Lazarus wins Chariots Of Fire in 1:49

Champion harness racing pacer Lazarus is the first horse into the Ainsworth Miracle Mile following a devastating win in the $200,000 Cordina Chicken Farms Chariots Of Fire at Tabcorp Park Menangle tonight.

The New Zealand four-year-old, trained by Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, led for the last 800m and held off stablemate Our Waikiki Beach in a career-best 1:49 for the mobile mile.

The win earned him an automatic invite to the $750,000 Miracle Mile at Menangle on February 25, which Purdon wasted no time in accepting.

That means Lazarus will not have to start in next Saturday's two preludes of the Mile, with the first two in those preludes also guaranteed Miracle Mile invites.

The balance of the field will be invited at the discretion of the directors of the New South Wales Harness Racing Club and will not be decided until after next Saturday's prelude.

Tonight's group one win was the 23rd in Lazarus's 27-start career and he is closing in on $2 million in stakes.

He is a son of champion Bettors Delight and Bethany.

Tonight's other feature, the $51,500 Cordina Food Company Sibelia Stakes was won in all-the-way fashion by Cyclone Kate in a personal best 1:50.3, earning her an automatic spot in the $200,000 Ladyship Mile on Miracle Mile night.

Lazarus

Cyclone Kate