The highly rated Pat Webster trained Happy Clapper has drawn the rails in the final field of sixteen for the 2018 Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on day one of The Championships on Saturday.

Happy Clapper, above, has drawn the rails in the 2018 Doncaster Mile at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Happy Clapper, above, has drawn the rails in the 2018 Doncaster Mile at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Blake Shinn will be able to give Happy Clapper the run of the race to give him every chance of winning his second Group 1 race over the famous Randwick Mile after the pair combined to win the Group 1 $1m Epsom Handicap (1600m) during the 2017 Sydney Spring Carnival.

Shinn and Happy Clapper also teamed up to win the Group 1 $500,000 Bisley Workwear Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick two starts back and are coming off a last start second to Winx in the Group 1 $1m The Agency George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on March 24.

Happy Clapper is the $5 second favourite for the Doncaster Mile at Ladbrokes.com.au behind the James Cummings trained three year old Kementari at $3.60.

Kementari has also drawn in close at barrier two and will also be given every chance by Brenton Avdulla who was aboard the Lonhro colt last start when third to Winx in the George Ryder Stakes.

The other three year old colt taking on the older horses in the Doncaster Mile is the Chris Waller trained D’Argento who was out of luck at the barrier draw, coming up with gate fifteen in the sixteen horse field.

D’Argento, with Corey Brown in the saddle, is also highly fancied in the betting and is the best of Waller’s six Doncaster Mile runners at $7 ahead of his stablemates Tom Melbourne and Comin’ Through at $15, Endless Drama at $26, Egg Tart at $34 and Mister Sea Wolf at $61.

Victoria’s leading trained Darren Weir will saddle up the two top weights, Humidor, with 58kg, will jump from barrier four with March Zahra in the saddle while Tosen Stardom, with 57.5kg, has barrier eight for Craig Williams.

Betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for the 2018 Doncaster Mile: $3.60 Kementari, $5 Happy Clapper, $7 D’Argento, $8 Humidor, $15 Crack Me Up, Tom Melbourne, Comin’ Through, $21 Lanciato, $26 Tosen Stardom, Endless Drama, Arbeitsam, $31 Prized Icon, Invincible Gem, $34 Egg Tart, $61 Mister Sea Wolf, $81 Cool Chap.

Final field for the 2018 Doncaster Mile (1600m)

# Form (Last 10) Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp. Rating
1 6813520×41 HUMIDOR (NZ) Darren Weir Mark Zahra 4 58kg 116
2 536181×025 TOSEN STARDOM (JPN) Darren Weir Craig Williams 8 57.5kg 115
3 x121262x12 HAPPY CLAPPER Patrick Webster Blake Shinn 1 57kg 114
4 x0x360x314 ENDLESS DRAMA (IRE) Chris Waller Glyn Schofield 3 53.5kg 107
5 2720×24263 PRIZED ICON Kris Lees Ben Melham 5 53.5kg 107
6 11×2141914 CRACK ME UP (NZ) Bjorn Baker Jason Collett 11 53kg (incl. 1.0kg penalty) 104
7 1112x13x35 INVINCIBLE GEM Kris Lees Michael Walker 12 52kg 108
8 22226230×2 TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 14 52kg 104
9 x4320x1113 KEMENTARI James Cummings Brenton Avdulla 2 51.5kg 104
10 38x1160x31 COMIN’ THROUGH Chris Waller Tim Clark 7 51.5kg 103
11 x31x1x3111 LANCIATO (NZ) Mark Newnham Ms Rachel King (a) 13 51kg (inclu. 1.0kg penalty) 96
12 111x270x40 EGG TART Chris Waller Craig Newitt 9 50.5kg 105
13 2111×42051 ARBEITSAM Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Michael Dee 10 50kg 100
14 x128x25x23 MISTER SEA WOLF (IRE) Chris Waller Jay Ford 16 50kg 98
15 x541659x32 COOL CHAP David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Cory Parish 6 50kg 95
16 11×1371 D’ARGENTO Chris Waller Corey Brown 15 49kg 88

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.