Doncaster Mile favourite Messene has to overcome a horror barrier draw if he is to win his first Group 1 race at Randwick on Saturday.

Messene has come up with a horror barrier draw in the Doncaster Mile. Photo by Steve Hart.

The lightly weighted Messene with Corey Brown to ride has won his last seven starts as he heads towards the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m).

Brown takes over from James McDonald who has been aboard the Team Hawkes trained five year old at his last three starts.

Messene hasn’t raced since winning the Group 2 $175,000 Hyland Race Colours Ajax Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on March 22 but co-trainer Wayne Hawkes took the gelding to Randwick for barrier trial last Friday to keep up to the mark for Saturday.

“I was at the Randwick trials on Friday with Messene and he was against Lankan Rupee and Snitzerland and he just sat behind them and did what he had to do,” Hawkes told Racing Ahead.

“It was more about just putting him on the float and giving him a little bit of a blowout.

“He has had three weeks between runs and he has only had two runs in two stakes races and won them both very impressively.”

McDonald, who won the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill last Saturday on the Hawkes trained Mossfun will ride Dear Demi for Clarry Connors and will jump from gate two.

Topweight Boban also came up with a horror draw of nineteen but will jump from seventeen if the two emergencies don’t get a run.

The rest of Chris Waller’s six runners came up with a mixed bag with last year’s Australian Oaks winner Royal Descent also coming up with a wide gate at twenty while last year’s Doncaster Mile winner Sacred Falls faired a little better at fourteen.

Waller’s Queensland Derby winner Hawkspur will jump from gate eight with Jim Cassidy, My Kingdom Of Fife with Craig Newitt has seven while last Saturday’s Doncaster Prelude winner Weary should get a reasonable run from barrier thirteen with Tommy Berry to ride.

Glen Boss will have to be at his brilliant best after his mount El Roca came up with gate seventeen, but will jump from fifteen, while the Peter Moody trained Dissident is certain to get a good from barrier eleven with Brenton Avdulla taking over from Jim Cassidy.

2014 Doncaster Mile Field And Barrier Draw