Honolua Bay out to join harness racing greats

Miracle Mile favourite Honolua Bay (Somebeachsomewhere) will join some of the greatest names in the sport if he wins Australasia’s premier harness racing speed test at Menangle on Saturday night (Mar. 4).

Remarkably, only six pacers have completed the Hunter Cup/Miracle Mile double in the same year and they are mouth-watering names like Popular Alm (1983), Preux Chevalier (1985), Pure Steel (1978), Village Kid (1986) and Christen Me (2014).

The sixth and most recent is King Of Swing, who incredibly won the double twice in 2020 and last year.

Despite everything Honolua Bay has already done – 22 wins from just 36 starts and $787,490 in earnings – driver David Moran doesn’t think he’s gained the credit he deserves so far.

“I guess that will change if he wins this week and beats a fantastic field like this,” Moran laughed.

“He has sort of flown under the radar a bit and it’s surprising given he’s won the Hunter Cup, run second in the Victoria Cup, won all his Inter Dominion heats and run a terrific fourth in the final … all in the last five months.

“And he seems to be getting better with each run, too.”

Moran, like most watching, was mightily impressed with Honolua Bay’s Miracle Mile qualifying win when he stormed around the field from last to win easily at Menangle last Saturday night.

“It’s very, very hard to do that Menangle. Yes, the leaders went hard, but I came out (three-wide) earlier than I wanted to so I didn’t get pushed deep and he made up his ground so easily,” he said.

“I knew on the turn I had them covered because he was still cruising and was within striking distance.

“He actually won really easily. He’s not the sort of horse who puts them away and wins by big margins, but he still felt really strong on the line.”

HONOLUA BAY REPLAY

Moran said Honolua Bay’s Inter Dominion campaign through November and December had made the horse.

“He’s always been fast, seriously fast, but the Inter Dominion really strengthened him up and he’s gone to another level in the three months since,” he said.

“He could sprint for 400m, but now, if you drive him the right way, he can hold the speed for 800m and very few can do that.”

Moran’s Miracle Mile confidence has been further boosted by a terrific barrier draw. Honolua Bay will start from gate three if the emergencies don’t get a run.

“It’s pretty much ideal,” he said. “Spirit Of St Louis will want to lead (from gate one) and Hurricane Harley will drop straight in behind him, so I’ll be in the running line, on the speed without having to really burn him out.

“It’s not going to be easy. It’s a great race, the strongest race he’s been in, but he couldn’t be better going into it.

“I don’t see any one main danger, pretty much anything could win, but Expensive Ego, Captain Ravishing and Catch A Wave are three I’m really wary of.”

Moran is chasing his first Miracle Mile win after seconds with his own star Lochinvar Art in 2020 and Expensive Ego in 2021.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Victoria