KEY POINTS:
Australasia's fastest-ever pacer can go a lot faster yet.
That was the prediction from the men behind superstar Pay Me Christian after he won his way into the Miracle Mile with a record-smashing performance in the A$60,000 ($60,000) Newcastle Mile on Saturday.
Pay Me Christian downed New South Wales' best pacers in a scarcely believable 1:52.8, reducing Quantum Lobell's Australian mile record by 0.3 of a second.
His time was 0.7 of a second inside Scuse Me's New Zealand record set at Alexandra Park.
But while such a time has never been approached in this part of the world, trainer Paul Kerr is adamant Pay Me Christian could have paced sub 1:52.
"Both David [Butt, driver] and I agree he could have gone a second faster down the back straight and it wouldn't have bothered him," said Kerr.
"The way he found the line, I'd say a 1:52 mile is well within him."
Saturday's performance will be a massive boost to Pay Me Christian's stallion career, which has been a focus for his owners since Canterbury-based stud farm Nevele R purchased a half share in him last December.
That share was rumoured to have cost $500,000, valuing him at $1 million, a ground-breaking amount of money at the time.
But after a stunning win in a Victoria Derby heat last year, his New Zealand Derby victory and then Saturday's supersonic performance, Pay Me Christian is starting to look a bargain.
His value could rocket even higher if he can win the A$500,000 Miracle Mile on Friday week.
"That is the race we have been aiming him at for the last six months and we knew we had to win this race to get an invite," said Kerr.
"To win it in this sort of time is a huge bonus but we are still here to win the Miracle Mile. That is the objective."
Kerr is not getting carried away with Pay Me Christian's chances of emulating his sire Christian Cullen, who memorably destroyed his opponents in the 1998 Miracle Mile.
"I know he is good enough to win it but so much will come down to the draws. It always does in the Miracle Mile," said Kerr.
Such was the quality of Pay Me Christian's performance in downing Smooth Crusa on Saturday night he would even start the Miracle Mile favourite if he draws one or two.
The class of opponent will be significantly higher than on Saturday though, with defending champion Be Good Johnny back along with Interdominion hero Blacks A Fake and multiple group one winner Slipnslide.
Auckland pacer Sly Flyin, third favourite for the New Zealand Cup tomorrow, is also likely to get an invite, making up for his missed opportunity last season when he was scratched with injury days before the race.
One horse who didn't help her chances of getting a start was New Zealand mare Foreal, who was checked into a gallop early and never recovered.
She will now need to repeat her Ladyship Mile win of last season at Harold Park on Friday to be guaranteed a start.
Foreal will clash in that race with one of her arch-rivals, Molly Darling, who was not knocked around when beaten at Harold Park on Friday night.
Pay Me Christian's time on Saturday night added some respectability to the Australasian mile mark, which for years has never truly reflected the ability of the horses who race in this part of the world.
One of the reasons for this is the lack of mile racing for our best pacers, with the Miracle Mile the only open-class race in Australasia with a truly decent stake.
But that is the beauty of Pay Me Christian being just a 4-year-old. Not only does he get the chance to feed his need for speed in the Miracle Mile but also in rich age-group races such as the Taylor Mile and $200,000 Harness Jewels in June.
"They are nice races for him to come home to," said Kerr.
The performance also raises the often-asked question: Just how fast a mile could New Zealand's best pacers record on the super-fast tracks in North America?
Judging by Saturday night, a 1:49 mile in North America would be realistic for Pay Me Christian. Maybe quicker.
Speed machine
* Pay Me Christian set a new Australian mile record on Saturday night.
* The Canterbury pacer won the Newcastle Mile in 1:52.8.
* The victory earned him an invite to the Miracle Mile on Friday week.
* Trainer Paul Kerr believes Pay Me Christian could have gone a second faster.
