Racing: 'Freakish' drive from May praised by trainer

Trainer Brendon Hill choked back tears as he heaped praise on the little freak who won the Miracle Mile for New Zealand last night - and he wasn't talking about race winner Monkey King.

The pocket rocket capped an unbelievable month by obliterating the Australian mile record with an almost incomprehensible 1:50.8 time when downing Smoken Up in the action-packed A$500,000 glamour sprint at the Menangle track outside Sydney.

On the back of winning the New Zealand Cup and Free-For-All the Monkey is now the undoubted king of harness racing, having won over $1 million in the past 19 days.

But while Hill loves his horse it was his driver Ricky May who had him shaking his head after the race.

Hill had feared Monkey King settling close to last because of his lack of gate speed but May somehow found the one-one soon after the start and when Melpark Major savaged Smoken Up in front the Monkey was going to win a long way from home.

"I can't believe Ricky just did that. He is a freak," said Hill.

"We never thought in our wildest dreams we would be in the one-one, but that is Ricky, he just does the impossible."

The drive was the winning of the race, with Monkey King able to miss the early pressure but close enough to forge his way to victory in a 26.7-second last 400m that left back runners, like Auckland Reactor and Blacks A Fake, unable to make ground from the rear.

It was May's second Miracle Mile after a similar one-one drive on Iraklis in 1996 and was his 50th career group one victory.

"He is a great little horse and that time proves he is the best now," said May.

For Hill, the win capped a month beyond his wildest dreams but yesterday was fun, whereas the New Zealand Cup win of two weeks ago was more career-defining.

"The New Zealand Cup is such a big deal because you plan for it all season but you only really start thinking about the Miracle Mile a couple of weeks ago because you don't know you are going to get an invite.

"Winning the New Zealand Cup means everything but this is like fun. The pressure was off and we came over here hoping to take care of business but it was a bonus. But it's a pretty cool bonus."

Monkey King's month has catapulted him from a one-time feature race "gunner" to the second-richest pacer in New Zealand history.

He is now approaching $2.2 million in stakes and could break the record in the Victoria Cup on Friday week.

After that he will return to Sydney for the Interdominions in February and March before possibly trying to add the Auckland Cup to his bulging trophy cabinet.

Hill says the rugged month of racing and travelling has been made easier for Monkey King by a light work regime.

"He has only had one workout in two weeks, all he has done is some cantering. So to come out and break 1:51 is amazing."

The time took 1.1 seconds off Smoken Up's Australasian record and as much as many punters and Kiwi harness racing fans would have enjoyed the win you had to spare a thought for the runner-up.

He burned early and was then attacked viciously by Melpark Major and had every right to drop out. That he was able to still be in front until 50m out was one of the bravest harness racing performances of the decade.

"The was the best run of his career and if I had got any sort of breather he would have won," said driver Lance Justice.

Karloo Mick was his usual brave self in third, while Canterbury mare Kiwi Ingenuity was a fantastic fourth after also working hard early before trailing. She now returns to New Zealand to race at Alexandra Park on December 18.

Auckland Reactor's New Zealand career looks over though, with his failure likely to see his North American-based owners take him to the United States. "We will know more tomorrow when they decide but I would say he will go back home, have a spell and then head up there," said trainer Mark Purdon.Cantabrian Bettors Strike claimed the group two Cranbourne Pacing Cup in Victoria on Saturday night.

Bettors Strike, driven by Dexter Dunn, beat former winner Ohoka Nevada by a short head, with Karlsruhe third. Mr Feelgood was a late scratching for the race.

MONKEY MIRACLE

*Monkey King won last night's Miracle Mile for New Zealand.

*He smashed the Australasian mile record by clocking 1:50.8.

*He has now won over $1 million in the last three weeks.

*Auckland Reactor failed to get into the race and is likely to be sent to the United States.