Doncaster Mile second emergency Kermadec could be saved for the Group 1 $400,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 18 if he fails to gain a start in the famous Randwick Mile on Saturday.
Kermadec is second emergency for the Doncaster Mile at Randwick. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Kermadec, who is currently the second favourite at $6.50, needs two runners above him to be withdrawn from the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) to gain a start and have another chance to chase a Group 1 win.
Trainer Chris Waller also has Kermadec entered in the Group 3 $200,000 The Daily Telegraph Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) but a decision will be made on Saturday if he is to run against the three year olds this week.
If the Teofilo colt doesn’t gain a run in the Doncaster Mile, Waller is leaning towards missing Day One of ‘The Championships’ and have another attempt at weight for age in the All Aged Stakes.
“There is still a rough chance that he will get into the Doncaster, but it is unlikely,” Waller said on his weekly weekend race day preview.
“If that is the case we will decide if we will run him here or whether in fact we wait for the All Aged Stakes.”
“It is all about Group 1s for this horse. He is a colt and he is a Group 1 colt.”
Waller considers Kermadec a future Group 1 winner and asked the question if he needs to race against lower class horses at this stage of his career.
“Should we be running him against these horses? He could be running in these type of races for the rest of his life,” Waller said.
“Do we wait two weeks and have him as sharp as we can for the All Aged Stakes?”
Waller took some solace from the efforts of the John Hawkes trained All Too Hard who missed running in the Doncaster Mile and went on to win the 2013 All Aged Stakes as a three year old before heading off to stud.
“All Too Hard won it. It would make a pretty good case for our horse going there,” Waller said.
“Let’s hope he gets a run in the Doncaster and we don’t have to make a decision whether he runs in the Carbine on Saturday or waits for the All Aged Stakes.”
Waller has saddled up Kermadec twice at Group 1 level and with a bit of luck he could have won on both occasions.
Jockey Nash Rawiller admitted that Kermadec was very unlucky not to have won after he was held up behind runners at a crucial stage in the straight when fourth to Wandjina in the Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 7.
Then with top English rider Ryan Moore in the saddle, the three year old bungled the start and was a clear last leaving the barriers before running home for an eye catching third behind Real Impact and Criterion in the Group 1 weight for age $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on March 21.
Kermadec heads the market order for Carbine Club Stakes at $2.25 with Ladbrokes.com.au just ahead of Sweynesse at $3.20.
The John O’Shea trained Sweynesse is in a similar predicament as Kermadec and is the first emergency for the Doncaster Mile and is also sweating on some early morning race day scratchings to gain a start in the feature race on the program.
Doncaster Mile market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $5.50 Hallowed Crown, $6.50 Kermadec, $7 Real Impact, $8 Pornichet, $10 Royal Descent, $12 Sweynesse, $15 World Ace, It’s Somewhat, $16 Sacred Falls, $17 Suavito, $21 Happy Trails, $19 Arabian Gold, Hooked, $21 Rudy, $26 Cosmic Endeavour, Diamond Drille, $34 Leebaz, Plucky Belle, $67 Ninth Legion, Moriarty, Destiny’s Kiss, $101 Malavio, $126 Puccini, $151 Aomen.
