Australia: Distance the issue for Mileva in Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield

The Australian filly Mileva has won an impressive 7 of 15 starts in a career that began in January 2020, but only achieved an important milestone earlier this month.

Until she won the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse on July 11, Mileva was winless in four starts in group level stakes. The recent win has led to a start in Saturday’s Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes at six furlongs at Caulfield, a chance for Mileva to win another group stakes in advance of more important races in Australia in coming weeks.

Trained by Philip Stokes, Mileva won her fourth stakes in the Monash, closing from fifth to win by a nose. Despite the style of that win, Mileva faces a test in the $138,000 Bletchingly Stakes. She is winless in four starts at six furlongs. Of her seven wins, three were at five furlongs and four at 5 1/2 furlongs.

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Mileva was the 7-2 favorite in early betting on Thursday for the Bletchingly, the eighth race on a nine-race program that begins at 10:05 p.m. Eastern or 7:05 p.m. Pacific on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

While the race distance is a test for Mileva, racing at Caulfield is not an issue. She is unbeaten in two starts at the Melbourne venue.

The distance may be too short for Streets of Avalon, who finished third by 2 1/4 lengths in the $3.69 million All-Star Mile at Flemington Racecourse in March. Streets of Avalon was later second in the Group3 Victoria Handicap at seven furlongs at Caulfield on April 16 behind the strongly favored Ayrton.

The Bletchingly Stakes will be Streets of Avalon’s first start at six furlongs since a fifth in the Group 2 Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley in January. A winner of 10 of 67 starts, the 7-year-old Streets of Avalon was second in the 2021 Bletchingly.

Streets of Avalon was 6-1 in early betting for Saturday’s Bletchingly, which drew a field of 10.

Oxley Road, seventh by two lengths in the Monash as the 9-5 favorite in his first start since March, and King of Sparta, the winner of a seven-furlong sales progeny race worth $1.44 million in January, are other leading contenders.