a blow when NZ’s two best-performed pacers, Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming, failed to qualify for Saturday night’s $1m feature at Menangle.
Pleasingly, lesser fancied pair Tact McLeod and Sooner The Bettor did make the cut.
But the barrier hasn’t helped either of them, especially the emerging Tact McLeod.
While the Mark Jones-trained pacer has terrific gate speed, he will start from gate six and with loads of gate speed underneath him.
Driver Anthony Butt, who produced a gem to overcome a wide draw and finish second on Tact McLeod in his qualifier last night, has lots of thinking to do about his tactics this week.
Don Hugo, Captain Ravishing and even old boy Max Delight all have strong gate speed and are drawn inside him.
Sooner The Bettor fared better from gate four and will come into three, but still have likely early leader Don Hugo drawn directly to his inside.
At least Sooner The Bettor should be able to comfortably slot into the running line and remember, he did run a booming second to Leap To Fame when an outsider last year.
Tact McLeod is a $18 chance and Sooner The Bettor is $51 in post-draw markets.
Leap To Fame, despite drawing wide again, just holds favouritism at $2.40 over Don Hugo, who fared best in the draw of the big guns.
Leap To Fame drew eight, but will move into seven. He won from seven last year and became the first pacer in the history of the great race to win from a draw wider than six.
Swayzee’s barrier two draw went from great to problematic when second emergency, Bulletproof Boy, drew one.
It means Swayzee will start from one and his lack of early speed will almost certainly see him crossed and driver Cam Hart needing to get away from the inside at all costs on the great stayer.
The 2023 Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave provided another “wow” moment of the draw.
With barriers only one and nine remaining, he drew nine. It hurts his chances and also caused a potential headache for Swayzee.
MIRACLE MILE BARRIER DRAW :
$1m Group 1 Menangle Saturday night.
1. Bulletproof Boy (2nd emerg) $35
2. Swayzee – Cam Hart – $4.20
3. Don Hugo – Luke McCarthy – $2.50
4. Sooner The Bettor – Gavin Fitzpatrick – $51
5. Captain Ravishing – Jack Callaghan – $8.50
6. Max Delight – Will Rixon – $71
7. Tact McLeod – Anthony Butt – $18
8. Leap To Fame – Grant Dixon – $2.40
9. Catch A Wave – Kate Gath – $9
10. Sure Thing Captain (1st emerg) – $101
