TALK about irony!
The concept of the $5 million All Star Mile came from Melbourne’s racing brain-trust to thwart those awful people in Sydney – apparently.
Fast-forward to the event and the irony that can be found in the race itself would suggest it is going to be won by a horse from Sydney!
While the race was put together by rather questionable, even laughable circumstances, from a punters point of view there are not many winning chances.
And most of them come from Sydney.
There’s brilliant mare ALIZEE, the $3.60 favourite, HAPPY CLAPPER the $4.80 third favourite, Godolphin’s HARTNELL ($10) and $12 chance LE ROMAIN, the first emergency looking more and more likely to get a start.
All four come from Sydney and all four have fabulous form and serious winning credentials in this race.
Tasmanian wonder-filly MYSTIC JOURNEY ($4.00 second favourite) is the only non -Sydney-sider that looks capable of winning the race.
With the greatest of respect to the connections of four or five horses in this race that clearly shouldn’t be in the field, the prospect of earning $90,000 to run last in a race is irresistible.
Now, let’s find the winner!
To my mind there are two fabulous stand-out winning chances – ALIZEE and HAPPY CLAPPER.
ALIZEE’S form both in Sydney and Melbourne is stunning.
She resumed with an easy win at Randwick in the Listed Christmas Classic before a sizzling home from last effort to win the Group 2 Expressway Stakes.
Trainer James Cummings then brought her straight to Melbourne where she raced wide throughout from a tough barrier, yet still won the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
The only negative as she heads into the All Star Mile is a sticky barrier – gate 12 – yet she has one of the world’s best riders in Hugh Bowman to overcome that.
HAPPY CLAPPER is a true marvel of Australian racing.
His record of 11 wins and 15 placings for earnings of more than $6.5 million is astounding and even now as a rising nine-year-old his form is fabulous.
His two starts this preparation have been as good as he has ever gone in the past with a first-up second in the Apollo Stakes, followed by a brave second in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes.
But, the key form ingredient here is they are both behind the world’s best racehorse, Winz.
In any other time frame both of those runs would be wins at Group 2 and Group 1 level.
Blake Shinn will steer the old bloke and he’s certain to go forward early and virtually take charge of the race on-pace.
You can bet at some stage shortly after turning for home HAPPY CLAPPER will look the winner.
It will then come down to whether ALIZEE or the Tasmanian super-filly MYSTIC JOURNEY can catch him down the long, famous Flemington straight.
Quality three-year-olds HAWKSHOT (11) and AMPHITRITE ($12) are both given a chance in TABCORP’S latest market.
HAWKSHOT may be the first leader and he is in very good form, while AMPHITRITE is a wonderful filly and she too has some claims in the race.
But for mine it will be HAPPY CLAPPER and ALIZEE settling down to decide just who will be this year’s ALL STAR!
Good luck!
