STAR Tasmanian pacer breezed his way into the Miracle Mile field with a track-record breaking win in the $75,000 Group 2 Newcastle Mile (1609m) last night.
Beautide clocked a mile rate of 1m.52.6 seconds that bettered the previous best of 1.52.8 set by Pay Me Christian in November 2006.
Despite having won five races in succession already this season he needed to win the race to be guaranteed a berth in the most prestigious Group 1 sprint race in Australasia to be run at Menangle on November 30 and carrying a purse of $750,000.
Beautide went into last night’s race having won his past five in succession and was backed in to start the $2.10 favourite.
With his trainer James Rattray in the sulky, Beautide had a battle for the lead with the in-form Mach Beauty but Rattray opted to hand up and take the trail on the leader’s back.
They slipped along in quick time for the first half in 55.6 seconds and when Abettorpunt moved three-wide to improve Rattray eased his charge off the fence to go up and face the breeze to ensure he wasn’t caught in a pocket.
When the tempo lifter 400 metres out Rattray gave Beautide more rein and he sped clear and left his rivals in his wake.
He hit the line 8-1/2 metres clear of Abettorpunt with Mach Beauty hanging on for third seven metres away and just in advance of Mister Presley.
Beautide is owned by top Tasmanian trainer-breeder Barrie Rattray and the Rattray Family Trust.
Beautide was trained for most of his racing career by Barrie but has recently been transferred into the care of his son James who has just set up stables at Cobbitty, near Menangle, where he will prepare a small team initially comprising of horse’s from his father’s stable in Tasmania.
The intent is to expand the operation and given his success with Beautide and others he has sent to the races recently he is bound to secure outside drives from top stables as well as secure horses from prominent NSW owners.