Reigning champ attempting to join elite

REIGNING champion King Of Swing is aiming to join a select group of champions at Club Menangle on Saturday night.

Engaged in the famed Miracle Mile, King Of Swing is attempting to become the seventh pacer to successfully defend their title since the Group One’s inauguration in 1967.

Victory in the $1million Garrards-sponsored event will also see the son of Rocknroll Hanover become just the second to achieve the feature since Australasia’s premier sprint was moved to Menangle in 2009.

The mighty Westburn Grant was the ground breaker in 1989 and ’90, followed by Chokin (’93 and ’94), Holmes D G (’99 and 2000), Sokyola (’03 and ’04), Be Good Johnny (’05 and ’06) and Smoken Up in 2010 and ‘12.

Village Kid is the only other dual winner of Grand Circuit event, with wins in 1986 and ’87.

Two Miracle Miles were conducted in 1986, with Master Mood winning the second edition.

As for King Of Swing’s bid for consecutive Miracle Miles, the Belinda McCarthy-trained stallion will begin from barrier six.

The six-year-old slots into five with the removal of the second emergency.

Fresh from his 1:49.5 triumph in last weekend’s Schweppes Sprint, King Of Swing is a raging $1.40 favourite with TAB Fixed Odds.

“He has come through Saturday night’s run in great shape and is ready to go again,” McCarthy said. “The draw is not what we would have picked but he is good enough to overcome it.”

King Of Swing is one of three McCarthy runners in the elite field, with his stablemates Expensive Ego and Alta Orlando drawn four and five.

Expensive Ego earned his berth in the main event with his Chariots Of Fire win a fortnight ago, while Alta Orlando was runner-up behind Wolf Stride in the Allied Express Logistics Sprint.

“Expensive Ego and Alta Orlando are also in perfect order,” McCarthy said. “Given the right run they are capable of winning.”