NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Racing

Racing: Lazarus looks to perform Miracle

Michael Guerin
By Michael Guerin, Michael Guerin in Sydney
Racing Editor·NZ Herald·
12 Feb, 2017 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Trainer-driver Mark Purdon says there are an array of reasons Lazarus was a percentage point or two below his dazzling best. Photo / Stuart McCormick

Trainer-driver Mark Purdon says there are an array of reasons Lazarus was a percentage point or two below his dazzling best. Photo / Stuart McCormick

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Kiwi pacing champ Lazarus can go faster - and he might have to.

The four-year-old freak racked up his fifth group one win in his last seven starts when he outmuscled his rivals in the A$200,000 Chariots Of Fire at Menangle on Saturday night.

After bullying his way to the front down the back straight he never flinched under pressure from stablemate Our Waikiki Beach in the home straight to head home a stable quinella in 1:49 for the mile.

For any normal pacing great that would have been sensational but for a horse who has handed out epic thrashings in New Zealand and Victoria Cups it felt almost tradesmanlike.

There was no explosion at the top of the straight, just a relentless staying performance without the icing on top.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Trainer-driver Mark Purdon says there are an array of reasons Lazarus was a percentage point or two below his dazzling best.

"He has had a tricky week," admitted Purdon.

"He had to travel up here from Melbourne which meant his training was interrupted.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"And when he first got here the heat affected him a bit.

"And he has raced four Saturdays in a row, all in group ones, which is not easy.

"So I was proud of the way he stuck to it when Waikiki Beach came at him."

Lazarus's win earns him the first invite to the A$750,000 Miracle Mile on Saturday week as well as the luxury of bypassing the preludes this Saturday.

Discover more

Racing

Wily trainer's pre-race plan works perfectly

11 Feb 04:00 PM
Racing

Luck finally favours mare

12 Feb 04:00 PM
Racing

Wonder horse nearly had treble

12 Feb 04:00 PM
Racing

Star outgunned in Classic

12 Feb 04:00 PM

"That will be a help, having a week off and also more time to get used to the heat here.

"So I am certain he can go quicker than the 1:49 and he might have to in the Miracle Mile."

Lazarus is seemingly unbeatable in front but he may not be guaranteed that role in a Miracle Mile that could contain Lennytheshark, Hectorjayjay, Smolda, Bling It On and defending champ Have Faith In Me.

At his NZ Cup best he might simply be too good for even that elite bunch but if he performs at his Chariots level then a Hectorjayjay leading or a Bling It On sitting on his back could give him, and punters, a huge fright.

The remaining seven Miracle Mile invites will be issued this Saturday, with the first two home in each of the qualifiers getting a start, leaving three spots up for grabs.

Our Waikiki Beach might have done enough to sneak in so will be allowed to bypass the preludes but the question mark horse will be Have Faith In Me.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

As the defending champion and Australasian mile holder the Menangle club will want him in the race and a top four prelude finish will probably be good enough to earn him an invite but anything below that level could make his inclusion hard to justify.

Saturday's meeting will also see heats of the NSW Derby and Oaks so will feature Ultimate Machete, Vincent and Partyon.

But Auckland Cup winner Dream About Me won't be there, with Purdon opting to trial her on Tuesday and again next week in the lead-up to the A$200,000 Ladyship Mile after a recent virus setback.

"She is better now and I am happy with her but I think two trials will be enough."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Racing

Racing

Words of warning as superstar steeplechaser returns

12 Jul 05:00 PM
Racing

Racing’s two codes look to join forces

11 Jul 12:19 AM
Racing

Foote stable favoured by global racing giant in coup for NZ

10 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Racing

Words of warning as superstar steeplechaser returns

Words of warning as superstar steeplechaser returns

12 Jul 05:00 PM

The giant of jumps racing returns to the big fences today but may not be at his peak.

Racing’s two codes look to join forces

Racing’s two codes look to join forces

11 Jul 12:19 AM
Foote stable favoured by global racing giant in coup for NZ

Foote stable favoured by global racing giant in coup for NZ

10 Jul 05:00 PM
'Angel riding with us': Teen jockey remembered for selfless act just before tragic death

'Angel riding with us': Teen jockey remembered for selfless act just before tragic death

10 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP