The Jason Grimson-trained harness racing gelding has opened a strong favorite with the TAB for the Group 2 Newcastle Mile after impressively winning his last two starts over the distance at Menangle.
The $100,000 Newcastle Mile offers the winner direct entry to the Miracle Mile at Menangle on March 14 and Rakero Rocket is among the strong team Grimson will field in the qualifying races over the next two weeks.
Rakero Rocket started for Grimson a second ahead of reigning Miracle Mile champion Don Hugo but has gone from strength to strength since, dominating the PJ Hall Free For All at Listed level last start.
He has had five weeks off since then, but was maintained at the trials with a one-second lead over Don Hugo.
Rakero Rocket pulls gate four and had enough gate speed to lead back from a wider barrier in the city two, so expect him to push forward.
In-form Queenslander Cheerstolou moves in and has enough speed to make things interesting early on.
It’s a step up in class for Cheerstolou, but he has been a revelation in the sunny state since joining Donny Smith for this campaign. He won nine of his ten Albion Park starts over 1660 metres, including his last six on the trot.
Evergreen veteran Bulletproof Boy has been drawing the crowds on the outside of the line, but he has been very good against the big players in Victoria so far this season, including a Bendigo Cup win over Kingman in January and beating champion pacer Leap To Fame – the winner of the last two Newcastle Miles – in a Smoken Up Sprint win over 1720 meters at Melton last year.
Progressive trotter Sunset Hill and French import Kristal Josselyn add plenty of interest to the Newcastle program when they resume against last year’s Great Southern Star winner Watts Up Partytime.
Sunset Hill gets the ace for his return and has shown great skills in his four Australian starts so far. He won three times at Menangle and pushed wonder mare Keayang Zahara when beaten just 2.2 meters into second place at Group 1 The Great Square in Brisbane in December.
Kristal Josselyn is the big question first for Anton Golino. He hasn’t raced for more than ten months but is talented and has tested strongly, winning his last three at Menangle.
Watts Up Partytime was up to his old tricks when he broke into the Great Southern Star heats a fortnight ago, but was previously a First Up Menangle winner and is big on talent when he’s playing.
The exciting mare Captains Mistress is another of Grimson’s Miracle Mile hopefuls and she can take her next step towards a place in that race in Saturday night’s Paleface Adios Stakes at Menangle.
The race is a qualifier for the Group 1 Chariots of Fire, a race Captains Mistress has been focusing on since switching to Menangle trainer this season.
A Miracle Mile invitation is available for the Chariots of Fire winner and Captains Mistress is keen to clinch that spot after winning her four starts for Grimson, all by a margin of between 18 and 25 metres.
She beat some of the country’s best mares to win the Group 1 Queen of the Pacific at Melton last start and as she tackles the boys on Saturday her form stands out.
Of racing and sports
#Rakero #Rocket #chases #Miracle #Mile #berth