MIRACLE MILE HISTORY

The Miracle Mile is the most sought after prize by harness racing enthusiasts across the nation, and the event, held annually at Sydney's Harold Park, seems to attract more interest than any other event in Australia.

In January 1967, the New South Wales Trotting Club, in conjunction with W D & H O Wills (Aust.) Limited, announced the promotion of the most exciting race in Australian harness racing history. The new race named the Craven Filter Miracle Mile-was, at that time, the richest sprint race ever staged in trotting in the Southern Hemisphere.

The concept behind the initiation of the Miracle Mile came from then NSW Trotting Club Secretary and former Australian Rugby League player, Len Smith.

Since that inaugural Craven Filter Miracle Mile more than three decades ago, no single harness race in Australia, or New Zealand, has attracted as much media attention as the Miracle Mile.

The Inter Dominion Pacing Championship is recognised in Australia and New Zealand as the premier harness racing event each year, but the Miracle Mile seems to arouse more interest, and certainly more controversy, every season.

When the Miracle Mile was run for the first time at Harold Park on Friday, March 3, 1967, the title seemed rather grandiose as the 'magical' two-minute barrier was still to be bettered by a pacer in a race in the Southern Hemisphere. But history was made on that balmy night in 1967, however, when a crowd of 20,287 gave eight-year-old mare Robin Dundee a champion's ovation in her lap of honour after scorching over the Glebe circuit in 1:59 to record an effortless 25-yard victory over Tongue Twister and Angelique.

The Miracle Mile has certainly lived up to its name in the ensuing years with only five winners failing to win in better than two minutes. It is the fastest race in Australasia, and is arguably, the greatest!

The Magic of the Miracle Mile

by leading Harness Racing historian, BOB CAIN, author of award-winning book on the history of the Miracle Mile - "Harnessing A Miracle"

No single Harness Race in Australia, or New Zealand, attracts as much media attention as the Miracle Mile, conducted annually at Sydney's Harold Park Paceway. The Inter-Dominion Pacing Championship is recognised in Australia and New Zealand as the premier Harness Racing event each year, but the Miracle Mile seems to arouse more interest, and certainly more controversy, every season.

When the race was first run on Friday, March 3, 1967, the title of Miracle Mile seemed rather grandiose as the then `magical' two minute barrier had not been bettered by a pacer in a race in the Southern Hemisphere.

The popularity and standing of this famous event belongs, however, to the vision and dedication of former New South Wales Trotting Club Chief Executive, Len Smith. Following a US study tour in the mid-'60s, Smith perceived a need for a major race that would bring Australian horses to the attention of the American market and prove to the rest of the world that our local horses were in world class.

It was not until after the running of the 1966 Inter-Dominion carnival at Harold Park that ideas for the new event started to take shape. Smith's appointment as NSWTC Chief Executive, after stints as chairman of stewards and chief handicapper, allowed him to spend more time planning programs and promotions.

One of his first assignments was to introduce feature races that would put Harold Park on the Harness Racing map. Smith prepared a list of firms and organisations he planned to approach, one at a time, to sponsor a big new event he had finally decided to call the `Miracle Mile'.

Although two-minute miles were the benchmark in US Harness Racing, they were non-existent in Australia and New Zealand. The four-minute mile for athletes created tremendous public interest in the early fifties, and Smith wanted a name to create similar public interest in trotting to create discussion and excitement.

A race name that would never be outdated. That is how the Miracle Mile was conceived. It was felt that despite the improvement in times, be it first the breaking of two minutes, or getting down to 1:55, 1:50 or even faster, it would always remain a Miracle Mile.

The next thing was to sell the idea to a sponsor. At that time, sponsorship of horse racing, thoroughbreds and standardbreds, was rather limited. In many respects, the choice of name for the new feature race sold the idea.

Smith dictated the first letter to tobacco giants W. D. & H. O. Wills, then waited for a reply before forwarding any more letters to the remaining firms he had selected.

"I had a list of 12 organisations I was going to approach," Smith said. "Before I got to sending the second letter out, W. D. & H. O. Wills came to me and said they wanted to sponsor the race. What impressed them most, was the name."

The sponsorship deal parcelled up, the stage was set for the inaugural Craven Filter Miracle Mile. Prizemoney was $10,000, plus $5000 in time incentives, including an extra $1000 if the winner equalled or bettered Mineral Spring's Harold Park record of 2:01.2, and an extra $4000 if the winner bettered two minutes.

The Miracle Mile was the richest pacing sprint race in the Southern Hemisphere and it changed the pattern of Harness Racing in Australia. The emphasis was now on sheer speed, breaking the somewhat boredom that existed with some of the long distance `follow the leader' type events.

The next matter to be considered was a suitable date for the big event. It was decided to select a date a few weeks after the Inter-Dominion, giving NSWTC Directors the opportunity to judge performances of the top horses available.

Smith fought hard for the race to have a maximum of six runners. Apart from the track size, and the fact only six horses were across the front line of the mobile at Harold Park, Smith felt a field of six provided every opportunity for all runners, and the pacer in last position had only five horses to pass to win the race. Despite several attempts over the years to increase the number of starters, the six-horse maximum field has been maintained.