Races
The Miracle Mile has become the signature race at the Glebe circuit since its inception in 1967. It was the brainchild of former President Len Smith. Winners have included some of the greats of harness racing. Horses such as Caduceus, Young Quinn, Hondo Grattan, Mount Eden, Halwes, Paleface Adios, Chokin, Westburn Grant, Village Kid, Christian Cullen and Smooth Satin have saluted in this famous dash. Paleface Adios contested the race for seven consecutive years from 1974 to 1980. The Harold Park race record is held by the New Zealand champion Iraklis. The last Miracle Mile run at Harold Park was won by Divisive on 28 November 2008. The Miracle Mile then moved to the new Menangle Park Paceway in 2009. The initial winner was the New Zealander, Monkey King who added the Mile to his NZ Cup and NZ FFA wins in a track and race record time of 1.50.8.
The Inter-Dominion has been run on several occasions at Harold Park. Notable among the Inter-Dominion pacing winners was Hondo Grattan who won the first of his two Inter-Dominions in 1973 for Tony Turnbull. In 1980 Koala King gave Brian Hancock his first Dominion win. 1988 saw Our Maestro give John Binskin his lone Inter-Dominion success for the Bob Knight stable. In 1966 the Tasmanian Chamfer's Star made a clean sweep of the series for driver Brian Forrester. 2002 saw Smooth Satin add the Inter to his Miracle Mile, Ben Hur and Chariots of Fire. In 1994 Weona Warrior gave Brian Hancock another Inter success. Some of the winners of the trotter's edition of the series at Harold Park have included Hano Direct, Yamamoto, Diamond Field and in 1973 the NZ'er Precocious was too good. Patrons who attended the 2002 Inter Dominion Grand Final didn't know at the time that they were witnessing one of the last Inter Dominion's to be run at Harold Park. The 2010 Inter-Dominion series will have rounds of heats at Harold Park and Newcastle with the final to be run at Menangle Park, known also as Tabcorp Park due to sponsorship.
The list of champions who have raced at the famous Glebe circuit reads like a "Who's Who" of harness racing. Champion Standardbreds from all parts of Australia and New Zealand have achieved great feats on the track and re-written the record book before appreciative crowds.
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Front cover of the 1952 Harold Park Inter-Dominion Final racebook.
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Inside cover showing race night officials.
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Racebook showing starters & conditions.
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Racebook showing starters & the winner,Avian Derby.
Read more about this topic: Harold Park Paceway
Famous quotes containing the word races:
“I am obliged to confess that I do not regard the abolition of slavery as a means of warding off the struggle of the two races in the Southern states. The Negroes may long remain slaves without complaining; but if they are once raised to the level of freemen, they will soon revolt at being deprived of almost all their civil rights; and as they cannot become the equals of the whites, they will speedily show themselves as enemies.”
—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859)
“There are only two races on this planet—the intelligent and the stupid.”
—John Fowles (b. 1926)