2023 Doncaster Mile tips & betting strategy | Saturday, April 1

The time-honoured Group 1 Doncaster Mile is set to be a barnstormer as we’ve got a full field of 20 (plus four emergencies) ready to line up in this year’s edition of Australia’s best 1600m handicap event. Mr Brightside took out the race last year and is looking to replicate the likes of Sacred Falls and Super Impose to win back-to-back renewals of the Doncaster Mile. We’ve got form-lines from everywhere converging on this race, from the All-Star Mile to the George Ryder Stakes, so it’s sure to be a special edition on Saturday afternoon.

2023 DONCASTER MILE ODDS

It’s not much of a surprise to see the defending champion and 2023 All-Star Mile winner, Mr Brightside, open favourite in a wide-open market with online bookmakers. Fangirl ($7) holds the second line of betting as Joao Moreira makes his way down under, with Converge ($9) and Zougotcha ($9) rounding out the horses in single figures. Everywhere else you look on the page you’re getting a great price for Group 1 winners such as Alligator Blood ($11), Communist ($17) and Lindermann ($15). Throw in first-up overseas hopefuls like Duke De Sessa ($21) and Going Global ($26), and you’ve got a very tricky race to dissect.

2023 DONCASTER MILE SPEED MAP

We’ve got a few genuine go-forward types to lead them up in this year’s Doncaster Mile, but you’d have to think Lindermann (18) will take up his winning tactics from the Rosehill Guineas. Gentleman Roy (10) could beat his rival to the rail, and Alligator Blood (12) has shown early toe to lead in the past. Mr Brightside (2) lobs in the perfect spot just in behind the speed, as should Converge (6) and Bandersnatch (5) from their respective draws. A few more of the genuine hopes have drawn the carpark as Fangirl (19) and Communist (21) will have their work cut out for them to find a position with cover. The same can be said for Cepheus (16) and Nugget (22), who may both need to be dragged back to near last. Plenty of gallopers will be making up the mid-field contingent, with My Oberon (7), Going Global (4), Duke De Sessa (9) and Zougotcha (13) mapping to get nice runs throughout the 1600m journey.

Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2023 Doncaster Mile.

2023 DONCASTER MILE FORM & BETTING PREVIEW

In a race where you can make a case for plenty of the 20 runners engaged, we’ve given the nod to Fangirl. She’s had three starts this time in and in every single one of them she’s run into Australia’s best middle-distance galloper, Anamoe. She found the minor money on all of those occasions, most recently in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes. We’ve been waiting for her to find one without Anamoe to spoil the party, and this might just be it. It’s been the grand final plan a long way out for trainer Chris Waller, and despite Soft track conditions to go with barrier 19, we’ve got to have something on this daughter of Sebring. Joao Moreira will be forced to get back in the big field, but this girl has shown in the past she can sprint off a strong tempo, which is exactly what she’ll get here.

Zougotcha might be the best of the younger horses. We think the three-year-old filly’s form from the Group 1 Surround Stakes looks strong enough here, especially getting in towards the bottom of the weight scale. That race has seen four subsequent winners – including In Secret going on to score in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap, and Zougotcha herself taking out the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes. She’s a Group 1 winner in wet conditions at this course and distance, winning the Flight Stakes in the past, and her best could be good enough with just 50.5kg on her back. Kerrin McEvoy may need to weave some magic from barrier 13, but if he can, Zougotcha should be right in the finish.

The horse at a big price we want to keep safe here is Duke De Sessa. The $21 on offer with online betting sites is too good to pass up given what we saw at the barrier trials. He’s first-up for the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace yard after leaving Europe from Dermot Weld, and although the 1600m may be short of his best, we can’t let him go around without something on. His trial over the 1200m on March 17 at Warwick was an incredible piece of work; he sat outside the leader throughout and under zero riding went on to win it by 1.2 lengths. It was a jump-out we want to follow, and if the track does see a significant downpour, it will only be a positive for this son of Lope De Vega.

Mr Brightside, Alligator Blood, Converge and Protagonist all pose winning threats as well, but you can’t back them all and we’ve drawn the line at the price for Mr Brightside. He’s looking for back-to-back wins in the race and on form can clearly win. It’s more a matter of price that pushes him out of our top three.

2023 DONCASTER MILE SELECTIONS & BEST BETS

• 5

  FANGIRL

• 16

  ZOUGATCHA

• 8

  DUKE DE SESSA

• 2

  MR BRIGHTSIDE

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