LEN SMITH - THE MAN BEHIND THE MIRACLE MILE
The concept o
f bettering two-minutes became the prime motivation the NSW
Trotting Club (NSW HRC) consisted of in lead-up to the inauguration of the Miracle Mile.
It was not until after the running of the 1966 Inter Dominion
carnival at Harold Park that ideas for the new event started to take shape. The idea arose from Len Smith (right), who was appointed Chief Executive of the NSW Trotting Club that year,
after stints as chairman of Stewards and Chief Handicapper, which allowed the time he needed for planning programs and promotions. One of his first assignments was to introduce feature races
that would put Harold Park on the Harness Racing map. Smith prepared a list of firms and organisations he planned to approach, one at a time, to sponsor a big new event he had finally decided to call the 'Miracle Mile'. Although two-minute miles were the benchmark in the United States, they were still non-existent Down-Under. A race name that would never be outdated, that is how the Miracle Mile was
conceived. It was felt that despite the improvement in times, be it first the breaking of two minutes, or getting down to 1:55, 1:50 or even faster, it will always remain a Miracle Mile.
Impressed with the name of the race, tobacco giants W.D. & H.O. Wills were quick on the bandwagon to sponsor the inaugural staging of the event, named the Craven
Filter Miracle Mile – that would soon become part of racing folk law. Smith, an Australian Rugby League International player, fought hard for the race to
have a maximum of six runners, all selected by the New South Wales Trotting Club (NSW HRC) Committee. Apart from the track size, and the fact only six horses were across the front line of
the mobile at Harold Park, Smith felt a field of six provided every opportunity for all runners. Nobody at that time could have predicted the Miracle Mile would reach such heights as it is at now. Other Links
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