The Directors of the New South Wales Harness Racing Club have confirmed the conditions of invitation to the $750,000 edition of the Club’s flagship race, the SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile.
The annual review of Australasia’s premier sprint event was carried out following the 2011 Miracle Mile.
Taken out for the second successive year by Smoken Up, the 2012 conditions almost guarantees the Southern Hemisphere’s fastest-ever pacer a shot at a hat-trick of victories in the Miracle Mile.
The NSWHRC have settled on the continuation of the SKY Racing Carnival of Miracle and the onus
on connections to compete in the rich $100,000 qualifying races - Newcastle Mile, Coca Cola and Cordina Sprints.
“We are building further onto our established SKY Racing Carnival by only considering the horses which compete in the designated races following the initial invitations” Chief Executive John Dumesny stated.
“This approach also gives connections of likely Miracle Mile horses a clear path they need to follow to gain an invitation to the race.”
“With the prizemoney on offer there can be no excuses for connections not entering their respective horses in these races only the choice which is always theirs not to have a shot at the Miracle Mile.”
SEW EURODRIVE MIRACLE MILE CONDITIONS
(a) At the discretion of the Board of Directors the reigning Miracle Mile winner would be issued the first invitation however if connections accepted the invitation the horse would not be permitted to contest an automatic invitation event;
(b) The winner of the Newcastle Mile would automatically receive an invitation to the Miracle Mile however would not be permitted to contest another automatic invitation event;
(c) At the discretion of the Board of Directors a maximum two (2) further invitations may be issued in the period between the running of the Newcastle Mile and the Coca Cola Sprint however those invitations would be restricted to horses which faced the difficulties of travel which may affect their performance in the Miracle Mile if compelled to compete in an automatic invitation event. Those horses however if invited would not be permitted to contest an automatic invitation event;
(d) The winner of the Coca Cola Sprint would automatically receive an invitation to the Miracle Mile however would not be permitted to contest a further automatic invitation event;
(e) The winner of the Cordina Sprint would automatically receive an invitation to the Miracle Mile;
(f) The remainder of the field would be invited at the discretion of the Board of Directors following the Cordina Sprint taking into consideration only those horses which contested the Newcastle Mile, the Coca Cola Sprint and the Cordina Sprint;
(g) The minimum field size would remain at six (6) horses whilst the maximum field size would be restricted to eight (8) horses with two reserves drawn in the barriers.
