Andy chasing another Miracle at Menangle

Andy Gath is just thrilled to be part of another Miracle Mile with Catch A Wave (Captaintreacherous).

Winning it, as he did in 2023, or even finishing top three in such a stellar harness racing field, would be a bonus.

But, as he always does, Gath is plotting ways to upstage what he calls “one of the best fields I’ve been part of.”

“It’s a great race isn’t it?” he said. “I’d have to go back to when Caribbean Blaster won the Victoria Cup for us in 2012 as the closest great field we’ve been part of. He beat Im Themightyquuinn, Smoken Up, Washakie, Sushi Sushi, Melpark Major, The Gold Ace and Mah Sish. That was a fantastic field.

“But for sheer depth and absolute star power at the top, this Miracle Mile is probably the best.

“You’ve got two legitimate champions, I say they are champions Leap To Fame and Swayzee, it’s not something I say lightly, clashing again.

“Then there’s Don Hugo who has won the TAB Eureka, Inter Dominion and seems to be getting better with each.

“Catch A Wave has already won a Miracle Mile as one of his eight Group 1 wins, Max Delight is an old marvel and a Victoria Cup winner.

“Then you’ve got Sooner The Bettor who ran second to Leap To Fame last year (in the Miracle Mile) and Captain Ravishing, who has incredible talent ran a terrific race last weekend.

“I’m just glad we qualified to be part of it.

“And just to do that, ‘Tex’ (Catch A Wave’s stable name) had to run one of the biggest races of his career (last Saturday).”

Catch A Wave came from last and out four, five and six wide on the final bend to flash home for a close second to Don Hugo.

“He probably wins in another five metres,” Gath said. “It’s very rare to come from last and do that in a quality race at Menangle.

“I think his body of work this campaign shows he’s as good as we’ve had him.”

The barrier draw took an ugly twist for Catch A Wave when only gates one and nine remained and he drew nine.

It means he will start from the outside (eight) if the emergencies come out and no horse has won the Miracle Mile from wider than gate seven.

Even then, Leap To Fame last year is the only horse to win from seven.

“The draw is the draw, we can’t change it,” Gath said. “We did want a draw where we didn’t have to make a decision (whether to use him early or not) and we got that, we have no option but to go back to what will almost certainly be last from out there.

“While this is a harder race than last week, it is a smaller field. Eight runners instead of 10 means we will be that horse close in the run even if we are last.

“You’d think it’ll be very strongly run, but even when these big races are, horses like Leap To Fame and Swayzee don’t seem to come back to you.

“That said, having all the stars together in the same race with us actually suits us.

“We’re best when we can just sit and come with one run, try to dive bomb them.

“Whether we can be close enough to get into it is the big question.”

For complete race entries, click here.

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Victoria