Catch a Wave is the new king of Club Menangle after winning last night’s $1 million Miracle Mile race.
A big crowd watched Kate Gath ride Catch a Wave to a thrilling victory in the grand final of harness racing in Australia, despite a false start.
Catch A Wave, pictured above at the finish, held off Spirit of St Louis and favourite Honolua Bay for a 1:48.8 mile, scoring by three metres in a devastating display.
His last half was run in 27.9 and 26.2 splits to seal the deal.
“At the top of the straight I was still thinking we had a long way to go, and I knew a good horse in Spirit of St Louis was on my back,” Gath said.
“But my horse was only jogging at that stage, and I knew he could get the job done.’’
Catch A Wave trainer Andy Gath said afterwards that a Miracle Mile win was never part of the agenda.
His goal with Catch a Wave was simply to win the $250,000 Chariots Of Fire.
He did that but last night at Club Menangle he and Kate reached a career high when the four-year-old won the 2023 Garrards Miracle Mile.
Now, he hinted, they may return to try for back to back titles.
Andy Gath said that he had only ever had one other runner in a Miracle Mile and that was “about 20 years ago”.
“I’m used to watching it from the grandstand or from home,” he said.
“Just to have a horse good enough to contest this race is something special.
“All along we wanted to target the Chariots of Fire, so we didn’t think about this race until after we won that one.
“But this is the mecca. And this horse can only get better.
“Frankly, this is just unbelievable.”
