THE barrier draw has only added to the intrigue of the strongest Miracle Mile this century.

Defending champion Leap To Fame drew eight, but will move into seven if the emergencies come out. It is the same draw he created history winning from last year.

His arch-rival and half-brother Swayzee looked to have landed ideally in gate two, but it changed dramatically when second emergency Bulletproof Boy drew the pole.

It means Swayzee, who lacks a bit of early speed, will start from barrier one and almost certainly be crossed by one or two rivals at the start.

The biggest winner from the draw was Inter Dominion and TAB Eureka winner Don Hugo, who drew three, but will move into two.

Don Hugo has terrific gate speed and should cross Swayzee at the start, giving his trainer-driver Luke McCarthy all the early options.

His owner Tony Licastro couldn’t hide his excitement after the draw.

“Any inside draw is great for us,” he said. “He proved another point sitting outside the leader and winning in the time he did last night, he showed he can really stay, too,” he said.

“I’m very confident now. He can absolutely win it. I’ve waited 25 years for this, I’m going to enjoy it.”

Don Hugo’s odds were slashed from $4 to outright favourite at $2.50 after the draw.

Leap To Fame, who was as short as $1.80 last week, eased to $2.70. When he won from gate seven last year, he became the first pacer in the history of the race to start from a barrier wider than six.

“It seems one extreme or the other with draws in these big races,” Leap To Fame’s trainer-driver Grant Dixon said. “Either we draw wide, or we draw in a tricky spot.

“It’s certainly made it harder. I’ll just have to come out, have a look at what’s happening inside and drive him according to that. You can’t really have a set plan.

“At least we’ve had an extra week between runs than the rivals and I’m sure we’ve got him as good as he’s ever been, it’s just whether that’s good enough to win it. We know he’ll run us another great race.”

Swayzee drifted slightly from $3.50 to $4 with concerns his inside draw could see driver Cam Hart bailed up in traffic early.

Catch A Wave, winner of the 2023 Miracle Mile, had a defining moment in the draw when only barriers one and nine remained. He drew nine, which makes his task so much harder.

Like Catch A Wave, Captain Ravishing grabbed the eye in last night’s qualifiers by making terrific late ground at his first run for trainer Jason Grimson.

“He’ll just keep improving and improving, it didn’t surprise me he ran a great race, but I know how much improvement he’s still got to come,” he said.

Captain Ravishing has early speed and will start from gate four.

“He’s the fastest beginner I’ve got in the stable, it’s just a matter of whether we think he’s ready to use it and if this is the right race,” Grimson said.

MIRACLE MILE BARRIER DRAW

$1mil. Group 1. 1609m. Menangle Saturday night.

1. Bulletproof Boy (2nd emerg) $35

2. Swayzee – Cam Hart - $4

3. Don Hugo – Luke McCarthy - $2.50

4. Sooner The Bettor – Gavin Fitzpatrick - $41

5. Captain Ravishing – Jack Callaghan - $8

6. Max Delight – Will Rixon - $51

7. Tact McLeod – Anthony Butt - $16

8. Leap To Fame – Grant Dixon - $2.70

9. Catch A Wave – Kate Gath - $9

10. Sure Thing Captain (1st emerg) - $101

Originally published in the Daily Telegraph and reprinted with permission