Australia: Doncaster Mile one of four Group 1 races at Royal Randwick

This has already been a spectacular year for Mugatoo, the Irish-bred gelding who races in Australia.

In his second start of 2021, Mugatoo won the $3.85 million All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley Racecourse on March 13 by a half-length over the top-class colt Russian Camelot.

Saturday at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Mugatoo will be favored to win his second seven-figure race of the year in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile. Annually one of the most competitive handicaps in Australia, the $2.29 million Doncaster Mile has a full field of 20 and plenty of contenders, notably recent Group 1 winners Mo’unga and Think It Over. Nettoyer, who won the 2020 Doncaster in a 40-1 upset, was 66-1 as of Thursday on the basis of a nine-race losing streak in the last year.

Mugatoo, trained by Kris Lees, has won 9 of 18 starts in a career that began in Europe. Last October, Mugatoo was fourth in the Group 1 Cox Plate at about 1 1/4 miles, Australia’s top weight-for-age race.

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Mo’unga is only 3, but has outstanding credentials and deserves strong consideration. On March 7, Mo’unga was a troubled second in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas at a mile at Royal Randwick, and rebounded to win the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas at 1 1/4 miles at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse on March 27.

Think It Over, 5, won the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes at 7 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on March 27. The gelding was ridden by 51-year-old Glen Boss, who has won a record seven runnings of the Doncaster Mile. The George Ryder Stakes has historically been a key prep race for the Doncaster Mile.

The Doncaster Mile is the last of four Group 1 races on a 10-race program at Randwick that begins at 9:35 p.m. Eastern, or 6:35 p.m. Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

* The $1.91 million T.J. Smith Stakes at six furlongs includes many of the country’s leading sprinters, including 2019-2020 Horse of the Year Nature Spirit and the multiple stakes winner Eduardo. On March 6, Nature Spirit finished a nose behind Eduardo in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at five furlongs at Randwick.

Eduardo, who is quick enough to lead, followed that win with a victory in the Group 1 Galaxy Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on March 27. Bivouac, the winner of the Group 1 VRC Classic at six furlongs in November but beaten in his last two starts, is a threat if the 4-year-old colt runs his best race.

* Sky Lab and Montefilia, second and third to Mo’unga in the Rosehill Guineas, are expected to dominate the $1.52 million Australian Derby at 1 1/2 miles, which drew a field of 16. This is a new distance for the filly Montefilia, who closed well to finish a length behind Mo’unga. Last October, Montefilia won Group 1 races on consecutive Saturdays at a mile and 1 1/4 miles.

Sky Lab had his group-stakes debut in the Rosehill Guineas, closing from seventh to miss by a head. This is a new distance for Sky Lab in his ninth start.

* The shortest-priced favorite in the Group 1 races will be Anamoe, in the $764,000 Inglis’ Sires Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at seven furlongs. As of Thursday, Anamoe was 6-5 on the strength of a second in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes at six furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on March 27.