Doncaster Mile facts and figures
THE 153RD DONCASTER MILE
* The world’s richest mile (1600m) handicap worth $3 million.
HISTORY
* Highlight of first day of The Championships at Randwick.
* First run in 1866 when it was won by Dundee and has since been won by many of the finest horses to grace the Australian turf.
* Named after the famous racecourse in England’s north.
* Regarded as Australia’s premier mile race, past winners include Wakeful (1901), Chatham (1934), Hall Mark (1935), Fine And Dandy (1961, 1963), Time And Tide (1965), Tobin Bronze (1967), Gunsynd (1972), Emancipation (1983), Super Impose (1990-91), Sunline (1999, 2002), More Joyous (2012) and Winx (2016).
* The late TJ Smith and his daughter Gai Waterhouse are the most successful trainers having each won seven times.
* Six horses have won back-to-back Doncasters: Mildura (1940-41), Blue Legend (1946-47), Slogan II (1956-57), Tudor Hill (1959-60), Super Impose (1990-91) and Pharaoh (1994-95), Sacred Falls (2013-14).
* The fastest recorded time is 1:33.7 by Belmura Lad in 1979.
* The Doncaster Mile gained its Group One status in 1980.
TALKING POINTS:
* Chris Waller is looking to join TJ Smith and Gai Waterhouse with seven wins as trainer. He has won with Winx (2016), Kermadec (2015), Sacred Falls (2013-14), Rangirangdoo (2010) and Triple Honour (2008).
* Waller has already made history with the first four home in 2014 – Sacred Falls, Royal Descent, Weary and Hawkspur.
* Waller has six runners this year – Endless Drama, Tom Melbourne, Comin’ Through, Egg Tart, Mister Sea Wolf and D’Argento.
* There are two three-year-olds in the field – favourite Kementari and Rosehill Guineas winner D’Argento. Three-year-olds have a strong modern day record having won five of the past 12.
* Gai Waterhouse is aiming to become the first trainer to win eight editions with Arbeitsam.
WHAT CONNECTIONS ARE SAYING
“We’d been impressed to see the change in the horse leading into the George Ryder and after racing so well against Winx he seems to have come out of it with more energy” – Kementari’s trainer James Cummings
“These quirky types … you’ve got to try and trick them into winning without putting too much pressure on them too early in the race” – Tom Melbourne’s jockey Kerrin McEvoy
“He’ll be there for a long way. Gai is the queen of winning the Doncaster. She is going for her eighth Doncaster win on Saturday, so she certainly knows how to win one” – Michael Dee, Arbeitsam’s jockey