The Les Creek trained Royal Mile made light work of the opposition in the Port Adelaide Guineas when taking out the Listed race by a very comfortable 2.50 length margin to add more weight to his growing reputation.
With this victory, the Danerich gelding completed a hat trick of wins and he seems to be getting better with each rise in distance as evidenced by these three wins which came over 1350m (where he won by 0.10 lengths), 1600m (where he had a winning advantage of 2.10 lengths) before going on to this latest 2.50 length victory over 1800m.
In total, Royal Mile has four wins in behind his name from only seven starts and he has yet to finish out of the first two. In his three runner-up finishes he was never further back than 0.70 lengths.
Apprentice jockey Jacob Opperman has played his part in Royal Mile’s success having been in the saddle for every one of Royal Mile’s runs and again, his calmness and judgement was very much part of the Royal Mile parcel here.
Opperman had Royal Mile back in seventh place some seven lengths behind the frontrunning favourite Chica Fuerto ($3.40 Sportsbet) early on. In the approach to the home turn Royal Mile had got back to ninth spot but Opperman had pushed through past a horse tight on his outside and, continuing on a path which never took him around a horse, the duo began to quicken up nicely on straightening.
With others tracking wider, Royal Mile had emerged into a clear run down the inside rail and he made full use of the advantage of taking the shortest way home to quickly bound into contention.
Chica Fuerte was gone early in the straight. Casino Seventeen ($11) threatened to spoil the Royal Mile party, but weakened late, while Let’s Karaka Deel charged home late but, over the closing stages it was all Royal Mile as he carried off his latest victory in style.
