Racing: Kiwi will be driven for luck

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Trainer Paul Court says one of his rivals could provide the best chance Terror To Love has to turn around the month from hell in tomorrow night's Miracle Mile.

The wonderful Canterbury pacer began November on the verge of becoming the only four-time winner of the New Zealand Cup but will finish as the rank outsider in the A$750,000 ($815,000) mile at Menangle.

That comes on the back of three unplaced runs - all containing some merit - but even worse drawing the outside of the front line for the Mile.

Court says he and father Graham never considered pulling the plug on the trip but they are realistic enough to know what the draw means for them.

"It would have been a pretty rubbish thing to do, to pull out of a Miracle Mile just because we got a bad draw," he says. "But it means we are almost certainly going to end up last and we need them to go crazy early, like the first 800m in 54 seconds, to come back to us.

"Even if that happens though we still have to give Beautide, Christen Me and For A Reason a start and come wider than them to win."

The only more favourable scenario Court sees is Victorian stayer Guaranteed taking off and being the first horse to move up three wide, with Terror To Love tracking him.

"So we are wanting a lot to go right for us and some of the others to be unlucky. But he is well, we have trained him for speed and we are going there under no pressure."

Terror To Love's big-time failures at Menangle are well known but he did finish second to Baby Bling in the first of two Miracle Miles staged last year, albeit a weak version.

Fellow Kiwi pacer Christen Me has continued to be the best-backed horse in the race this week, with the Australian TAB reporting 90 per cent of fixed odds turnover on either him or favourite Beautide.

Meanwhile, three abject failures on the biggest stage at Addington on Show Day get opportunities to bounce back tonight.

The $200,000 Dominion could hardly have gone worse for Irish Whisper, Cool Cobber and Boizel as the northern trio finished in the last three spots after galloping.

They return back to the easier northern trotting ranks tonight but do meet speedsters Realmein and Prime Power in a handy little preview to some of the big-money trots that lie ahead over the next six weeks.

With a 10m start on the other favourites, Prime Power might have the manners and speed to beat them, so looks the best bet of the big five.

Tonight's meeting sees a huge rise in intensity, with the first reps from the new northern satellite stable for Robert Dunn and a host of good age-group horses returning.

Three for Friday
Best bet: Trouble Rieu (R6, No 2): If he brings southern premier form here and manners are good he should win.
Suited: Prime Power (R9, No 4): Head start over the big boys should make the difference.
Breakthrough: Downunder Stride (R10, No 4): Huge runs last two starts and in easier field tonight.