Racing: Miracle marble for Monkey King

Blacks A Fake will test Monkey King in the Miracle Mile. Photo / Gary Wild

New Zealand champion Monkey King has been gifted the "perfect chance" to defend his SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile title.

That is the opinion of trainer Brendon Hill after the dual New Zealand Cup hero drew barrier three for Saturday night's A$500,000 thriller at Menangle, outside Sydney.

"That is the perfect barrier draw," said Hill.

"I didn't want to draw one, seven or eight. I would have been happy enough with anything else but three is the ideal spot for him so I couldn't be happier."

The draw is made even more suitable by pacing's iron horses Blacks A Fake (two) and Smoken Up (four) drawing right alongside Monkey King.

If they show their usual gate speed and go forward it is hard to envisage a scenario where Monkey King isn't in the one-one, or at worst three back on the outside.

With talk of an unlikely sub 1:50 mile, sitting just off the speed in the running line will be the perfect spot for Monkey King.

"I didn't want to draw one because you have to hustle early and drawn wide you have to come wide, but from there we should just stroll out and get a pretty economical trip," said Hill.

Monkey King warmed up for next Saturday with an easy workout alongside stablemate Power Of Tara at Rangiora on Saturday and will fly to Sydney on Thursday. His draw is similar to last year, when Monkey King fell into the one-one without expending any energy and paced a then Australasian mile record 1:50.8, a mark which was erased by Washakie's 1:50.6 in the final lead-up race at Menangle on Saturday.

While that would suggest a sub 1:50 mile is possible in the big one, Washakie's time was set up by a suicidal first 600m, which would appear unlikely again.

Just 24 hours before Washakie was breaking records, Blacks A Fake was beating nobodies in a three-horse race at Newcastle.

But his trainer-driver Natalie Rasmussen is also thrilled with barrier two and has indicated she would like to lead in the only great Australian pacing feature to elude the four-time Interdominion winner.

"He still has that gate speed but I haven't asked him to use it for a while," said Rasmussen.

"But he gets his chance this week and I think he can lead and break 1:50."

Rasmussen said Blacks A Fake had rarely been seen at his best at Miracle Mile time but is adamant the veteran warhorse is as good as he has ever been at this time of the season.

Australian bookmakers have Blacks A Fake and Monkey King equal favourites at $2.90, ahead of Smoken Up at $5.50.

But with the Kiwi bias, the New Zealand TAB has Monkey King at $2.60 and Blacks A Fake at $4.20, which will be the best price available outside of Betfair in Australasia until later in the week when the percentages get more realistic.

The big loser in the draw was former Interdominion winner Mr Feelgood, who has been the best pacer in Australia in the past three months but will start from the outside of the eight-horse field, in which all runners start off the front line.

He trialled in stunning fashion last Monday but faces a mammoth task to overcome his wide draw in a race where almost all his rivals are close to the career's best form.

Field: Rohan Home (1), Blacks A Fake (2), Monkey King (3), Karloo Mick (4), Smoken Up (5), Villagem (6), Washakie (7), Make Mine Cullen (8), Lady Lexus (9), Mr Feelgood (10). Emgs: Lady Lexus, Karloo Mick.

NZ TAB market: $2.60, Monkey King; $4.20, Blacks A Fake; $5.50, Smoken Up; $7, Villagem, Mr Feelgood; $12, Washakie; $15, Make Mine Cullen; $21, Rohan Home; $61, Lady Lexus, Karloo Mick.