Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller is likely to have at least five runners in the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick next Saturday on the first day of The Championships.
D’Argento, above, is the highest rated Chris Waller runner in the betting for the 2018 Doncaster Mile at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Rosehill Guineas winner D’Argento leads the Waller team along with dual Oaks winner Egg Tart, Apollo Stakes winner Endless Drama, and the Ajax Stakes quinella of Comin’ Through and Tom Melbourne.
But Saturday’s winner Cellarman is not in the mix even though he was able to win the Group 3 $150,000 Mounties 50th Birthday Doncaster Prelude (1500m) at Rosehill.
Waller said that when the nominations went in for the Doncaster Mile in February, Cellarman was still racing in restricted class and wasn’t considered.
“He was just a mid-week horse. He has just gone from strength to strength over the past couple of months which is great to see but we might have to find another race,” Waller said.
“I think we will have five or six (in the Doncaster Mile) without him so we are still well represented but it is not perfect for Cellarman but there are lots of other nice races.”
“I think to get set for a Doncaster you need to be doing it a bit earlier than seven days out.”
Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown has been booked to ride D’Argento who is the highest rated Waller runner in the Doncaster Mile betting at $7 with Ladbrokes.com.au behind the James Cummings trained Kementari at $4 and the top weight Happy Clapper at $5.50.
D’Argento only has 49kg in the Doncaster Mile and Brown will replace Hugh Bowman who was aboard the grey colt for his win in the Group 1 $600,000 Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill on March 24.
Tom Melbourne is the next Waller runner in the betting at $14 just ahead of Comin’ Through at $16 while Endless Drama is marked at $26 and Egg Tart is at the long odds of $51.
Early betting for the 2018 Doncaster Mile at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4 Kementari, $5.50 Happy Clapper, $7 D’Argento, $8 Humidor, $14 Tom Melbourne, $16 Comin’ Through, Crack Me Up, $21 Lanciato,, $26 Arbeitsam, Endless Drama, Tosen Stardom, $31 Alizee, Invincible Gem, Poetic Dream, Prized Icon, $51 Admire Winner, Clearly Innocent, Cliff’s Edge, Egg Tart, Foxplay, Heavens Above, Interlocuter, Radipole, Satono Rasen, Sovereign Nation, Stampede, Theanswermyfriend, Villermont, $61 or better the rest.
