Guy Walter’s stable star Appearance will be chasing her third Group 1 success on the trot when she lines up in the Group 1 $2m BMW Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Appearance winning the Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Appearance is one of twenty-one final acceptors for the Doncaster Mile which sees the Chris Waller trained Shoot Out to carry the topweight of 58kg with Strike The Stars being relegated to first emergency.
Appearance who earned a 0.5kg penalty for the Doncaster after winning the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on March 23 is set to take on Sydney’s super colt Pierro after making it two Group 1s in a row by winning the Group 1 $400,000 Inglis Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on April 6.
Pierro with 57kg after the weights were raised by one kilo, will have to create a weight carrying record for a three year old to win the Doncaster while Appearance will only have to carry 0.5kg above the minimum after winning two Group 1s at her last two starts.
Walter was very excited after Appearance took out the Queen Of The Turf and said immediately after the win that the four year old would be a lightweight chance in the Doncaster Mile.
“What a fabulous mare she is,” Walter said.
“She just keeps winning. She just wants to win, terrific little mare.”
“She’s in the Doncaster obviously, she’s got a lightweight.”
Appearance, who is owned by Sheikh Mohammed, will again be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy who was aboard the mare in the Queen Of The Turf when somewhat of a surprise winner after odds on favourite More Joyous who was badly blocked for a run in the straight and could only manage to finish a creditable fifth after getting into the clear late.
The Commands mare had been ridden by three different jockeys in her three Group 1 wins with top Victorian rider Michael Rodd on top winning the $500,000 Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington in the Spring and Sydneysider Blake Shinn steered her to victory in the Coolmore Classic.
Sydney’s Premier trainer Chris Waller will again have multiple runners in another Group 1 race with four acceptors for the Doncaster Mile.
As well as Multiple Group 1 winner Shoot Out, Waller will also saddle up veteran Danleigh, his top class race mare Red Tracer and former New Zealand Group 1 winning three year old Sacred Falls.
Old war horse Danleigh showed that he is not a spent force with a Group 1 third two runs back in the Group 1 $350,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm on March 9 while Red Tracer has finished second to Appearance in the Coolmore Classic and the Queen Of The Turf.
Sacred Falls showed glimpse of his New Zealand form when finishing second to rival Kiwi It’s A Dundeel, albeit by six and three quarter lengths in the Group 1 $500,000 M. J. Bale Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill on March 30.
