Captains Mistress winning the 2026 Chariots Of Fire
THE baby of the field could thwart champion pacer Leap To Fame’s quest for a second $1 million Miracle Mile crown next Saturday night.
Captains Mistress, a stunning winner of last night’s Group 1 Chariots Of Fire, is ideally draw in gate four in her quest to create history as the first four-year-old mare to win a Miracle Mile. She will move down to gate three if the emergencies don’t gain starts.
Leap To Fame, who won the 2024 Miracle Mile and ran a brave second to Don Hugo last year, has drawn next to Captains Mistress in gate five.
That’s much better than gate seven in 2024 when he became the first Miracle Mile winner to start from wider than barrier six.
Trainer-driver Grant Dixon was in awe of Leap To Fame’s fighting qualities to lift after looking beaten to win last night.
“He felt great and I was really happy with the way he dug in and lifted in the last bit to win. He’s always had that amazing will to win,” he said.
Although Cam Hart has won two Hunter Cup and two NZ Cups on champion stayer Swayzee, he looks certain to drive Captains Mistress in his quest to win the Miracle Mile for the first time.
Hart was gushing about Captains Mistress after she became just the fourth mare to win the Chariots Of Fire since it was run in 1996.
“She’s just so good and so exciting. It’s a privilege to drive a mare like her,” he said.
Top Menangle trainer Jason Grimson qualified a remarkable three of the eight runners – Captains Mistress, Swayzee and Chase A Dream (gate seven) - plus the first emergency Rakero Rocket.
The field selectors shocked many by using one of their “wildcard” slots to give Kingman a Miracle Mile spot despite him leading and tiring for ninth in the second qualifier last night.
That decision effectively nudged Rakero Rocket out of the field, despite him finishing second in the Newcastle Mile and third in a qualifier last night.
Grimson was livid and made his feelings known.
The other wildcard slot was less controversial with last year’s winner Don Hugo getting the nod after a close and luckless third in his qualifier last night.
But Don Hugo will have to create history to successfully defend his crown. He’s drawn eight where no Miracle Mile winner has started from. Kingman drew three.
It will be fascinating who trainer Luke McCarthy drives between Kingman and Don Hugo.
Emerging star The Janitor gave Queensland a second Miracle Mile runner alongside Leap To Fame when he stormed home from near last to win his qualifier last night. He drew six in the Mile.
“You pinch yourself when you look back and you’ve run past horses like Swayzee and Kingman,” driver Pete McMullen said.
The draw was cruel to the remarkable veteran Bulletproof Boy, the only Victorian in the race. The 11-year-old will start from gate seven and faces a huge task.
MIRACLE MILE BARRIER DRAW: Speak The Truth (2nd emerg), Swayzee, Kingman, Captains Mistress, Leap To Fame, The Janitor, Chase A Dream, Bulletproof Boy, Rakero Rocket (1st emerg), Don Hugo.
PHOTO: Club Menangle/Pacepix
