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ARMS OF AN ANGEL, MY HARD COPY, LAST TWO IN MIRACLE MILE

A fabulous finish to grab third in the Chariots Of Fire by star four-year-old mare Arms Of An Angel has earned her one of the final invitations into the SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile.

And Western Australia will have a contender as well after the well-performed My Hard Copy earned the last invitation into the $A750,000 Sprint on February 28.

Lord Zin Zan (1st emergency) and Easy On The Eye (2nd emergency) were added to the final field, should any runner be scratched in the next two weeks.

Earlier in the night Have Faith In Me won the last qualifying spot for the MM when he blitzed his rivals in the $200,000 Form 700 Chariots Of Fire, rating a slashing 1:48.8 to become Australasia’s fastest four-year-old.

That left directors of the NSW Harness Racing Club to decide the final two starters and they announced the final field would be:

Lennytheshark
Monifieth
Bling It On
Beautide
Blazing N Cullen
Have Faith In Me
Arms Of An Angel
My Hard Copy
Lord Zin Zan (1st emergency)
Easy On The Eye (2nd emergency)

The barrier draw the big race will take place next weekend.

Courtesy of Mandy Zammit,

Catering & Administration Co-ordinator,

NSWHRC.

HAVE FAITH IN ME NEXT MIRACLE SUPERSTAR ?

Champion NZ training partnership of Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen missed a start with Smolda in the Miracle Mile, but they will be there anyway, thanks to boom four-year-old Have Faith In Me.

The beautifully-bred son of Bettors Delight turned the February 13, 2016, $A200,000 For 700 Chariots of Fire into a one-act affair, smashing the clock and becoming the fastest four-year-old to race at Tabcorp Park Menangle with a 1:48.8 mile.

Natalie took the reins and Have Faith In Me simple blitzed his rivals, scoring untouched by 10.3m from Lord Zin Zan with another exciting four-year-old Arms Of An Angel a flashing third.

Arms Of An Angel had everyone talking when he refused to score up with his rivals and missed the start by several lengths.

Her driver Lauren Panella refused to panic and after settling down at the tail of the field put in an unbelievable finish to grab third from a wall of horses.

Still it was an emotional win for the New Zealand owners of Have Faith In Me as that horse secured a certain invitation into the SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile alongside earlier Sprint performers Monifieth, Bling It On, Beautide and Blazing N Cullen with Lennytheshark already invited as a legacy of his Victoria Cup win.

Directors were sitting down to discuss the prospects of the two other contenders and reserves for the Miracle Mile in two weeks’ time.

As for Have Faith In Me’s owners? They’ll leave the final decision on whether or not he starts up to Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen . . . with the $750,000 expected to prove difficult to resist.

Courtesy of Mandy Zammit,

Catering & Administration Co-ordinator,

NSWHRC.

BEAUTIDE MAKES IT ONE ACT AFFAIR AT MENANGLE

OK, OK, so we all expected it.

And the way Beautide dealt with his rivals in the Coca-Cola Amatil Sprint at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday February 13, 2016, he must have expected it too.

Certainly Beautide and his reinsman James Rattray gave nothing else a chance as they cemented their invitation to the SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile win an easy 4.4m win over another of the night’s surprise packets in Blazin N Cullen, with the gallant Easy On The Eye a close third.

Beautide really gave nothing else a chance, burning to the front in a 27.7s first quarter of the mile, backing it off with a 29.4 second split before giving his rivals a headache with final splits of 26.9s and 26.7s to register a sizzling 1:50.7 mile.

This confirms his favouritism for the SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile on his home track on Saturday week (February 28).

“Yes, he felt really sharp tonight: back to his best,” said Rattray.

“That’s his third run back from a spell now and I don’t think he could have felt better.

“He might improve a bit more in a fortnight, we’ll see.”

Rattray said if he had a wish he would like to draw one of the inside four marbles for the Miracle Mile, but everyone who witnessed the win knows he is now the horse to beat.

The second placing of Blazing N Cullen will have trainer-driver John McCarthy in a quandary as he earlier qualified Monifieth for the big one too.

With both guaranteed invitations to the big race, John will have to decide which one he will pilot, with son Todd expected to take the reins on the second-stringer.

Courtesy of Mandy Zammit,

Catering & Administration Co-ordinator,

NSWHRC.

MONIFIETH PACES 1:50.7 IN MENANGLE VICTORY

Talented seven-year-old former Canterbury pacer Monifieth slipped under the guard of most punters at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday, February 13, 2016.

And the $18 shot slipped under the guard of boom five-year-old Bling It On as well, to snatch a last-stride victory in the $200,000 Cordina Chicken Farms Sprint and secure the second spot, behind Lennytheshark in the SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile later this month.

Bling It On, who made a mid-race dash and found the front failed by a half head to hold off Monifieth although his second placing also assured him a start in the Miracle Mile.

It was a race that always promised a close finish as Bettor Bet Back fired across from an outside barrier to find the front, despite the efforts of Mach Beauty to hold him out.

Yet Mach beauty’s driver Lauren Panella would have none of that and no sooner had Bettor Bet Black settled in the lead with a 26.4s opening quarter then Panella came around and snatched the lead back from him.

That didn’t last long either as Luke McCarthy (Bling It On) took off from midfield with about 800m to travel and wrested the lead away from Mach Beauty.

All this time former Miracle Mile winning reinsman John McCarthy was smoking his pipe at the tail of the field with Monifieth and turning for home the pair made a long searching run down the middle of the track to grab victory in the final stride.

That final split of 27s gave the winner a mile rate of 1:50.7 which would make Monifieth competitive in most Miracle Miles.

“We’ve travelled with this horse (Monifieth) and to be honest he has gone pretty ordinary a few times on other tracks so his part-owner Kevin Jeavons and I hatched a plan a few weeks ago to stick with Menangle,” said John McCarthy.

“Monifieth can bump his knee a little bit, but he loves this long straight and always races well here at Menangle.

“So this is where he’ll be racing for the rest of his career. To jag a win like this makes it all worthwhile.”

Courtesy of Mandy Zammit,

Catering & Administration Co-ordinator,

NSWHRC.

FRITH BACK TO GLORIOUS BEST AT MENANGLE

Mighty mare Frith bounced back to her brilliant best with an all-the-way win to take out the first feature of a stellar night’s harness racing at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday, February 13, 2016, in the $50,000 Group Two Therese Cordina Sibelia Stakes.

Blessed with the gate speed to easily cross and find the front from gate three for star young reinsman Todd McCarthy, Frith reeled off a 27.7s first quarter of the mile to ensure nothing was going to challenge the six-year-old mare for the lead.

After a 29.5s second split, the race was always going to be Frith’s for the taking, so McCarthy lowered the handlebars and the daughter of Four Starzzz Shark posted a 27.8 third split to test her rivals to the max.

Frith saved her best for last as she romped home the last quarter in an even 27 seconds to score by 1.5m from Nike Franco (Luke McCarthy) with $1.80 favourite Fight For Glory a fighting third.

Natalie Rasmussen angled Fight For Glory away from the pegs turning for home and she had ever chance in the long Menangle straight to run down Frith, while Nike Franco came from three-back on the pegs to surge up the inside and briefly looked a chance of getting to Frith before pacing roughly about 50m from the finish.

Still all honours were with Frith with the mighty mare now guaranteed a berth in the $200,000 Cordina Chicken Farms Ladyship Mile, one of many features to be run on Miracle Mile Day, February 28.

While owner Diane Kelly was trackside to acknowledge her great mare, reinsman Todd McCarthy, one of the form drivers at Menangle in recent months, said hopping behind a horse of the calibre of Frith made the big nights like these memorable ones.

Trainer Belinda McCarthy commented that the real Frith stood up tonight after she had finished a close and unlucky fourth to Easy On The Eye a week ago at the same track.

Belinda will no doubt put the great mare on ice now as she edges towards that magic million dollars in earnings.

Saturday night’s success put Frith a mere $25,000 short of the historic mark.

Courtesy of Mandy Zammit,

Catering & Administration Co-ordinator,

NSWHRC.

RETURN TO PALMERSTON NORTH LIKELY FOR KOWHAI WHIZ

Kowhai Whiz enjoyed Palmerston North so much last week with a winning double that he may return for next week’s next two-day Manawatu meeting (Tuesday Feb. 16 & Thursday, Feb. 18).

The 7YO Now Another Look-Surprising gelding scored back-to-back wins in the hands of Robbie Close at both the Manawatu and Wairarapa meetings, run three days apart, last week (February 4 & 7).

Kowhai Whiz, shown winning at Rangiora on November 5, 2015 for Laura McKay. He scored a winning double at Palmerston North last week. (Race Images photo).

Robbie took all the shortcuts from the 20m line with an inside run four back at the 400m with Kowhai Whiz on February 4.

He angled off the back of leader Notre Dame turning for home and scored an easy four lengths wins in the Stephen Doody Racing Stables Handicap Trot in 3:18.3 (2500m).

Back to 30m for the Bottle-O Feilding C2 & faster Trot at the Wairarapa meeting, Kowhai Whiz settled fifth of the six starters and had to unleash late to catch Master Monarchy, getting home by a head in 3:18.6 (2500m), the leaders last 800m in 59.1s.

The winning double moved Kowhai Whiz to a C6 assessment.

Kowhai Whiz. who has had a couple of penalty-free adjustments, has now won eight and been 12 times placed in 57 starts, for $56,045, for owners John and Jill Hartnell.

After earlier racing for Terry and Glenys Chmiel, Kowhai Whiz won first-up for seven months for the Mark Jones stable at Rangiora on November 5 last year, crediting junior driver Laura McKay with her first win.

He had raced soundly in Canterbury the interim but found things easier last week in the Central Districts.

“He will most likely head back up for next weeks meeting,” Mark confirmed.

He’ll go back again in handicap but has a chance of two more suitable C2 and faster opportunities over 2500m around at Palmerston North.

CHARIOTS SHAPING AS A MATCH RACE

It’s shaping as a match-race between two of the quickest pacers to race in Australasia.

And two of the best reinswomen ever to grace the Tabcorp Park Menangle circuit will be in the ‘hotseats’.

The $200,000 Form 700 Chariots Of Fire should ensure a big crowd at Menangle on Saturday night as Miracle Mile invitations go on the line.

Star New Zealand-based driver Natalie Rasmussen is here to partner one of Mark Purdon’s stable stars in Have Faith In Me, who has drawn gate 11 and should come into 10 when the first emergency, Admiral Bronski is withdrawn.

And the Kiwi colt may have to break 1:50, or go very close to that mark if he is to come from the wide draw and account for flying four-year-old former Kiwi mare Arms Of An Angel.
Arms Of An Angel will be partnered by premier reinswoman Lauren Panella.

This daughter of former Inter Dominion champion Elsu is unbeaten since crossing the Tasman to join the Shane Tritton barn, winning seven in succession with ridiculous ease.

Indeed Arms Of An Angel is already a triple record holder at Menangle, with two incredible times of 1:50.7 and 1:50.3 among her string of wins.

And her winning margins in Australia add up to an even-more-impressive 114.6m.

Panella will be looking for a quick getaway when she comes out of the eight barrier on Saturday night and is expected to cross and find the lead.

From there it might be catch-me-if-you can – and break 1:50 if you have to – if you want to beat this dynamic duo.

While it shapes as a match race, the presence of Tact Tate, Ameretto, Cruz Bromac and several other smart performers ensures it will be a race to remember . . . with an invitation to the SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile awaiting the winner.

There are at least four other invitations up for grabs on the night with the first two home in the Coca-Cola Amatil Sprint as well as the Cordina Chicken Farms Sprint guaranteed spots in the Miracle Mile on February 28.

Courtesy of . . .