Last year’s champion, Mr Brightside, is looking like the one to watch again, and not just for fans of The Killers, ahead of the 2023 Doncaster Mile on Saturday.
A$4 million is the total prize money for the race at Randwick, which was first contested in 1866.
Mr Brightside, trained by Ben & JD Hayes, is the current 6.00 favourite with William Hill to retain the crown. The 5-year-old will, however, be ridden by Zac Purton for the first time.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: March 30th, 9:00 A.M. (GMT)
After being ridden by Craig Williams for all of his first 15 outings, Luke Currie took the ride at Moonee Valley last month, though that did generate a victory in a conditions race.
That ended a run of six races without a win, while last year’s Doncaster remains his only triumph at Grade 1 level.
For the third time in under a year, Fangirl finished as runner-up to Anamoe last time out, this in the George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill two weeks ago.
No Anamoe to contend with this time, but Chris Waller’s impressive 4-year-old is expected to take second place again; she is at 8.50.
She also has a new jockey with Joao Moreira taking the reins instead of her recent partner, Kerrin McEvoy, who will be on third favourite, Zougotcha, also from Waller’s yard.
Zougotcha was victorious last time out in a Grade 2 for fellow 3-year-olds at Rosehill in early March and has a Grade 1 victory to her name, albeit one for fillies her age.
At 9.50 she has a good chance but this is quite the step up in company.
Also at that price is top weight Alligator Blood, who will be running at Randwick for the first time in three-and-a-half years.
The 6-year-old could only manage fourth behind Mr Brightside at Moonee Valley but beat the same opponent in the Futurity Stakes at Sandown in February. After a two-race hiatus, Timothy Clark resumes their partnership that won the Kennedy Champions Mile when last in operation.
William Haggas’ Protagonist (11.00) began his Australian adventure with a Group 3 win at Rosehill, while Converge (11.00) could only manage 18th in this race last year but surprised many by coming third in the George Ryder when going off at 41.00.
Osipenko (12.00) was seventh in that race but fared better over a mile in the Caulfield Guineas, while Golden Mile (17.00) finished last at Rosehill but only 4 ¼ lengths behind the winner Anamoe.
It’s a 19.00 bar for the twenty-horse contest.
