EMERGING Queensland star The Janitor is firming to win the $1 million Miracle Mile he wasn't going to run in.
Co-trainer and driver Pete McMullen revealed he and wife, Chantal Turpin, only ran The Janitor only ran The Janitor at Menangle last Saturday night to qualify for the “consolation” of the Miracle Mile.
“He was going down to run in the Ultra Air free-for-all (on Miracle Mile night), but then they told me he probably wouldn’t get a run in that if he didn’t race in the (Miracle Mile) qualifiers,” he said.
“So had to run him last Saturday and now we can go one better and run in the Miracle Mile itself.”
McMullen and Turpin have been stars in their own backyard in Queensland for several years, but having a Miracle Mile runner represents the next step.
“It’s been a bit of a lifelong dream for both of us, it’s one of those iconic races,” McMullen said. “You pinch yourself when you run past horses like Swayzee and Kingman and win like the other night.
“Just to have a (Miracle Mile) runner next week is very exciting. I’m super proud
“He really only went down (to Sydney) because we were taking Gus (star trotter) and now we’ll have them both in the biggest races this week.”
While McMullen said it all felt a bit surreal, he and Turpin have long believed The Janitor had the talent to match it with the best.
“He’s always been untapped and still is a bit. He can do things wrong at times, he even showed that tonight when he settled near last from barrier one,” McMullen said.
“But to do that, come around them all and win like he did was amazing.
“The ability has always been there, it’s been a matter of getting him right. Hopefully this is his year.”
The Janitor has drawn gate six, will move into five if the emergencies are scratched, and is kept safe on the third line of betting at $6.50.
His champion fellow Queenslander Leap To Fame is $2.30 favourite in his third consecutive. He won in 2024 and ran a brave second to Don Hugo last year.
The strong Queensland presence at Menangle on Saturday comes in the week the $4 million 2026 Queensland Constellations carnival - a five-week smorgasbord of feature racing - was unveiled.
Run from June 13 to July at Albion Park, Redcliffe and Marburg, the Constellations boasts 15 Group races, including eight at Group 1 level.
The headlines is the Ladbrokes Inter Dominion series, featuring $1 million pacing and $500,000 trotting finals on July 18.
"Harness racing is enjoying a golden age of standardbreds at present, with the likes of Leap To Fame, Kingman, Swayzee, Don Hugo, The Janitor, Keayang Zahara and Gus all looking set to play a part through the Constellations," said Racing Queensland's acting CEO Lachlan Murray.
PHOTO: Club Menangle/Pacepix
