Mr Brightside is poised to make history as the first dual winner of The All-Star Mile, as the Team Hayes-trained gelding headlines a compact but elite field at Flemington this Saturday.
Mr Brightside is current favourite to secure his 10th Group 1 win in the All-Star Mile 2025 field on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The $2.5 million race, now officially a Group 1 event, has drawn just seven final acceptors, setting the stage for a tactical showdown.
Mr Brightside, who won the race in 2023 at Moonee Valley, will be making his fourth appearance in The All-Star Mile.
After also running fourth in 2022 and second last year, he’s aiming to become the race’s first two-time winner.
His recent victory in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes has him in peak form, and his impressive record at Flemington over the mile (9:4-1-1) makes him a formidable contender.
Currently priced at $2.50 in The All-Star Mile odds online at Ladbrokes, Mr Brightside is the favourite, with Craig Williams retaining the ride.
Ben, Will & JD Hayes also field Rise At Dawn ($15), adding a second string to their bow.
However, Ciaron Maher‘s Another Wil is mounting a serious challenge, having beaten Mr Brightside in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes.
The Street Boss gelding, with a 50% winning strike rate over the mile, has seen significant market support, firming from $3.20 to $2.80 in The All-Star Mile betting at Ladbrokes.
Maher, who won the race last year with Pride Of Jenni, is aiming for back-to-back victories.
Another Wil has firmed notably challenging for favouritism into $2.80 making him the early The All-Star Mile market mover.
Another Wil is two from two at Flemington.
James Cummings‘ Tom Kitten ($5) is another key contender, having finished a close second to Mr Brightside in the Futurity Stakes.
The Harry Angel colt, with winning form up to 2000m, including a Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes victory, is expected to be competitive.
“Tom Kitten was highly competitive at the top-level last prep also with good runs in events including the Group 1 Epsom and King Charles III Stakes finishing second and fourth respectively over the Randwick mile behind Ceolwulf before his Golden Eagle third only a half-length beaten last November,” an analyst from Races.com.au noted.
Maher also saddles up Light Infantryman ($14), a Group 1 winner in Western Australia, while Chris Waller‘s Group 1 winning mare Atishu ($10) and Gary Portelli‘s roughie outsider Flying Trapeze ($101) complete the field.
The 2025 The All-Star Mile promises to be a thrilling contest, with Mr Brightside aiming to make history against a strong field of challengers in Flemington Race 7 on Saturday.
2025 The All-Star Mile Field
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x212241x21 | MR BRIGHTSIDE (NZ) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Craig Williams | 5 | 59kg | 120 | ||
| 2 | 64x15243x2 | TOM KITTEN | James Cummings | Ben Melham | 4 | 59kg | 112 | ||
| 3 | 0x697101x6 | LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (FR) | Ciaron Maher | Ethan Brown | 6 | 59kg | 111 | ||
| 4 | 17x11712x1 | ANOTHER WIL | Ciaron Maher | Ms Jamie Melham | 1 | 59kg | 114 | ||
| 5 | 14×0126527 | FLYING TRAPEZE | Gary Portelli | Billy Egan | 3 | 59kg | 88 | ||
| 6 | 00122111×1 | RISE AT DAWN (NZ) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Mark Zahra | 2 | 59kg | 102 | ||
| 7 | 2x966312x7 | ATISHU (NZ) | Chris Waller | Damian Lane | 7 | 57kg | 115 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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