STAR Tasmanian pacer Beautide staked his claim on another Miracle Mile when he toyed with his rivals to win the Coca-Cola Amatil Sprint over 1609 metres at Menangle last night.
The James Rattray-trained gelding was having his third start since finishing second to Smolda in the Len Smith Mile in April last year.
He resumed with a win at Menangle on January 16 and he won again two weeks later but this latest outing was his big test in terms of whether he deserved to be favourite to win the next edition of the Miracle Mile at Menangle on February 28.
Rattray didn’t have to wait long to find the front as his stable star cruised across to the rails after a short-lived stoush with Easy On The Eye that had the luxury of the pole position.
Rattray didn’t over tax Beautide early sneaking a relatively leisurely first quarter of 27.5 but the Tasmanian-bred and owned gelding lifted the tempo midrace and then powered his way to an impressive win over Blazin Cullen and Easy On The Eye.
When Easy On The Eye came off the rail to challenge for a fleeting moment it looked as if he might make a race of it but Rattray took a peep over his shoulder and then gave Beau a tap and he found another couple of metres.
Beautide hit the line 4/1-2 metres clear of the John McCarthy-trained Blazin Cullen that flashed home along the rails with Easy On The Eye a half-metre astern.
Beautide clocked a mile rate of 1.50.7 and ran home his last half (800m) in 53.5.
Beautide spent nine months off the scene with an injury but given plenty of time to recover, the gelded son of Bettors Delight has returned as good as ever and looks set to start favourite in another Miracle Mile.
Beautide is quoted at $2.50 to win the 2016 Miracle Mile with recent Inter Dominion winner Lennytheshark second favourite at $3.20 but those prices could change dramatically if the Mark Purdon-trained Have The Faith that scored an emphatic win in the Chariots of Fire last night clocking a mile rate of 1.48.8.
Purdon will make a decision on whether Have The Faith will back up in the Miracle Mile some time this week.