Lochinvar Art out of Newcastle Mile

By Adam Hamilton 

Superstar pacer Lochinvar Art is out of tonight’s Group 1 Newcastle Mile and his Miracle Mile quest is in limbo.

The six-time Group 1 winner has been scratched from Newcastle with a minor hoof injury.

Under the conditions of the Miracle Mile, despite his amazing CV, Lochinvar Art must now run in one of the two qualifying sprints at Menangle next Saturday night to be eligible to contest the Miracle Mile.

It means he only has a week to recover and race, not the two weeks between now and the Miracle Mile.

“It’s very disappointing, but Arty is scratched from the Newcastle Mile. Nothing major, it’s a corn on the sole of hit foot. It is in the horse’s best welfare not to run (tonight). All will be OK for the Miracle Mile in two weeks,” owner Kevin Gordon said.

It’s a massive personal blow to Gordon, who lives near Newcastle and has been planning for and looking forward to having his “champ” run at his hometown track.

Lochinvar Art, a last-star winner of the Hunter Cup, was a $1.45 favourite for the Newcastle Mile and $1.70 to win the Miracle Mile.

Trainer-driver David Moran’s challenge now is to not only nurse the horse through this setback and be ready to not only run, but go close to winning, in one of the two qualifying sprints in just eight days time.

Corns and recovering from hoof issues are so unpredictable and challenging for trainers.

The Miracle Mile is the last leg of a would be Aussie harness’s big three for Lochinvar Art, who has already brilliantly won the Victoria and Hunter Cups in recent months.