![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Captains-MIstress-blog-Chariots-Of-Fire-March-2026__ResizedImageWzYwMCwzNDdd.jpg\")
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By Adam Hamilton\u00a0<\/p>\n
Former brilliant Kiwi mare Captains Mistress will be chasing history in next week\u2019s $1m Miracle Mile at Menangle.<\/p>\n
The four-year-old booked a spot in the Miracle Mile when she toyed with her rivals in last night\u2019s $250,000 Group 1 Chariots Of Fire.<\/p>\n
Captains Mistress is just the fourth mare to beat the boys in the Chariots since it was first run in 1996.<\/p>\n
She drew gate four in the Miracle Mile and will try to become the first four-year-old mare to win the race since the race was first run in 1967.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s just so good. It\u2019s a privilege to sit behind a great mare like this,\u201d driver Cam Hart said. \u201cShe gives you a feeling like very few can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Captains Mistress made it seven wins from as many starts since moving across from NZ to join Jason Grimson\u2019s Menangle stable.<\/p>\n
It was Hart\u2019s third successive win in the Chariots Of Fire after scoring on Frankie Ferocious in 2024 and Bay Of Biscay last year.<\/p>\n
He now shares the record of most wins in the race with the late Gavin Lang.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a great race to me and to win it again on this mare is extra special,\u201d Hart said. \u201cTo beat these fields the way she is \u2026 it\u2019s quite unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Leap-To-Fame-Miracle-Mile-qualifier-March-2026-blog__ResizedImageWzYwMCwzNDdd.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Leap To Fame showed all his champion qualities to win his way into a third Miracle Mile last night.<\/p>\n
Forced to sit outside the leader again, Leap To Fame outstayed leader Hi Manameisjeff and staved off a booming finish from recent Kiwi import Chase A Dream to win first of the two Miracle Mile qualifiers at Menangle last night.<\/p>\n
It snared him a golden ticket into a third successive Miracle Mile, having won it in 2024 and finishing second to Don Hugo last year.<\/p>\n
Leap To Fame drew five and will move down gate four in the Miracle Mile when the emergencies come out.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe felt super. I was really happy with the way he dug in and lifted in the last bit to win,\u201d trainer-driver Grant Dixon said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s always had that great will to win and showed it again tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leap To Fame\u2019s 1min48.6sec mile equaled his career best. He ran home in a scorching 53.6sec.<\/p>\n
The Kiwi-owned Chase A Dream also gained a golden ticket with his fantastic second for trainer Jason Grimson and driver Jye Coney.<\/p>\n
Don Hugo also gets a chance to defend his crown next week after a close and unlucky third placing landed him one of the \u201cwildcard\u201d spots into the Mile.<\/p>\n
He was crossed at the start by Hi Manameisjeff, held up behind that horse at a crucial stage when he tired and then got clear late and flashed home for third.<\/p>\n
It was an obvious and ideal use of a wildcard.<\/p>\n
Former Kiwi pacer The Janitor made it all Queensland night in the qualifiers when he stormed home for a minor upset in the other sprint.<\/p>\n
Despite being shuffled out to near last from a barrier one draw, driver Pete McMullen got The Janitor to the outside rounding the final bend and he stormed home to win by a metre over a very brave Swayzee.<\/p>\n
The performance of Swayzee to sit parked throughout in a 1min49.3sec mile was monstrous.<\/p>\n
The Janitor and Swayzee both got golden tickets into the Miracle Mile.<\/p>\n
Kingman was the shock of the night after he led and stopped sharply to finish way back in ninth spot.<\/p>\n
To the shock of many, Club Menangle selectors still gave Kingman a start in the Miracle Mile ahead of Rakero Rocket, who ran second in the Newcastle Mile and third to The Janitor last night.<\/p>\n
Club Menangle Chief Executive Bruce Christison explained the decision.<\/p>\n
“Kingman has that elite form in the biggest races with his NZ and Victoria Cup wins and such a huge run in defeat in the Hunter Cup and we certainly think he adds something to the race,” he said.<\/p>\n
Kiwi raider Pinseeker didn\u2019t show as much gate speed as expected, was shuffled well back and wasn\u2019t disgraced in seventh spot.<\/p>\n
MIRACLE MILE BARRIER DRAW:<\/p>\n
1. Speak The Truth (2nd emerg)
2. Swayzee
3. Kingman
4. Captains Mistress
5. Leap To Fame
6. The Janitor
7. Chase A Dream
8. Bulletproof Boy
9. Rakero Rocket (1st emerg)
10. Don Hugo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Adam Hamilton\u00a0 Former brilliant Kiwi mare Captains Mistress will be chasing history in next week\u2019s $1m Miracle…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":58095,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-319286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=319286"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319286\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=319286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=319286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=319286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}