The current $5 All Star Mile vote leader and one of the key horses in markets is unlikely to line-up in the inaugural event which has put further pressure on the quality the race is set to attract.
The Chris Waller trained The Autumn Sun who currently leads $5m All Star Mile voting is unlikely to line-up in the event which was launched to attract the best horses from around the country.
“There has been no final decision on him running, but the plan for him was to always go to the Hobartville Stakes and then on to the Randwick Guineas before taking on the older horses.”
“It would only be seven days between the Randwick Guineas and the All-Star Mile, so I think it would be unlikely he will run,” Waller told RSN’s Racing Pulse.
If The Autumn Sun bypasses the race it would mean the VRC failed to lure the two biggest draw cards in Australian racing to their new $5m event which could see a less than ‘All Star’ field race for the big prize purse.
Waller has already ruled Champion mare Winx out of the event and now with The Autumn Star unlikely to race and with a voting system it could see a field of Handicappers go around.
Urban Ruler is second in voting despite the horse being beaten over eight lengths in a Handicap at Doomben on the weekend, with the top ten in voting also seeing Balf’s Choice a Handicapper from SA, Mr Money Bags a city grade miler at best, Man of His Word a horse who hasn’t won in over two years all make the All-Star Mile Field.
When launched the idea sounded great but with a flawed voting system, a non Group 1 tag and a date that was squeezed into an already busy period is the race set to fail?
Star mare Alizee heads All Star Mile betting who is arguably the third best horse in the country at the moment but as the voting stands she is hardly going to get a race from the rest of the field and thats if Godolphin opt to run her, they hardly need the money.
This begs the question could the $5million in prize money and the however extra million spent in organising and promoting the race have been better spent elsewhere?
Have Your Say 🗣: Will the All Star Mile be a failure? – Comment below
