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Miracle Mile favourite Lazarus will have to go faster than in Chariots of Fire: trainer

Champion four-year-old Lazarus did what was expected of him by winning Saturday's Chariots Of Fire at Menangle, but trainer-driver Mark Purdon thinks he will go faster in the Miracle Mile.

On his first race at Menangle, Lazarus clocked a time of 1:49.0, which has only been bettered by Miracle Mile winner and stablemate Have Faith In Me in the past year. It was a tough effort after a tough week, where the four-year-old experienced 40-degree heat for the first time in his life.

It might not be the record-breaking Lazarus of the New Zealand Cup and Victoria Cup but he is only going to get better after a fortnight break in the Miracle Mile on February 25, where he is the favourite.

"That will be a help, having a week off, and also [having] more time to get used to the heat here," Purdon said. "So I am certain he can go quicker than the 1:49 – and he might have to in the Miracle Mile."

Lazarus held off stablemate Our Waikiki Beach's late challenge as he got home in a 26.6-second final quarter after working to the front from  the back.

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 "He had to travel up here from Melbourne, which meant his training was interrupted. And when he first got here the heat affected him a bit," Purdon admitted. "He has raced four Saturdays in a row, all in group ones, which is not easy. So I was proud of the way he stuck to it when Waikiki Beach came at him." 

Purdon's All Stars Stable could have up to a record four runners in the Miracle Mile with Inter Dominion champion Smolda and Have Faith In Me running in next Saturday's two preludes, which offer direct entry to $750,000 group 1 for the first two home.

Our Waikiki Beach, a former NSW horse of the year,  would have the inside run for one of the invitational spot, which will be announced after the Preludes  

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