Darren Weir’s last start Blamey Stakes winner Humidor will carry top weight in a 16 starter Doncaster Mile 2018 field at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Humidor carries top weight in Saturday’s 2018 Doncaster Mile field at Royal Randwick. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

One of four headline races on Day 1 of ‘The Championships’, this autumn’s Group 1 $3 million The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) has drawn a fantastic field of 16 hopefuls including two for Victoria’s premier trainer Weir.

Looking to be the first Doncaster Mile winner since Sunline (58kg in 2002) to carry more than 57.5kg to victory in the handicap classic is Humidor (58kg), the Teofilo five-year-old to be ridden by Mark Zahra.

Saturday marks the form Kiwi galloper’s first Sydney run since his second to Jameka in the Group 1 The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill last March.

A gun over the 1600m distance (6:4-1-0), Humidor is a Group 1 winner over a mile and was last seen winning the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on March 17.

History shows however that the aforementioned Sunline for her first Doncaster win back in 1999 was the last winner to come off a non-Sydney lead-up race.

Weir’s other Doncaster Mile runner this weekend is also the next heaviest-weighted hopeful with Japanese import Tosen Stardom (57.5kg) to be ridden by Craig Williams, the seven-year-old looking to improve on his fifth to Humidor in the Blamey Stakes last month.

The hot favourite in Doncaster Mile betting at Ladbrokes.com.au meanwhile is the James Cummings-trained three-year-old Kementari for Godolphin.

The Lonhro colt is out to add to the gun record of three-year-olds in the Doncaster Mile results including two winning in the past five years, most recently Kermadec (2015).

Kementari won three on the trot to kick off his Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign including the excellent one and a half-length victory over Pierata in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) at the Doncaster Mile track and distance on March 10.

He then backed-up on March 24 taking on the world’s best mare Winx in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) and was far from disgraced in his Doncaster Mile lead-up running only one and a half lengths back for third.

This weekend Kementari drops from 56kg that day to just 51.5kg in the Doncaster Mile weights and will be flying with his last start hoop Brenton Avdulla retaining the ride.

The other major player in the Doncaster Mile odds for 2018 is dual runner-up in the race Happy Clapper carrying 57kg.

Pat Webster’s seven-year-old was runner-up to Winx in 2016 and also placed second in last year’s Doncaster Mile quinella behind It’s Somewhat.

This season the evergreen veteran gets the chance to go one better after a gun lead-up winning the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) first-up before turning the George Ryder into a real race when second to Winx.

The George Ryder Stakes has produced three of the past four Doncaster Mile champions, form Happy Clapper will be out to frank this weekend.

Winx’s trainer Chris Waller meanwhile boats an imposing Doncaster Mile record having prepared six winners since 2008.

Waller returns with another big charge in the Doncaster Mile 2018 field saddling-up six chances led by D’Argento getting in on just 49kg.

The three-year-old So You Think colt comes off a lead-up win in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and now drops back in distance and weight.

Waller’s other runners are recent Apollo Stakes winner Endless Drama (53.5kg), perennial runner-up Tom Melbourne (52kg) coming off an Ajax Stakes second, winner of that lead-up Comin’ Through (51.5kg), Group 1 winning mare Egg Tart (50.5kg) and Mister Sea Wolf (50kg) who all look very well weighted in the race.

See below for the official Doncaster Mile 2018 Final Field & Jockeys, barriers to be announced shortly.

2018 Doncaster Mile Final Field

Royal Randwick – 07/04/2018