The 2018 Doncaster Mile betting markets are starting to heat up ahead of the $3 million classic this afternoon at Royal Randwick and there is money coming for a number of the roughie hopes out to upset race favourite Kementari.
Tosen Stardom is the early 2018 Doncaster Mile betting market mover ahead of this afternoon’s Randwick feature. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Godolphin-raced Lonhro colt Kementari remains top of the markets at Ladbrokes.com.au to make it two-from-two at the track and distance in this year’s star-studded edition of the Group 1 $3 million Doncaster Mile (1600m).
The gun three-year-old saluted in the Randwick Guineas here two back making it three wins on the trot before his brave third when only one and a half-lengths beaten by champion mare Winx in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m).
Back to a mile and dropping from 56kg that day to just 51.5kg in the Doncaster Mile weights, Kementari has been steadily supported at his $3.40 price to be the first three-year-old winner of the race since Kermadec (2015).
Top 5 in Doncaster Mile 2018 Betting
- #9 Kementari ($3.40)
- #3 Happy Clapper ($5)
- #16 D’Argento ($7.50)
- #1 Humidor ($9.50)
- #8 Tom Melbourne ($15)
There are three other single-figure hopes in the latest Doncaster Mile odds including the race’s two-time runner-up Happy Clapper steady at $5 to finally break through and win.
The Pat Webster-trained seven-year-old is going great guns this time in winning the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) before beating Kementari home by one when runner-up to Winx in the George Ryder.
Drawn barrier one, Happy Clapper is hard to knock despite carrying 57kg with an outstanding record over the Randwick mile (6:2-3-0) that includes the Epsom Handicap success in the spring.
Lightweight in the Doncaster Mile field and the best fancied of the six-strong Chris Waller-trained contingent is D’Argento carrying just 49kg and occupying the third line of betting at $7.50.
A wide barrier 15 draw has a bit of value on the price for the well-bred So You Think grey to salute and hand Waller a seventh Doncaster Mile trophy.
Recent history shows however that seven of the past nine Doncaster Mile winners jumped from barrier 10 or wider and with just a lightweight, Waller’s last start Rosehill Guineas winner over 2000m surely shapes-up as a winning hope coming back to a mile.
The last of the runners under $10 for win is the Darren Weir-trained Humidor carrying the 58kg top weight and looking to be the first male winner of the race to carrying more than 56.5kg to victory since Secret Savings (57kg in 1997).
Humidor was good last time out at Flemington winning the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m), but the Melbourne form lines historically haven’t been the ones to follow into the Doncaster Mile and Humidor has eased out from $8 to $9.50.
2018 Doncaster Mile Market Movers
- #8 Tom Melbourne – $17 into Ladbrokes.com.au
- #13 Arbeitsam – $26 into $18
- #11 Lanciato $26 into $19
- #2 Tosen Stardom – $34 into $21
As for the Doncaster Mile market movers some of the roughie hopes in the mix have been heavily backed over the past 24 hours including the second Weir horse in the mix, Tosen Stardom.
The Japanese expat opened at $34 but has firmed right into $21 to atone for his last in the Blamey Stakes when things unexplainably went amiss.
The stable is confident the galloper is back to his best and looking to return to form here with Craig Williams in the saddle from barrier eight.
Punters have also had a bit of a hoodoo punt on Waller’s perennial placegetter Tom Melbourne who is better known for running second in Group 1s than winning.
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy has the task of overcoming this horse’s seemingly non-winning attitude, and the galloper has firmed from $17 to $15 to go one better than his three seconds from three starts at the Randwick track to date.
The other best-backed Doncaster Mile horses are last start Newcastle Newmarket Handicap winner Lanciato ($26 into $19) and Arbeitsam ($26 into $18) who won last weekend’s Neville Sellwood Stakes for seven-time Doncaster winning trainer Gai Waterhouse.
Check out the full Doncaster Mile 2018 betting odds and options now at Ladbrokes.com.au.
