Racing: May looking forward to driving at Menangle

Monkey King finished all over his rivals in the New Zealand Cup. Will he do likewise on Sunday? Photo / Simon Baker

Ricky May has finally found what once seemed impossible - an Australian racetrack that suits him.

And he is adamant Monkey King is the right horse to exploit that in Sunday's A$500,00 Miracle Mile.

Australia's greatest pacing sprint moves to the wide open spaces of Menangle's 1400m track for the first time on Sunday and no horse should gain more advantage out of that than Monkey King.

The New Zealand Cup winner wouldn't even be going to the race if it was to be held on the old Harold Park saucer in Sydney but the move to the huge track sees Monkey King rated the second favourite.

May says he can't wait to get there.

"The 1400m track will be ideal and the only thing that would make it better is if it had a passing lane," he said.

"But at least we should get a shot at them because, realistically, we are likely to be in the back half of the field starting the last 800m.

"I can see Lance [Justice, driving Smoken Up] being in front and then I just hope there is some pressure on him."

While May is one of only three New Zealand reinsmen to drive more than 2000 winners he has often been criticised in Australia for his patience.

That hasn't stopped him completing a Miracle Mile trifecta, having won and finished third on Iraklis and second on Happy Sunrise.

But his track record win on Iraklis may go down as one of the few times in history a reinsman has won a group one race yet copped plenty of abuse for it.

May stunned punters by choosing to stay in the one-one with a lap to go that night and looked hopelessly pocketed at the 300m mark. But luckily the pacer on his outside, Manaville, galloped and Iraklis stormed home to beat Il Vicolo in the fastest Miracle Mile rate in history.

"What people didn't know at the time was Manaville had punctured my tyre at the bell so I had no choice but to wait because coming three wide would have been too tough.

"So I might have got a bit of stick but I have actually had a fair bit of luck in the Miracle Mile.

"Still, I'm looking forward to it more now it is on the bigger track."

Like the other connections of the three New Zealand-trained pacers in the Mile, May is slightly concerned by the very hot weather predicted in Sydney for the weekend. "Our horses never seem to cope with that as theirs do so I am hoping it cools down."

But he hopes the Mile itself is red-hot. "If they go really hard then we should get our chance."

Monkey King remained the $4.50 second favourite around Australasia last night, with Auckland Reactor drifting slightly with most bookies to $3.60.

The best-backed runner in the Mile has been Blacks A Fake, who got as long as $11 straight after drawing the outside barrier but is averaging $7 across Australia now.

MIRACLE MILE

*Ricky May is looking forward to Sunday's Miracle Mile moving to Menangle.

*May has a personal Miracle Mile driving trifecta to his credit.

*He partners Cup week hero Monkey King on Sunday.

*The pair are second favourite behind Auckland Reactor.