
Miracle Man (right), with Brian Harding aboard, holds off a thrilling challenge from Distinctly Irish (Wesley Henry) to land the Governor-General Stakes over 2000 metres at Caymanas Park last year. Miracle Man won by a neck. -Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer
WHAT WILL it take to lure the country's top-rated horse, MIRACLE MAN, out of Allan E. 'Billy' Williams' barn this summer?
The Digicel Jamaican Irish Stakes, worth $1.3 million, run over 1300 metres, passed on Derby Day with MIRACLE MAN, the back-to-back Superstakes winner and 2006 Confraternity Classic champion, staying at home.
Unlike other Grade I races run since the start of the year, the June 2 Digicel Jamaican Irish Stakes wasn't off MIRACLE MAN's radar as one of his biggest performances last year was at 1300 metres, dismantling CLOCK WORK, the quickest horse in the land.
There's nothing wrong with the big chestnut horse either as he has long got over a minor operation he had in January.
Last Saturday morning he galloped five and a half furlongs in 1:07.4, behind a five-furlong split of 1:00.4, a time most trainers would die for.
However, MIRACLE MAN will also bypass tomorrow's 1500-metre Chairman's Trophy, which has a purse of $850,000.
Meanwhile, the Chairman's Trophy has attracted six starters with Philip Feanny's DISTINCTLY IRISH heading the scale with 60.5 kilos.
STRUGGLED
DISTINCTLY IRISH has struggled so far this year, winning the 1400-metre Eros Trophy on his February 24 debut but has failed to finish better than fourth in three subsequent starts, including the Digicel Irish Jamaican Stakes.
Tomorrow's Chairman's Trophy field also includes JUST SOME THOGHTS (52.0), DISTINCTLY IRISH's two stablemates, STRONG DELIVERY (48.0) and REIGNING HEROINE (48.0) as well as Anthony Nunes' pair of LA REINA (50.0) and PITTACUS (48.0).
"There are other races of better interest than that," Williams told Racing Along on Wednesday.
"The better races are in the latter part of the year," he said. "He cannot race every day as a lot of people would love to see. That's not in his interest."
Williams, a 70-odd year-old veteran, who keeps his cards close to his chest, is definitely aiming MIRACLE MAN at a hat-trick of Superstakes victories, a feat accomplished by just one horse, Richard Azan's MENUDO, who went on to win the event for a fourth straight year before retiring.
The Superstakes will be run in November but MIRACLE MAN will be out much sooner.
However, Williams refused to say when his champion horse would make his 2007 debut after going unbeaten between the 2005-2006 Superstakes races.
Meanwhile, he has MIRACLE MAN bubbling to the boil at exercise.
"He has been working for some time, gradually getting there I hope," he said, downplaying his runner's scorching workout.