The Darren Weir trained Tosen Stardom is the race morning market mover for the 2018 Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) on day one of The Championships at Randwick today.
Tosen Stardom, above, is the market mover at Ladbrokes.com.au for the 2018 Doncaster Mile at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Tosen Stardom drifted out to $34 earlier in the week but now has firmed in again to be marked at $21 for the Doncaster Mile with Ladbrokes.com.au.
Tosen Stardom was at his peak during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival with two Group 1 victories in the $500,000 United Petroleum Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield and in the Group 1 $2m Emirates Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
The Japanese import is yet to win at three starts in the Autumn with his best effort being a second to stablemate Brave Smash in the Group 1 $500,000 italktravel Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 24.
At his latest run Tosen Stardom was sent out as the $2.40 favourite for the Group 2 $200,000 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on March 17 but failed to beat a runner home in the five horse field.
Racing Victoria stewards could find nothing amiss with Tosen Stardom after the running of the Blamey Stakes and Weir has said that the seven year old has worked well since alongside of stablemate and Doncaster Mile rival Humidor.
“They had gallops at Ballarat last week and all of them went good,” Weir told racing.com.
Craig Williams takes over from Brad Rawiller on Tosen Stardom who has drawn barrier eight in the sixteen horse Doncaster Mile field.
Weir will also saddle up the top weight Humidor who will jump from barrier four for Mark Zahra.
Humidor is highly fancied in the betting at $9.50 and heads to the Doncaster Mile on the back of a last start win in The Blamey Stakes.
Weir is more than happy with the preparation of Humidor and said that the Cox Plate runner up is in peak condition.
“This is the race we picked out for him at the beginning of the preparation and he is peaking for this race,” Weir told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“I thought his two runs in the Futurity (where he was fourth) and the Blamey win have been the perfect preparation for a Randwick mile.
“You need a big strong horse for a Doncaster and that is what he is. I just would have liked some cut in the ground.
Weir has put the blinkers back on Humidor for the Doncaster Mile after he wore the head gear when runner up to Winx in the 2017 Group 1 $3m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley.
“We decided to put the blinkers back on him, which is something I have waited for the right time to do this preparation. It worked well for him in the Cox Plate,” Weir said.
“He has a lot of weight but he has drawn soft, which will help him get the right run.”
The James Cummings trained Kementari heads the Doncaster Mile betting at $3.40 with Ladbrokes.com.au.
