Former Kiwi Rakero Rocket can secure the first spot in the field for the 2026 Miracle Mile by continuing his winning form at Newcastle on Friday night.
The Jason Grimson-trained gelding has opened a hot favourite with the TAB for the Group 2 Newcastle Mile after impressively winning his last two starts over the distance at Menangle.
The $100,000 Newcastle Mile offers the winner direct entry into the Miracle Mile at Menangle on March 14 and Rakero Rocket is among a strong team Grimson will unleash on qualifying races over the next two weeks.
Rakero Rocket kicked off for Grimson with a second to reigning Miracle Mile champion Don Hugo but has gone from strength to strength since, dominating the PJ Hall Free For All at Listed level last start.
He has had five weeks off since but was kept up to the mark with a second to Don Hugo at the trials.
Rakero Rocket draws gate four and had enough gate speed to lead from a wider barrier in the city two back so expect him to be pushing forward.
In-form Queenslander Cheerstolou draws inside him and has enough pace to make things interesting early.
It is a step up in class for Cheerstolou but he has been a revelation in the sunshine state since joining Donny Smith for this campaign, winning nine of his 10 Albion Park starts over 1660m including his last six on the trot.
Evergreen veteran Bulletproof Boy has copped the visitor's draw on the outside of the line but he has been very good against the big guns in Victoria so far this season including a Bendigo Cup victory over Kingman in January and he downed champion pacer Leap To Fame – the winner of the last two Newcastle Miles – in a Smoken Up Sprint victory over 1720m at Melton last year.
Progressive trotter Sunset Hill and French import Kristal Josselyn add plenty of interest to the Newcastle program when they resume against last year's Great Southern Star winner Watts Up Partytime.
Sunset Hill gets the ace draw for his return and has shown terrific ability in his four Australian starts so far, winning three times at Menangle and pushing wonder mare Keayang Zahara when beaten just 2.2m into second in the Group 1 The Great Square in Brisbane in December.
Kristal Josselyn is the big query first up for Anton Golino. He hasn't raced for more than 10 months but is talented and has been trialling strongly, winning his last three hitouts at Menangle.
Watts Up Partytime was up to his old tricks when he broke in the Great Southern Star heats a fortnight ago but was a first up Menangle winner prior and is big on talent when on his game.
Exciting mare Captains Mistress is another of Grimson's Miracle Mile hopefuls and she can take her next step towards a berth in that race in Saturday night's Paleface Adios Stakes at Menangle.
The race is a qualifier for the Group 1 Chariots of Fire, a race Captains Mistress has been targeting since she transferred to the Menangle trainer for this season.
A Miracle Mile invite is available to the Chariots of Fire winner and Captains Mistress is heavily fancied to gain that spot after winning her four starts for Grimson, all by margins of between 18 and 25 metres.
She spanked some of the best mares in the country in winning the Group 1 Queen of the Pacific at Melton last start and while she tackles the boys on Saturday her forms stands out.
