Tom Melbourne’s drought breaking win in the Listed $150,000 Carrington Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Australia Day could be the catalyst to securing enough votes to gain a spot in the $5m All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington on March 16.
Tom Melbourne. above, breaks a three year drought with a win in the Carrington Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Carrington Stakes was Tom Melbourne’s first win in almost three years and his sixth from thirty-eight starts and the winning cheque took his overall prizemoney earnings to $1,248,148.
The Chris Waller trained Tom Melbourne has preformed well at the highest level over his racing career and has been placed three times in Group 1 company as well as attracting a huge following from loyal punters.
One of Tom Melbourne’s Group 1 placings was a close up second to stablemate Shillelagh in the Group 1 $1m Kennedy Mile (1600m) at Flemington during 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival over the same course and distance as the All-Star Mile.
Comeback jockey Blake Shinn settled Tom Melbourne back off the pace and gave the eight year old an interrupted run to the line to secure a two and a half lengths win over Flow in the Carrington Stakes and stable representative Charlie Duckworth said that it was terrific to see the old stager back in the winner’s stall after luck finally went his way.
“It’s huge that he has finally done it and it proves that he does have a willingness to win,” Duckworth said.
“More times than not it’s just poor luck and the run of the race.
“Hopefully he can take some confidence out of today and people can all vote for him in the All-Star Mile and he can get a run in it.’’
Tom Melbourne’s headline win could attract voters to add to his 282 votes that he currently has for the All-Star Mile, but he will need thousand’s more if he is to make the final field with the Darren Weir trained Land Of Plenty in tenth spot in voting order with 1769 votes.
Ten of the All-Star Mile runners be included in the final fourteen horse field through popular vote while the remaining four runners will be selected by Racing Victoria.
Bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au have shortened up Tom Melbourne’s price for the All-Star Mile to $21 following his Carrington Stakes win while the James Cummings trained Alizee heads the market order at $6 just ahead of Tom Melbourne’s stablemate The Autumn Sun at $8.
Early betting for the 2019 All-Star Mile at Ladbrokes.com.au: $6 Alizee, $8 The Autumn Sun, $10 Grunt, $13 Extra Brut, Happy Clapper, Land Of Plenty, Mystic Journey, $15 Ringerdingding, $17 Amphitrite, Brutal, Hartnell, $21 Le Romain, Shoals, Le Romain, Homesman, Tom Melbourne, $26 D’Argento, Best Of Days, Melody Belle, Shillelagh, Unforgotten, Moss ‘N’ Dale, $31 or better the rest.
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