The 2016 Doncaster Mile barrier draw has been conducted and star mare Winx will jump from barrier 11 in the Group 1 event at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Winx will have the chance to complete the Epsom Handicap/Doncaster Mile double when she jumps from barrier 11 this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Winx has shown plenty of tactical versatility during her 2016 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign, which includes Group 1 victories in the Chipping Norton Stakes and the George Ryder Stakes, and jockey Hugh Bowman will have a number of options from the gate.
Recent history is against Winx as Sprint By in 1996 is the only horse that has won the Doncaster Mile from barrier 11 in the past 30 years, but connections are confident that Winx will have no issues from the gate.
The most successful barrier in the recent history of the Doncaster Mile is barrier 12 and talented mare Azkadellia will jump from that gate on Saturday.
Azkadellia is yet to record a win at the highest level of racing, but she savaged the line in the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival and she finished a gallant second behind Peeping in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 12.
The Ciaron Maher-trained mare will need to produce a career best performance to beat Winx, but she is benefitted by barrier 12, which has housed Vite Cheval (1984), Magic Flute (1987), Sunline (1999), Racing To Win (2006) and Vision And Power (2009).
The big drifter after he 2016 Doncaster Mile barrier draw is First Seal, who will jump from the inside gate in the $3 million event this weekend.
First Seal beat Winx on five occasions as a three-year-old, but she was no match for her in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens a fortnight ago and punters do not believe that the inside gate will help her turn-the-tables on her rivals.
Kermadec jumped from barrier 16 to win the Doncaster Mile 12 months ago and he will jump from barrier three when he defends his title this weekend.
The Teofilo entire is yet to record a race win this preparation, but he is undefeated in two race starts over the Randwick mile and he produced a strong effort when second behind Winx in the George Ryder Stakes.
Other key Doncaster Mile barrier draws include Turn Me Loose (barrier nine), Stratum Star (barrier two), Bow Creek (barrier four), Volkstok’n’barrell (barrier ten), Happy Clapper (barrier eight), He Or She (barrier 13) and Rudy (barrier 15).
