Beautide to seal his spot

He's not even in the big race yet . . . well, not officially! Still two-time Inter Dominion champion Beautide has already been installed as $2.50 harness racing favourite in the TAB's early market for the SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile in 17 days time. That suggests Beautide's invitation should be a mere formality, following this weekend's harness racing action at Tabcorp Park Menangle.

And following the draw for this weekend's Coca-Cola Amatil Sprint, Beautide looks a special to join Victoria Cup winner Lennytheshark in the field by finishing first or second in the $200,000 sprint over 1609m. He has come up with the ideal draw in gate four, which will get even better following the scratching of first emergency, My General Lee, which gets a run in the Cordina Sprint, enabling Bowie to move down to gate three. From there his trainer-driver James Rattray will probably look for an all-the-way win.

With the first two home guaranteed invitations into the $750,000 Miracle Mile, the only thing standing in Beautide's way are Our Sky Major and possibly the Shane Tritton-trained pair of Easy On The Eye and Suave Stuey Lombo.

Victorian visitors Cold Major and Major Crocker are also rated outside chances to grab a spot.

Earlier in the evening the Cordina Chicken Farms Sprint, which also offers two invitations to Australasia's richest sprint, looks to be a lay-down misere for Luke and Belinda McCarthy's speedy Grand Circuit newcomer Bling It On. Bling It On is also perfectly-drawn in gate four, giving champion reinsman Luke McCarthy plenty of options with his son of American Ideal.

One of the quickest horses out of the gate in Australian harness racing, Bettor Bet Black looks the likely leader, even from gate seven, which should see him in the firing line turning for home, while West Australian visitor My Hard Copy and Tritton's Mach Beauty are logical dangers.

And lying in wait for all of them is Lennytheshark, in the best form of his career and already a Miracle Mile certainty and a $3.20 second-favourite for the Group One on February 28.

For further information telephone NSWHRC Racing Manager David Wonson on (02) 4645 2200.

Greg Hayes