Alizee shortens for $5m All Star Mile

Image: Quentin Lang

After winning her third race from three starts this campaign in yesterday’s Futurity Stakes at Caulfield, Alizee is now $3 favourite with TAB for the inaugural All-Star Mile at Flemington on March 16.

Before yesterday, Alizee’s only non-New South Wales run was a third placing to Aloisia and Shoals as a short-price favourite in the 2017 Thousand Guineas, but the James Cummings-trained mare allayed any fears of going the anti-clockwise direction with her Futurity Stakes triumph.

“Alizee has starred throughout her summer preparation and yesterday’s win at Caulfield only franked the form shown in the Christmas Classic (on December 29) and Expressway Stakes (on February 2) previously,” TAB’s Trent Langskaill said.

“After letting the dust settle, our traders – who initially kept Alizee at $3.50 following the Futurity Stakes – have shortened her to $3 favourite as she attempts to win her third Group 1 at 1600 metres.”

Unless there is an amendment to their preparations, Happy Clapper ($6) will face Winx again in the Chipping Norton Stakes at Randwick on Saturday while Australian Guineas aspirant Amphitrite ($7) and Grunt ($9) – set to resume in the Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap – will run at Flemington.

Two gallopers vying for wildcards – Hartnell and Brave Smash – both firmed from $26 to $15 for the All-Star Mile after finishing third and seventh respectively in yesterday’s Futurity Stakes.

New Zealand’s Melody Belle was re-opened as a $26 chance for the first edition of the world’s richest mile race after claiming her fifth Group 1 victory in the Haunui Farm Classic at Otaki yesterday.