Doncaster Mile
Date | Day One of The Championships – Saturday, April 7, 2018 |
Location | Royal Randwick, Sydney |
Prize Money | $3 Million |
Distance | 1,600m |
THE Doncaster Mile is a Group 1 race held at Royal Randwick in Sydney for three-year-old horses and older held over the 1600m distance.
Held on day one of The Championships in Sydney, the total prize pool for the race is $3 million.
A handicap race, the time-honoured Doncaster Mile routinely draws the best horses from around the world to compete for Group 1 glory.
Sunline, Pharaoh and Super Impose are all notable winners of the race.
TJ Smith has won the most Doncaster Mile races as a trainer after claiming seven with champion Kiwi Chris Waller just behind Smith with seven as of 2018.
Doncaster Mile 2018 result
1st – Happy Clapper ($5)
2nd – Comin’ Through ($19SP)
3rd – Sense Of Occasion ($26SP)
Best Doncaster Mile bookmakers
The Doncaster Mile is one of the feature events of the Championships in Sydney and the centerpiece race of the opening day.
The Mile – which is steeped in over 150 years of history – has markets that go up well in advance of the race.
Click on any of the banners below to wager on the Doncaster Mile.
Doncaster Mile betting odds
The Doncaster Mile is traditionally one of hardest to predict races of the entire Championships. This means punters can get great odds if they are able to find the winner, especially if they attack the future’s markets.
Check back closer to day one of The Championships for updated Doncaster Mile odds.
Betting guide for the Doncaster Mile

Betting on the Doncaster Mile has been a Waller whitewash in recent times.
Punters who have followed the Waller runners into the Doncaster Mile from 2017 to 2013 have tasted success four of five times.
The George Ryder Stakes is typically a great indicator of how a horse will go in the Doncaster, and three horses in recent times – Racing To Win (2006), Haradasun (2007) and Vision And Power in 2009 – have gone on to complete the George Ryder/Doncaster double.
Recent Doncaster Mile winners
Given that the Doncaster Mile is one of the tougher races to predict in the Sydney autumn, some high-priced winners have saluted in the group one race.
- Dubbed the “People’s Horse” heading into a wide-open Doncaster Mile, Happy Clapper came into the race as a top elect after a strong run behind Winx in the George Ryder Stakes. Under a patient ride from Blake Shinn, Happy Clapper hit the front at the latter stages and never looked in danger.
- An extremely even betting field was presented in 2017 with Le Romain the starting favourite at $6, but it was It’s Somewhat that prevailed at massive odds of over $40. That John O’Shea-trained stayer used the front-runners bias to its advantage and it never looked like being beaten in the straight. Happy Clapper closed late, but the damage had been done mid-race when It’s Somewhat got away with a slow tempo.
- Winx delivered an absolute masterclass to hand Chris Waller his fourth straight Doncaster Mile. As a $1.80 favourite the mare encountered slight traffic coming into the straight but Bowman was good enough to take the inside passage to hand the horse its ninth straight win.
- Chris Waller was looking to secure his third straight Doncaster Mile win, but not many were predicting the run $8 chance Kermadec would put together in the group one race. Under a peach of a ride from Glen Boss, the dual group one winning horse surged from the middle of the pack to hit the front and run away with the race in the final 200m to record an impressive victory.
- After winning the race as a $19 outsider the year before, few were giving Sacred Falls the chance of going back-to-back in the Doncaster Mile. After being unsighted for much of the race Zac Purton produced the gun at the right time to topple Royal Descent, which looked like the winner at the 300m mark.
- The first of Chris Waller’s four consecutive Doncaster Mile titles came from an unexpected source as Sacred Falls saluted as a $19 chance. After settling down mid-field Sacred Falls was presented at the ideal time by Tommy Berry and they drew alongside superstar sprinter Pierro in the latter stages of the race. Sacred Falls ultimately got the better of the Waterhouse runner in stylish fashion.
Full list of Doncaster Mile winners
Year | Doncaster Mile Past Winner |
2018 | Happy Clapper |
2017 | It’s Somewhat |
2016 | Winx |
2015 | Kermadec |
2014 | Sacred Falls |
2013 | Sacred Falls |
2012 | More Joyous |
2011 | Sacred Choice |
2010 | Rangirangdoo |
2009 | Vision and Power |
2008 | Triple Honour |
2007 | Haradasun |
2006 | Racing To Win |
2005 | Patezza |
2004 | Private Steer |
2003 | Grand Armee |
2002 | Sunline |
2001 | Assertive Lad |
2000 | Over |
1999 | Sunline |
1998 | Catalan Opening |
1997 | Secret Savings |
1996 | Sprint By |
1995 | Pharaoh |
1994 | Pharaoh |
1993 | Skating |
1992 | Soho Square |
1991 | Super Impose |
1990 | Super Impose |
1989 | Merimbula Bay |
1988 | Lygon Arms |
1987 | Magic Flute |
1986 | Hula Chief |
1985 | Row Of Waves |
1984 | Vite Cheval |
1983 | Emancipation |
1982 | My Gold Hope |
1981 | Lawman |
1980 | Iko |
1979 | Belmura Lad |
1978 | Maybe Mahal |
1977 | Just Ideal |
1976 | Authentic Heir |
1975 | Dalrello |
1974 | Tontonan |
1973 | Analie |
1972 | Gunsynd |
1971 | Rajah Sahib |
1970 | Broker’s Tip |
1969 | Bye Bye |
1968 | Unpainted |
1967 | Tobin Bronze |
1966 | Citius |
1965 | Time And Tide |
1964 | Persian Puzzle |
1963 | Fine And Dandy |
1962 | Te Poi |
1961 | Fine And Dandy |
1960 | Tudor Hill |
1959 | Tudor Hill |
1958 | Grenoble |
1957 | Slogan II |
1956 | Slogan II |
1955 | Fire Dust |
1954 | Karendi |
1953 | Triclinium |
1952 | Prelate |
1951 | Oversight |
1950 | Grey Boots |
1949 | Bernbrook |
1948 | The Diver |
1947 | Blue Legend |
1946 | Blue Legend |
1945 | Abbeville |
1944 | Goose Boy |
1943 | Kingsdale |
1942 | Tuhitarata |
1941 | Mildura |
1940 | Mildura |
1939 | Gold Rod |
1938 | Hamurah |
1937 | Sarcherie |
1936 | Cuddle |
1935 | Hall Mark |
1934 | Chatham |
1933 | Winooka |
1932 | Jacko |
1931 | Sir Chrystopher |
1930 | Venetian Lady |
1929 | Karuma |
1928 | Simeon’s Fort |
1927 | Don Moon |
1926 | Valicare |
1925 | Fujisan |
1924 | Whittier |
1923 | The Epicure |
1922 | Julia Grey |
1921 | Speciality |
1920 | Sydney Damsel |
1919 | Hem |
1918 | Dame Acre |
1917 | Wedding Day |
1916 | Eurobin |
1915 | Garlin |
1914 | First Principle |
1913 | Jolly Beggar |
1912 | Lochano |
1911 | Broadsword |
1910 | Storey |
1909 | Hyman |
1908 | Togo |
1907 | Istria |
1906 | Little Toy |
1905 | Famous |
1904 | Chere Amie |
1903 | Rose Petal |
1902 | Sir Foote |
1901 | Wakeful |
1900 | Parapet |
1899 | Vigorous |
1898 | Syerla |
1897 | Superb |
1896 | Courallie |
1895 | Delaware |
1894 | Donizetti |
1893 | Cremorne |
1892 | Marvel |
1891 | Paris |
1890 | Sir William |
1889 | Russley |
1888 | Ben Bolt |
1887 | Abner |
1886 | Crossfire |
1885 | St. Lawrence |
1884 | Rataplan |
1883 | Sardonyx |
1882 | Stella |
1881 | Rapid Bay |
1880 | Queensland |
1879 | The Hook |
1878 | Laertes |
1877 | Speculation |
1876 | Briseis |
1875 | Priam |
1874 | Myrtle |
1873 | Wanderer |
1872 | Vixen |
1871 | Sir William / Lottery |
1870 | Barbelle |
1869 | Tippler |
1868 | Casino |
1867 | Sir Solomon |
1866 | Dundee |