McCarthy’s Miracle Mile quest heating up

Luke McCarthy’s quest for another Miracle Mile harness racing win starts this weekend.

McCarthy, now training in his own name, has four Miracle Mile hopefuls; two of them – Spirit Of St Louis (Sweet Lou) and Bondi Lockdown (Somebeachsomewhere) – both are lining up in Saturday night’s Macarthur FC Pace (1609m) at Menangle on Saturday night.

Stablemates Cantfindabettorman (Sweet Lou) and former Miracle Mile runner-up Expensive Ego (Rock N Roll Heaven) will be in action a week later.

“I’ve decided to go to the Newcastle Mile with Cantfindabettorman. I’m really happy with him and disappointed he didn’t get a start in the Hunter Cup. I think he’d have run very well.

“He’s a horse on the up, and I’d love to get him into the (Miracle) Mile.

“Expensive Ego is building well, too. He’ll resume at Menangle in the free-for-all on Saturday week. If he goes well, he’ll then back up the week after in the qualifying sprints for the Mile.

“The Mile might come around a bit soon for him so early in his campaign, but he’ll tell us more with that first-up run.”

More immediately, McCarthy is pleased with Spirit Of St Louis and Bondi Lockdown ahead of Saturday night.

“Bondi Lockdown seemed great going into last week, and it was so pleasing to see him come and go so well. He almost won and went great,” he said.

“Hopefully, he’s back where we know he can be now and runs that well again on Saturday.”

“And ‘Louis’ is going great. He just keeps running well in the very best races and deserves another crack at a race like the Miracle Mile before we set our sights on taking him back over to Perth again for the Nullarbor.”

McCarthy famously won three successive Miracle Miles with King Of Swing (2020, ’21 and’ 22) before finishing sixth on Expensive Ego last year.

McCarthy will also be a key player in Saturday night’s feature at Menangle with the exciting Ravishing Sloy in the $50,000 Simpson Memorial, a teaser for the upcoming NSW Derby.

The son of Bettors Delight has won six of his ten starts with another two seconds but hasn’t raced since scoring at Menangle on December 9.

He is $2.50 despite drawing wide (gate nine) in a fascinating and strong Simpson Sprint.

“I like him, and I think he’ll be at his best as a late three-year-old,” he said.

“He trialled really well the other day, but you can’t be overly confident in a strong race like this from a wide draw.”

The other big watch at Menangle on Saturday night is classy former Kiwi and Queensland pacer Hot And Treacherous at his first run for Jason Grimson.

The gelding turned heads in a recent Menangle trial and has been touted as a possible Miracle Mile contender.

Hot And Treacherous looks suited by the 2300m of the second-tier free-for-all race at Menangle (race three) despite drawing wide (gate nine).

For complete race entries, click here.

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Australia