Miracle Mile berth caps rise of Tact McLeod
Garrick Knight - Raceform • March 7th, 2025 3:00 PM • 3 min read
They’re probably not the two that most would have anticipated, but New Zealand has a pair of runners in Saturday night’s A$1 Million Miracle Mile at Menangle in Sydney.
It’s shaping as a generational race between three Australian heavyweights – Leap To Fame, Swayzee and Don Hugo – with many calling it the best edition on paper of the race since the turn of the Millenium.
Established Kiwi stars Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming both finished out of the qualifying positions last weekend and have missed selection.
But compatriots Tact McLeod and Sooner The Bettor will be there in the supporting cast and both have claims to being strong place contenders in the face of stiff competition.
Sooner The Bettor finished second in this race last year behind Leap To Fame in what was a comparatively weaker edition of the time-honoured classic.
And after a first-up disappointment in Sydney this time round, his brave second in last week’s Gr. 2 Cordina Chickens Sprint was a pleasant surprise for trainers Scott Phelan and Barry Purdon.
Sooner The Bettor has barrier four this week, which becomes three with the emergencies removed, but his gate speed could be a blessing and a curse with the rocket-propelled Don Hugo inside him and staying superstar Swayzee right there beside them.
Tact McLeod turned heads with a huge performance for second behind Swayzee in last week’s other qualifier, the Gr. 2 Cordina Group Sprint, which was run in an eye-watering 1:48.6. He burned early from a wide draw and ducked in behind Merlin and the attacking Nyack.
Those other two dropped out in the straight while Tact McLeod bravely challenged Swayzee and only missed by a neck.
His trainer Mark Jones was thrilled with the run and says it was a great confidence-builder ahead of this week’s stiffer challenge from a similar gate.
“We were rapt with him, to come off the gate in 25.1 and still be there at the finish,” he told RaceForm. “Each time he keeps surprising us and stepping up.
“The plan for this extended Australian trip was to try and harden him up because the boring Free-For-All grade in New Zealand still runs 33 quarters.
“The racing over there is harder and it’s really made him into a better horse.”
Jones said he had not anticipated making the Miracle Mile field and it’s meant a couple of changes of plan.
“He was booked to come home this week, so we had to change that. And now the slot race at Cambridge next month comes into consideration.
“We are in talks for a slot and hopefully we can confirm a deal after Saturday night.”
Jones is under no illusions about the enormity of the task ahead of Tact McLeod, facing three certified freaks in the same race.
“It’s one of the best fields I’ve seen in a long time. The tactics are left up to Ants (Anthony Butt, driver), but you can’t go back over a mile.
“We are happy to be a part of it, and if we can run top three, we would consider that a massive success.”
Jones says Tact McLeod left New Zealand a boy but is returning home a man, and he hopes there is a heightened level of respect for him.
“I don’t think he gets the recognition he deserves in the media; I think he’s going as good as any New Zealand pacer at the moment, perhaps with Republican Party.”
For Jones personally, being asked to take over the Southland-bred and owned pacer in the lead-up to the New Zealand Cup was a huge boost.
“He’s the horse I needed. I haven’t had a good one for a while and he’s come along at the right time; it helps you get out of bed in the morning.”
Earlier this week, Leap To Fame was a $2.20 favourite with bookies, narrowly ahead of Don Hugo ($3.20) and Swayzee ($5.50).
Tact McLeod had seen some mild specing from $21 into $19, while Sooner The Bettor was deemed an outsider at $41.
Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming will tackle the Gr. 2 A$100,000 Light Horse FFA on the undercard, while the latter’s stablemate Oscar Bonavena will start favourite in the A$100,000 Gr. 1 Hammerhead Trotters’ Mile.
Picture at the Top of the Page: Caretaker-trainer Anthony Butt arriving on course with Kiwi Miracle Mile hope Tact McLeod (left) at Menangle last Saturday. Photo: Supplied
