The country’s best miler, Mr Brightside, is looking to extend a remarkable winning streak when he heads up to Sydney for the inaugural edition of the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m).

2023 Makybe Diva Stakes Winner Mr Brightside

Mr Brightside is favourite to keep the Group 1 wins coming heading to Sydney for the $5 million King Charles III Stakes. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The event was formerly known as the George Main Stakes and held earlier in the carnival but has now been revamped and complements an incredible Randwick race card for The Everest Day.

The second richest event on the program second in prize money only to the $20 million The Everest (1200m), the King Charles III Stakes field has attracted a line-up of the season’s leading middle-distance horses.

Heading the King Charles III Stakes odds at Ladbrokes chasing his sixth win on the trot is the Team Hayes-trained Mr Brightside at $2.25.

The six-year-old son of Bullbars will take his prize money up over $10 million should he run fist or second and jumps from barrier eight with Craig Williams continuing associations.

Mr Brightside is at his pet distance here boasting an imposing 1600m record of 10 wins from 14 starts including the $5 million All-Star Mile at The Valley and the Doncaster Mile at Saturday’s track and trip over the autumn.

He has been on fire down south this spring winning all three starts including completing the Memsie Stakes – Makybe Diva Stakes Group 1 double.

That form was franked with the Makybe runner-up Alligator Blood going on to win the Underwood Stakes next start and now the punters are predicting Mr Brightside to do something similar in Sydney.

He is the obvious class horse in the race and will take the power of beating on the weekend.

Three of his rivals are also under double-figures in King Charles III Stakes betting to score an upset including the early market mover Zaaki ($9.50 into $8).

Annabel Neasham’s nine-year-old marvel chases his first victory since the Group 2 Hollindale in Queensland over the winter.

The 2022 All-Star Mile champ and dual Mackinnon Stakes winner is third-up this weekend and continues to race like a much younger horse.

He has run well in both his Sydney lead-ups when third only a half-length off Fangirl fresh in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) and then second by a nostril flare to Think It Over in the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) on September 16.

Zaaki faces both of those same horses again here with Fangirl also at $8 in betting drawn ideally in gate with James McDonald aboard Chris Waller’s smart mare while the Kerry Parker-trained Think It Over looks value at $12 in gate four with the season’s in-form jockey Nash Rawiller to ride.

Rounding out the single-figure fancies at King Charles Stakes III odds of $9.50 is the promising Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained import Light Infantry Man ($9.50).

Hong Kong hoop Zac Purton is in town and takes the mount from gate six aboard the consistent Fast Company entire who makes his Australian race debut in the lucrative mile event.

Back in Europe he has been a perennial place-getter of late running top three in his four latest runs, three of which were in Group 1 company, and he is looking to finally secure a win at the distance after some frustratingly close calls (7:0-2-3).

The 2023 King Charles III Stakes runs as Race 9 on the 10-race Randwick card at 5:35pm (AEDT).

2023 King Charles III Stakes Field & Barriers

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 x14241x631 THINK IT OVER Kerry Parker Nash Rawiller 4 59kg 120
2 3x5211x111 MR BRIGHTSIDE (NZ) Ben, Will & JD Hayes Craig Williams 8 59kg 119
3 341x217x32 ZAAKI (GB) Annabel Neasham Ms Jamie Kah 7 59kg 118
4 8x0653216x HUETOR (FR) Peter & Paul Snowden Joshua Parr 12 59kg 111
5 2x6x372332 LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (FR) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Zac Purton 6 59kg 110
6 6x6026x647 MY OBERON (IRE) Annabel Neasham Chad Schofield 3 59kg 109
7 x216x143x2 BUCKAROO (GB) Joseph O’Brien Hugh Bowman 10 59kg 107
8 121735×454 ZEYREK (FR) Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Sam Clipperton 13 59kg 106
9 1113553×40 NUGGET (GB) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Dylan Gibbons (a) 9 59kg 104
10 3x1761x015 DEMOCRACY MANIFEST Chris Waller Tyler Schiller 16 59kg 101
11 x2400x9013 GOLDEN MILE James Cummings Zac Lloyd (a) 5 58.5kg 109
12 11x3131x92 KOVALICA (NZ) Chris Waller Tommy Berry 15 58.5kg 108
13 x641211x11 REDIENER Chris Waller Ms Kathy O’Hara 1 58.5kg 107
14 62x3227x13 FANGIRL Chris Waller James McDonald 2 57kg 114
15 23x216Px52 ATISHU (NZ) Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 11 57kg 111
16 42x1442x36 HOPE IN YOUR HEART Kerry Parker Jason Collett 14 57kg 109

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

About The Author

Lucy Henderson

Lucy is an experienced horse racing journalist that has been a crucial member of the horseracing.com.au team for the better part of a decade. She has taken great delight in covering champion mares Black Caviar and Winx throughout their careers and always has a soft spot for a winning filly.