Former champ still a personal favourite

FEELING old after realising he refers to seasons gone by as 'the halcyon days', multiple award winning scribe PAUL COURTS takes a 30-year trip down memory lane to relive his favourite Miracle Mile competitor.

HAVING spent most of my life connected to racetracks it must seem strange I only follow one racing code.

Becoming hooked on ‘the trots’ during my early teens, I simply never developed an interest in the thoroughbreds or greyhounds.

Even on the first Tuesday in November when the ‘race that stops a nation’ is being conducted I barely take an interest and hardly stop to watch it.

For me, the ‘race that excites a nation’ is the Miracle Mile.

The time-honoured sprint has been my number one event since receiving a signed copy of the late Bob Cain’s award winning book – Harnessing A Miracle – in 1990.

I looked forward to the southern hemisphere’s ultimate speed test every year, with this season’s edition no different.

Therefore, picking just one as my favourite spectacle is close to impossible.

Instead, I’ve gone for a slightly different option – my favourite pacer, the ill-fated Chokin.

Chokin’s initial victory in the Group One also coincides with my first trip to Harold Park to see the race live.

While the Grand Circuit gem has been won by so many champions, few can boast a connection to the Miracle Mile as unique and successful as Chokin’s.

Chokin competed in three Miracle Miles for a two wins and a dramatic fall.

On that disastrous night, Chokin became the first, and remains the only, three-year-old to contest Australasia’s premier sprint.

The year was 1991, Chokin was the biggest thing to hit harness racing on either side of the Tasman for a long time.

A freakish juvenile in the care of Barry Purdon, the son of Vance Hanover had won 12 of his 13 starts, which saw New South Wales Harness Racing Club Directors ‘break the mould’ by issuing an invitation to the Miracle Mile.

Many considered it suicidal to ask a raw and inexperienced three-year-old to take on older, more seasoned campaigners in a race like the Miracle Mile.

Basically, the thought was the giant gelding was being set up for failure, which was sadly proven correct.

As a result of his inexperience, Chokin became fired up by the large crowd, which saw him gallop at the start to trail the field by several lengths.

Over racing for reinsman Brian Gath from that point, Chokin gave Gath no choice, but to take him three-wide during the middle stages.

The ordeal took its toll, with Chokin collapsing with exhaustion on the home turn as his stablemate Christopher Vance raced to glory.

Gath was quoted at the time stating “it’s the worst experience I have had as a driver to have such a great horse collapse on such a big stage”.

Sadly, Chokin broke down soon after, with tendon problems forcing him out for the season and half of his four-year-old campaign.

Returniing in sensational form as a five-year-old, Chokin captured the New Zealand Cup and Free-For-All which saw him issued an invitation to contest his second Miracle Mile.

Chokin’s rivals were Sabilize, Jack Morris, Weona Warrior, Franco Tiger and Master Musician, with The Unicorn and Exceptionally Smooth the emergencies.

This time things went a lot smoother – for Chokin anyway.

As the 1993 field went through its paces during the warm up, it was discovered Jack Morris had blood trickling from his nostril.

In one of the biggest sensations to precede a major harness racing event on this side of the equator, Jack Morris was withdrawn just moments before the race was scheduled to start.

Jack Morris dominated betting at 4/6, but was scratched by veterinary surgeon, David Evans, as the field lined up behind the mobile barrier.

Trainer Sean Harney argued with chief steward Roger Nebauer, but to no avail.

Nebauer confirmed the stewards’ decision by stating he was “neither qualified, nor prepared” to argue against a veterinary surgeon’s ruling.

Harney believed the hype and atmosphere of the event – especially the fireworks display – may have led to bruising of a membrane in Jack Morris’ nose, which resulted in the trace of blood.

“He was standing in his stall when the fireworks were going on and started to throw his head around,” Harney said. “Then we came onto the track and he was fired up, but that’s not unusual – you have to be fired up for the start of one of these races anyway.”

With Jack Morris out, Chokin was the new favourite from the pole.

After leading with ease, driver Tony Herlihy did little more than allow the five-year-old to ‘jog’ his way to glory in two minutes – only the fifth time since 1967 the winner had failed to better the two-minute barrier.

Needless to say I was rapt…especially after ‘bagging’ a portion of the bookies’ purse!

A year later Chokin was once again in great form, which had him favoured to win his second New Zealand Cup, but the six-year-old was a shock failure when tailing the field home.

This also put his Miracle Mile defence at risk.

Purdon was left scratching his head as his other two runners, Christopher Vance and Montana Vance, also finished tailed off.

That’s when another unique chapter in the Chokin/Miracle Mile story unfolded, with Purdon given an ultimatum by NSWHRC Directors.

In order to gain a Miracle Mile invitation, Chokin had to trial to the satisfaction of club President Keith Adams, which meant breaking 2:00 for a mile, with a smart last 800 metres.

It was the first time such a demand had been issued. Chokin broke two minutes, with a last half in 57 seconds to seal his invite.

The 1994 Miracle Mile field consisted of Chokin, Bee Bee Cee, Master Musician, Golden Reign, Young Mister Charles and Weona Warrior.

History shows Chokin raced his way into the record books by accounting for Bee Bee Cee and Golden Reign when driven by Herlihy.

Once more the event was not without its drama again involving Evans, who declared Bee Bee Cee was lame and had to be scratched upon his arrival at Harold Park.

Connections were quick to dispute the ruling and thanks to support from rival – legendary horseman Brian Hancock – were given the opportunity to gain a second opinion...unlike Harney the previous year!

Peter Knight, who was in charge of pre-race swabbing, inspected Bee Bee Cee and gave him the all-clear.

But the evening belonged to Chokin.

This time the millionaire covered the mile in 1:56.2 – just six-tenths of a second outside Westburn Grant’s race record set in 1990.

Chokin’s win saw him become just the third dual Miracle Mile winner and the second to successfully defend his title.

Westburn Grant was victorious in 1989 and ’90, while Village Kid had his sequence broken by Master Mood in 1986.

Returning home for more feature wins, including the Auckland Cup, Chokin finally contested an Inter Dominion Final.

After registering two seconds and a win in his heats, Chokin finished fourth behind Golden Reign, but was promoted to second following the disqualification of Young Mister Charles and Victor Supreme due to swab irregularities.

Tragedy, which had gone hand-in-hand with triumph since Chokin’s debut, struck again soon after when the champion was found dead in his paddock of a suspected stroke.

Chokin raced 59 times for 34 wins, seven seconds, four thirds and $1,801,685 in stakes.