1609.0 m is the accepted mile. For example, the gross times for Geelong and Charlton 1609 races is the mile rate.
Thinking about how horses break records without finding the pegs (like Beach Surge death seating it to the record at YV), I was doing some calculations on how much faster they actually go for every sulky width they are off the pegs.
It's amazing what competition does for some horses Kev, and perhaps, in some cases, some horses, some tracks, it's easier on the horse travelling the bigger radius compared to on the rail? Take Melton for an example, which is a bit of the opposite. Mildura tonight, another example. Messini's last half, what would it equate to if he hugged the rail? Sure, he had a trail but would he have run the mathematical time on the rail?
Don't want to go off topic or steal your post Kev but pure speed amazes me more than mile rates and track records. Especially these days, gets a bit ho hum.
An outstanding sectional time, Poster Boy last Q 25.9 Saturday night Melton and not as outstanding, last Q 26.8 from Shez All Rock Friday night Shepparton but somewhere in that quarter I reckon shez gone close to 12s for a furlong without the benefit of Melton's bias.
http://www.harness.org.au/video-repl...de=SPC06041804