By Dane Squance
In what appears an absolute lottery on paper with a field of 23 acceptors (including 3 emergencies) in Saturday's A$3m G1 Star Doncaster, it is hard to put a line through many runners in the field as there is really no out and out champion, meaning there is simply no horse the calibre of last year's winner Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) to highlight. While the last 3-year-old filly to win the time-honoured Doncaster was the mighty Sunline (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}) back in 2002, Group 1-winning filly I Am A Star (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) has the right attributes to add the Star Doncaster to her already impressive resume.
Winning her last two starts, highlighted by an impressive three-plus length win at Group 2 level over a mile at Flemington, trainer Shane Nichols has always had faith in his filly and her victory over the older mares in the G1 Myer Classic during the spring justified his lofty praise. Currently in a great vein of form, the Kris Lees-trained Le Romain (Aus) (Hard Spun) has won three of his past four starts, two at Group 1 level, as well as being a dual Group 1 winner over the mile, including the Randwick Guineas at the track and distance. Jockey Hugh Bowman will be aiming to record back to back wins in the race after guiding glamour mare Winx to victory last year.
The David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig trained Redkirk Warrior (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}) comes into the race off an impressive, two length victory in the G1 Newmarket H. where he broke a 100-year hoodoo by winning the race first-up and if successful here, will be the first horse since 1978 to claim the Newmarket-Doncaster double. Team Godolphin have three in the race with top weight and Group 1 1600m winner Hauraki (Aus) (Reset {Aus}), last start G2 Ajax winner It's Somewhat (Dynaformer) and arguably the most interesting of the trio, the G3 Doncaster Prelude winner Spectroscope (Medaglia d'Oro).
Unbeaten in Australia, albeit over much easier opposition, the 4-year-old stallion prospect will carry the bottom weight, and with world class jockey Joao Moreira in the saddle, it will be very interesting to watch his performance.
Trainer Chris Waller goes one better with four in the race and it could be his New Zealand-bred 4-year-old Antonio Giuseppe (NZ) (Shocking {Aus}) who leads the way. With a last start effort over 2000m, Waller has used this formula successfully in the past with Sacred Falls (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) and Rangirangdoo (NZ) (Pentire {NZ}) both winning the Doncaster after dropping back from the 2000m at their prior start.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
