A rundown of the Group One Kennedy Mile

THE KENNEDY MILE – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

* Group One, 1600m, $1 million, quality handicap. Run at Flemington on Saturday, November 4, 4.35pm

HISTORY

* First run as the Coburg Stakes over about 1800 metres in 1881 and won by Courtenay

* Eventually became the Emirates Stakes, switched in 2016 to Cantala Stakes at the start of the spring carnival

* Luxury watch and jewellery retailer Kennedy assumed naming rights in 2017 for the race, now known as the Kennedy Mile, along with rights to Kennedy Oaks Day on November 9 including the Group One Kennedy Oaks

* Nikita Beriman was the first female jockey to win a Group One race in Victoria in the 2007 Emirates Stakes on $101 chance Tears I Cry

* Le Romain won in 2016 by a length from Chris Waller-trained McCreery, who will race from barrier 13 this year

NOTABLE WINNERS

* Aquanita (1960, -61), Wenona Girl (1963), Storm Queen (1966), Vain (1969), Gunsynd (1971), Better Loosen Up (1989), Testa Rossa (2000) and Tears I Cry (2007)

TALKING POINTS

* Chris Waller has six runners: McCreery, Tom Melbourne, Egg Tart, Omei Sword, Shillelagh and All Our Roads

* Waller’s first win at the Melbourne Cup carnival was with Albert The Fat in this race in 2011

* Jockey Blake Shinn has the ride on Lucky Hussler after a last-start win in the Crystal Mile G2 on Cox Plate Day

* Tosen Stardom won the Toorak Handicap G1 while Kennedy Mile runner Sovereign Nation was second

WHAT SOME OF THE KEY PLAYERS ARE SAYING

“I reckon I should have nearly have won it the last two years. I’ve been around the mark in it but haven’t hit the target yet” – So Si Bon’s jockey Craig Newitt

“He’s lightly raced and he’s one of our better ones now he’s acclimatised. We’ll really start attacking from the autumn” – Radipole’s trainer Mike Moroney

“She was a little disappointing at Caulfield. She had the run of the race, a gap opened on the fence, but she didn’t quicken. I’m hoping getting her to Flemington, where she’s won before, will see her run a different race” – Chris Waller on Egg Tart