Racing: Rasmussen thinks she can take Mile

Natalie Rasmussen believes she can lead and win.Photo / Dean Purcell

Natalie Rasmussen will sidestep an eight-week suspension to try to win her second Miracle Mile at Menangle this week.

One half of the champion All Stars training operation, Rasmussen suffered a blow at the end of an otherwise spectacular night at Menangle on Saturday night, being suspended for eight weeks for her drive on Chase Auckland in the Chariots of Fire a week earlier.

She was found guilty of not taking a run to the inside of leader Picard at the 150m mark and never getting clear.

Ironically Chase Auckland was one of four All Stars winners on Saturday night and won his way into the A$1 million Miracle Mile alongside Thefixer and Spankem, who won the two preludes of the Miracle Mile, while Our Princess Tiffany returned with a slashing win in the heat of the NSW Oaks.

While Rasmussen was suspended that sentence has been deferred by nine days so she can drive this Saturday and will handle both Thefixer and Our Princess Tiffany.

And she could even find herself on the Mile favourite as Thefixer has drawn barrier two and Rasmussen believes she can lead and win.

"He has really good gate speed and if he leads we will be staying there, you don't hand up over a mile in a race like this," she offered. Mark Purdon will partner Spankem while Luke McCarthy will take the reins behind Chase Auckland.

With Poster Boy drawn the ace he looks the big danger to the Kiwi trio and was the early favourite but hometown hero Tiger Tara faces a huge task to try to complete a clean sweep of Australia's richest races after drawing barrier seven.

He was outsprinted by Thefixer on Saturday and could struggle to secure his favoured pacemaking role so the Mile looms as the toughest test of his domestic season.

Our Princess Tiffany was so brilliant winning her Oaks heat she was always going to be the favourite for the A$200,000 final but tightened further when Aussie star Kualoa copped a very wide draw.

And while Dream About Me appears to have drawn well at barrier one in the A$200,000 Ladyship Mile, especially with pre-draw favourite Tell Me Tales drawing the outside of the gate, whether Our Dream About Me has the gate speed to hold that lead could decide the race.

A$1m Miracle Mile
Menangle on Saturday
Poster Boy (1), Thefixer (2), Chase Auckland (3), Yayas Hot Spot (4), Our Uncle Sam (5), My Alpha Rock (6), Spankem (7), Tiger Tara (8), My Field Marshal (9), Cruz Bromac (10). Emergencies: Our Uncle Sam, Cruz Bromac.