Two in-form milers are battling for top spot in Doncaster Mile 2023 betting this weekend in Sydney with the reigning champion Mr Brightside and the talented Chris Waller-trained mare Fangirl tipped to fight it out in the $4 million Royal Randwick showdown.
Mr Brightside heads to Sydney for the Doncaster Mile 2023 this Saturday on the back of his All-Star Mile win at The Valley. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Championships Day 1 features four elite level autumn events led by the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) for the middle-distance stars of the season.
Current post-final acceptance Doncaster Mile betting markets at Ladbrokes have the Ben & JD Hayes-trained Mr Brightside on top at $5.50 back in Sydney and chasing more riches.
The son of Bullbars is out to be the first dual Doncaster Mile winner since Sacred Falls (2013-14).
He carted just 50.5kg to victory in last year’s race and is in with 55.5kg this year looking to go back-to-back.
The now five-year-old was outstanding at weight-for-age at The Valley last start winning the $5 million The All-Star Mile (1600m), an event he finished fourth in the year before ahead of his Doncaster triumph.
Zac Purton is in Sydney for the ride on the favourite in the Doncaster with Mr Brightside drawn favourably in barrier two after overcoming barrier 18 last year.
The All-Star Mile form was franked by the runner-up Cascadian last weekend when he came out and won the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington, which bodes well for Mr Brightside in Sydney on Saturday.
Trainer Chris Waller chases his seventh Doncaster Mile trophy in 2023 and his first since Winx back in 2016.
The master horseman launches a strong assault on the capacity field this autumn with four confirmed runners plus the first emergency Osipenko.
Fangirl heads the Waller contingent occupying the second line of Doncaster betting at $7 despite drawing out near the carpark with gate 19.
The four-year-old daughter of Sebring has gone over a year without a win with her last turf triumph being the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes last autumn.
She has been excellent this prep stringing together three frustratingly close minor placings behind Godolphin champion Anamoe with her latest being a second only a half-length beaten at Rosehill in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m).
The mare comes back in weight from 57kg to 53.5kg on the weekend with Brazilian hoop Joao Moreira down under for the assignment.
Another Waller-trained runner at single-figures is his Zoustar filly Zougotcha at $8.
She has a lovely record at the Randwick course with three wins and a second from five starts including her Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) win here in the spring.
Zougotcha comes off a second-up win in the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) on March 11 at Rosehill and will appreciate getting up to the Randwick mile for the Doncaster with Kerrin McEvoy to ride.
Waller also saddles-up international miler Going Global who makes her debut down under from barrier four on the weekend along with his underrated last start Group 1 Rosehill Guineas champion Lindermann.
Lindermann has a wide alley jumping one on the outside of Fangirl this Saturday with Dean Holland aboard the light-weight.
The in-form Lonhro three-year-old has been forgotten by the punters currently paying $19 in the Doncaster Mile odds despite his good form this season.
Two back he was runner-up at the track and distance in the Randwick Guineas before a narrow win in the Rosehill equivalent over further on March 18.
He is back to 1600m here and drops from 56.5kg to just 49kg making him a genuine value chance for the stable.
Another runner in on a light-weight coming off a lead-up win is the William Haggas-trained international raider Protagonist ($10) with 50kg.
Ben Thompson partner the British galloper who was last seen narrowly saluting in his first Australian run when winning the Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m).
See below for the official Doncaster Mile final field and barrier draw.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x721551x14 | ALLIGATOR BLOOD | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 12 | 57.5kg | 115 | ||
| 2 | 115473×521 | MR BRIGHTSIDE (NZ) | Ben & JD Hayes | Zac Purton | 2 | 55.5kg | 114 | ||
| 3 | 3x44131x69 | KIRWAN’S LANE (NZ) | John O’Shea | Ben Melham | 24 | 54kg | 108 | ||
| 4 | 1x13x16x60 | MY OBERON (IRE) | Annabel Neasham | John Allen | 7 | 54kg | 106 | ||
| 5 | 0x2562x322 | FANGIRL | Chris Waller | Joao Moreira | 19 | 53.5kg | 112 | ||
| 6 | 16x13x121x | GOING GLOBAL (IRE) | Chris Waller | Brenton Avdulla | 4 | 53.5kg | 111 | ||
| 7 | 20x6900x73 | CONVERGE | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Brett Prebble | 6 | 52kg | 107 | ||
| 8 | x3552x131x | DUKE DE SESSA (IRE) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Dylan Gibbons (a) | 9 | 52kg | 104 | ||
| 9 | x2146x1247 | GENTLEMAN ROY | Ben & JD Hayes | Ms Rachel King | 10 | 52kg | 104 | ||
| 10 | 036x0025x8 | LION’S ROAR (NZ) | John O’Shea | Craig Newitt | 17 | 52kg | 104 | ||
| 11 | 14×2111355 | NUGGET (GB) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Andrew Gibbons | 22 | 51.5kg | 103 | ||
| 12 | 0x3200x341 | BANDERSNATCH | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Taylor Marshall | 5 | 51kg | 107 | ||
| 13 | x21411x240 | GOLDEN MILE | James Cummings | Zac Lloyd (a) | 11 | 51kg | 105 | ||
| 14 | 211210xL39 | MUSTANG VALLEY (NZ) | Andrew Forsman | 3 | 51kg | 105 | |||
| 15 | x811142x14 | HOPE IN YOUR HEART | Kerry Parker | Jay Ford | 23 | 50.5kg | 108 | ||
| 16 | 125x111x41 | ZOUGOTCHA | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 13 | 50.5kg | 105 | ||
| 17 | 54x41102x1 | PROTAGONIST (FR) | William Haggas | Ben Thompson | 8 | 50kg | 105 | ||
| 18 | x40030x231 | CEPHEUS (GB) | Matthew Dunn | Dean Yendall | 16 | 50kg | 102 | ||
| 19 | 14122×3716 | COMMUNIST | Michael Freedman | Tyler Schiller (a) | 21 | 49kg | 104 | ||
| 20 | x2292x5121 | LINDERMANN | Chris Waller | Dean Holland | 18 | 49kg | 102 | ||
| 21e | 12x73x517 | OSIPENKO (NZ) | Chris Waller | Michael Dee | 1 | 49kg | 102 | ||
| 22e | 770261×636 | BANKERS CHOICE (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Brock Ryan | 15 | 51kg | 102 | ||
| 23e | x881401x93 | DIAMIL (IRE) | John O’Shea | Reece Jones (a) | 20 | 51kg | 102 | ||
| 24e | 0x71537x42 | PRIDE OF JENNI | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Robbie Dolan | 14 | 50kg | 102 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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