Highly rated Doncaster Mile hope Secret Admirer has drawn the outside barrier (22) for this Saturday’s prestigious $2 million event which will take place at Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse.
Secret Admirer has drawn the outside barrier for the Doncaster Mile - photo (c) Steve Hart
Currently jostling for favouritism with glamour mare More Joyous, the draw presents an early obstacle for the four-year-old especially considering More Joyous has drawn barrier 12.
Chris Waller-trained topweight Rangirangdoo drew barrier 17 while Waller’s other main chance Shoot Out receieved barrier 10.
Another horse towards the top end of the betting market is two-time Group 1 winner Sincero who has drawn barrier six.
Secret Admirer won the Group 1 Epsom last year and has been in solid form in 2012 but is yet to score victory.
Trained by Grahame Begg, the classy mare finished runner-up to Ofcourseican in the Coolmore Classic and ran third to Metal Bender in the George Ryder Stakes last start.
Her top rival, More Joyous, has been in excellent form since returning from a spell in late March, winning the Group 2 Canterbury Stakes first-up before cruising to a two-and-a-half length win in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes.
She will be out to record a seventh Group 1 win this Saturday but will have to overcome a wet track with rain forecasted in the harbour city for most of the week.
The winner of 17 of 23 starts suffered her worst defeat of her career in last year’s Doncaster Mile, finishing 11th on a track rated a heavy 10.
More Joyous is one of three Gai Waterhouse horses in the field with Niagara drawing barrier 16 and Fast Clip who drew barrier four.
Fast Clip was rewarded with exemption from the ballot after running impressively on Saturday to take out the Group 3 Doncaster Prelude.
Both horses will carry the minimum 52kg weight in the glamour event and Niagara has been talked about amongst the top hopes after claiming victory in the Group 2 Ajax Stakes at Rosehill on March 31.
The Doncaster Mile is the feature event at Randwick this Saturday on a card that also features the Group 1 ATC Oaks (2400m) and the Galaxy (1100m).
