David Vandyke’s gun Queenslander Alligator Blood is firm favourite in betting on the 2020 The All-Star Mile field following the release of the final line-up and barriers for Saturday’s $5 million feature.
Alligator Blood is the one to beat in Saturday’s $5 million The All-Star Mile at Caulfield. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The second edition of the Special Condition $5 million The All-Star Mile (1600m) takes place at Caulfield Racecourse this weekend and sees Alligator Blood look to emulate the race’s inaugural champion Mystic Journey from last autumn.
The star Tasmanian-trained filly Mystic Journey made history as the first Group 1 winner from the Apple Isle in a century taking out last year’s Australian Guineas (1600m) before backing-up at Flemington to salute in the All-Star Mile results.
This year The All-Star Mile moves tracks, but it still looks the Australian Guineas champion’s race to lose following the impressive lead-up success at HQ by All Too Hard gelding Alligator Blood.
Alligator Blood has now won 10 of his 11 starts with his only loss being the devastatingly close second to Super Set in last October’s Group 1 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m).
He comes into the All-Star Mile field on the back of six straight turf triumphs and has drawn barrier 10 with Ryan Maloney continuing associations.
With all the momentum and still on the rise, Alligator Blood dominates The All-Star Mile betting markets at $2.70 through Ladbrokes.com.au.
Early money is already rolling in for the favourite and the latest The All-Star Mile odds have just one other hope under $10 for the win with 10-time Group 1 winning Kiwi mare Melody Belle at $5.
Drawn better than midfield in barrier five, the Jamie Richards-trained Commands five-year-old is second-up in Melbourne this season following her third at the track on Blue Diamond Stakes Day in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m).
Sure to be fitter for the run and appreciate the rise in distance, Melody Belle chases her first victory since claiming her maiden elite level win down under in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last spring.
With the Lindsay Park stable opting not to run their Blamey Stakes winner Fifty Stars after his Group 1 Australian Cup success on Super Saturday, just one of the ‘win and you’re in’ auto-race entry winners will line-up in the All-Star Mile field.
Streets Of Avalon caused an upset in the Futurity Stakes winning the race third-up at double-figures, the Shane Nichols-trained Magnus gelding the only other last start winner in the mix on Saturday along with Alligator Blood.
Listed as a $34 roughie in All-Star Mile betting, Streets Of Avalon is drawn one on the outside of the favourite in barrier 11 with Ben Melham in the saddle.
On the drift but still being kept safe at $10 is the Matthew Smith-trained Fierce Impact, one of the three Wildcard entries in the race.
Drawn barrier 12 with Craig Williams to ride, the Deep Impact entire took out the Group 1 Toorak Handicap – Cantala Stakes double over the mile in Melbourne during the spring and is third-up this weekend.
Fresh he was second to Alabama Express in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield before running third behind outstanding New Zealand galloper Te Akau Shark in Sydney’s Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) on February 29 at Randwick.
Grant & Alana Williams’ Railway Stakes winning Perth raider Regal Power ($10) is the early market mover drawn gate three for jockey William Pike, the in-form Pierro four-year-old on the quick back-up after running second in the Australian Cup last Saturday.
The stable and prolific WA owner-breeder Bob Peters are also represented by Sebring three-year-old Superstorm ($13) out wide in gate 14, the chestnut last seen running second to Alligator Blood in the Australian Guineas.
Click here for the latest All-Star Mile 2020 betting markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2020 The All-Star Mile Field & Barriers
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11x5111x45 | KOLDING (NZ) | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 7 | 59kg | 114 |
| 2 | 70x80129x6 | BLACK HEART BART | Lindsey Smith | Brad Rawiller | 6 | 59kg | 113 |
| 3 | 720x211x23 | FIERCE IMPACT (JPN) | Matthew Smith | Craig Williams | 12 | 59kg | 113 |
| 4 | 11x2161x42 | REGAL POWER | Grant & Alana Williams | William Pike | 3 | 59kg | 111 |
| 5 | 040189×321 | STREETS OF AVALON | Shane Nichols | Ben Melham | 11 | 59kg | 110 |
| 6 | x125040x84 | SO SI BON | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Luke Nolen | 9 | 59kg | 103 |
| 7 | 2131x3002x | MR QUICKIE | Phillip Stokes | Damien Oliver | 4 | 59kg | 107 |
| 8 | 3287x11x88 | STAR MISSILE | Greg Eurell | Craig Newitt | 2 | 59kg | 84 |
| 9 | 1x411112x3 | MELODY BELLE (NZ) | Jamie Richards | Opie Bosson | 5 | 57kg | 115 |
| 10 | 06x75720x5 | ARISTIA | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | Dwayne Dunn | 8 | 57kg | 104 |
| 11 | 1112×11111 | ALLIGATOR BLOOD | David Vandyke | Ryan Maloney | 10 | 56kg | 114 |
| 12 | x11251x355 | DALASAN | Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas | Jamie Kah | 13 | 56kg | 96 |
| 13 | 32154×12 | SUPERSTORM | Grant & Alana Williams | Mark Zahra | 14 | 56kg | 100 |
| 14 | 113×4 | HEART OF PUISSANCE | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | John Allen | 1 | 56kg | 72 |
| 15 | 12x2914x16 | FLIT | James Cummings | Damian Lane | 15 | 54kg | 108 |
| 16e | 004130×536 | SPANISH REEF | Ken Keys | TBA | 0 | 57kg | 103 |
| 17e | 1x1112x553 | IRAL’S JOKER | Kylie Vella | Steven Vella | 0 | 59kg | 101 |
| 18e | 42131183×4 | GOLD FIELDS | Logan McGill | TBA | 0 | 59kg | 101 |
