Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown has been booked to ride three year old D’Argento in the 2018 Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on day one of The Championships on April 7.
Corey Brown will ride D’Argento, above, in the 2018 Doncaster Mile at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Brown will have to work hard to get down to D’Argento’s Doncaster Mile weight of 49kg but the dieting will be worth it as the So You Think colt is now one of the favourites after winning the Group 1 $600,000 Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill last Saturday.
D’Argento had also been nominated for the Group 1 $2m Harrolds Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on the same day as the Doncaster Mile but trainer Chris Waller announced today the talented grey colt would be taking on the older horses under handicap conditions in the famous Randwick Mile.
“I am pleased to advise that we have decided The Star Doncaster will be his next run where he will drop back to 1600m and race at handicap conditions where he gets in with a deserved weight of 49kg,” Waller said in a statement.
“We are also thrilled to have secured the services of Corey Brown to ride D’argento. Given this has been a successful pathway to the Doncaster in the past for the stable I am confident that he has done the groundwork to be very competitive in this race.
“D’argento is a serious colt with an extremely bright future and despite winning his Group One at 2000m I do feel he can be equally as effective at the 1600m distance.”
Brown was back in the spotlight during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival when he drove the Irish stayer Rekindling to victory in the Group 1 $6.25m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.
Early betting for the 2018 Doncaster Mile at Ladbrokes.com.au has D’Argento as the third pick at $6 while another three year old, the James Cummings trained Kementari heads the market order at $4.20 ahead of the popular Happy Clapper at $5.50.
Kementari looked very classy in winning the Group 1 $1m Mostyn Copper Group Randwick Guineas (1600m) over the same course and distance as the Doncaster Mile on March 10 before running third behind Winx and Happy Clapper in the Group 1 $1m The Agency George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on March 24.
The Pat Webster trained Happy Clapper has been allocated the 57kg top weight for the Doncaster Mile while Kementari will carry 51.5kg.
Early betting for the 2018 Doncaster Mile at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.20 Kementari, $5.50 Happy Clapper, $6 D’Argento,, $8.50 Humidor, $15 Comin’ Through, $17 Alizee, $21 Crack Me Up, Lanciato, Tom Melbourne, $26 Cliff’s Edge, Endless Drama, Invincible Gem, Poetic Dream, Prized Icon, Tosen Stardom, $31 Admire Winner, Macintosh, $34 Egg Tart, Kaonic, So Si Bon, Sovereign Nation, $41 or better the rest.
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