Kris Lees’ in-form four-year-old Le Romain is one of the headline Doncaster Mile 2017 first acceptances taken for the April 1 classic by Racing NSW this week.

Canterbury Stakes winner Le Romain is early favourite of the 2017 Doncaster Mile first acceptances. Photo: Steve Hart.

First acceptances for the majors held during ‘The Championships’ at Royal Randwick on the first two Saturdays in April closed on Tuesday including those for the $3 million Group 1 The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m), which drew 81 entries.

Early favourite in pre-field Doncaster Mile odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $9 for the win, Le Romain has won his last three starts including the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) first-up in the wet at Randwick on March 4.

A proven wet-tracker, the Hard Spun gelding celebrated his third elite level win in the Canterbury Stakes defeating a star-studded field in the ideal Doncaster Mile lead-up.

Le Romain is only set to improve as he steps out over further, the Randwick specialist (8-4-3-0) having also won the Randwick Guineas over the 1600m at the track as a three-year-old.

Lees has also paid the first acceptance fee for Sense Of Occasion who is exempt from Doncaster Mile ballot, Danish Twist and Singing.

Along with the Villiers Stakes winner Sense Of Occasion, the other horse currently guaranteed a Doncaster Mile start having won a ballot exemption race is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained filly Global Glamour.

The dual Group 1 winning daughter of Star Witness was last seen running third as the beaten favourite on a rain-affected track in the Group 2 Surround Stakes (1400m).

She is undefeated at a mile however, gets into the Doncaster Mile on a 51kg light weight and is co-trained by Waterhouse who has prepared seven previous winners of the classic.

Waterhouse has a total of four entries still in the mix out to hand her a maiden Doncaster Mile trophy since More Joyous (2012) with Global Glamour joined by last start Challenge Stakes winning mare English, seven-year-old Ecuador who ran third in both the CF Orr Stakes and Futurity Stakes in Melbourne this season, and Kiwi import Ugo Foscolo.

The last filly to win a Doncaster Mile was Sunline (1999) and there are four other three-year-old fillies in the mix this year including the well-fancied Omei Sword.

Trainer Chris Waller won last year’s Doncaster Mile with the superstar Winx (2016) who was his sixth winner in the autumn feature and his fourth on the trot.

Waller will be out to extend his Doncaster Mile winning streak to five consecutive victories in 2017 and leads the first acceptances with a bumper 13 entries.

The best backed of his in the futures Doncaster Mile betting is the filly Omei Sword who is the $10 second elect.

The progressive daughter of High Chaparral looked in fine form in her delayed first-up second in the Surround Stakes and is up to Group 1 class on Saturday at Rosehill in the Coolmore Classic.

Rounding out the Doncaster Mile-bound fillies this autumn are the spring’s Myer Classic winner I Am A Star and Waller’s smart grey Foxplay.

Other notable Doncaster Mile entries include champion sprinter Chautauqua who is tracking well towards his major distance test and Tony McEvoy’s Australian Guineas winner Hey Doc.

The Doncaster Mile 2017 Final Field is out on Tuesday March 28.

In the meantime check out the full first acceptances below before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au to back your early Randwick racing tips online at the home of Odds Boost (T&Cs apply).

2017 Doncaster Mile First Acceptances

Randwick Racecourse – 01/04/2017