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Doncaster Mile 2025 Tips & Best Bets

Lucy Henderson April 3, 2025

Doncaster Mile 2025 Tips & Best Bets

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The Group 1 $4 million Doncaster Mile (1600m) headlines a bumper Randwick race card on Saturday and Races.com.au have you covered with expert tips and Doncaster Mile best bets for the weekend!

Linebacker looks a genuine winning chance for the Races.com.au team in our exclusive Doncaster Mile tips for Saturday!

There is a full field of the season’s best milers in the mix for Randwick Race 8 at 4:35pm (AEDT), and Ciaron Maher‘s last start Group 1 Geroge Ryder winner Gringotts is current favourite at $6 through Ladbrokes.com.au in an open market.

So, can Maher secure his first Doncaster trophy or is an upset pending from the likes of Chris Waller’s Randwick Guineas champ Linebacker ($6.50) or the rails-drawn Tom Kitten ($7.50) donning the famous Godolphin Royal Blue silks?

Check out our insider Doncaster Mile tips and best bets below for the runners to back and sack!

The Favourite: #2 Gringotts ($6 at time of publish) – BET NOW

The latest Doncaster Mile odds online have Gringotts as the narrow top fancy with Maher‘s five-year-old son of Per Incanto after successive Group 1 Sydney wins. The gelding took out Rosehill’s George Ryder Stakes in a narrow thriller defeating Fangirl so is the confident horse in the mix. Winx (2016) was the last to do the double nearly a decade ago and the money is on Gringotts to repeat the feat. After carting 59kg to win at WFA last time out he is down to 55.5kg, which still seems slightly harsh, although it does give him a bit of relief here. He’s got an outstanding strike rate over the 1600m distance as a four-time mile winner from five runs. At his latest seven, Tommy Berry has been aboard, and that successful association continues on the weekend. Good gate six draw. Genuine winning hope for the punters. Each Way.

Best Bet: #20 Linebacker ($6.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Huge field with plenty of form lines to consider in this year’s Doncaster Mile but with just 49kg on his back 20. LINEBACKER (14) looks a massive chance to make it back-to-back Group 1 wins at the track and trip for John O’Shea & Tom Charlton. Three-year-olds have a very dominant record in the event and the wide alley statistically works in his favour. This three-time winning Super Seth gelding took out the Randwick Guineas here by a half-length on March 8 with 56.5kg so will relish the notable drop back as he prepares to take on the older gallopers. Celestial Legend (2024) did the double last year and this horse, who is proven on wet tracks and loves Randwick, looks in a top position to repeat the feat.

The Value: #17 Iowna Merc ($46 at time of publish) – BET NOW

The Bjorn Baker trained No. 17 IOWNA MERC (15) is at 45/1 and savvy punters will be getting in on that price! An ultra-consistent son of Winning Rupert, this lightweight Doncaster contender will be airborne chasing a hat-trick with just 52kg on his back. A genuine Randwick specialist boasting a brilliant record here (12:5-3-1), he comes off a solid Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m) win at Rosehill. This is his first mile test but having won over just 100m shorter last time out that doesn’t present any problems for mine. He ticks the wet track box with plenty of excellent performances on the Soft – Heavy range and has been carrying much bigger weights to victory of late. Had 57.5kg in the Ajax and, the run prior, was a Group 3 Liverpool City Cup winner with 57kg. Ajax / Doncaster double was completed in 2017 by It’s Somewhat and with Baker and rider Ashley Morgan on fire this season, there’s plenty to like about their roughie here!

Randwick R8
Final Race time: 
1st
8. Stefi Magnetica (5)
J: Jason Collett54.5kg
54x86T: Bjorn Baker
18.00WIN
5.50PLACE
2nd
7. Royal Patronage (16)
J: Tim Clark54.5kg
37x14T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
12.00WIN
3.90PLACE
3rd
18. Encap (3)
J: Reece Jones51kg
53x74T: Gary Portelli
41.00WIN
10.00PLACE
4th
21. Rise At Dawn (2)
J: Tyler Schiller51kg
11x16T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes
23.00WIN
6.50PLACE
5th
5. Pericles (13)
J: Blake Shinn55kg
91x84T: James Cummings
51.00WIN
12.00PLACE
6th
1. Another Wil (15)
J: Jamie Melham56.5kg
12x14T: Ciaron Maher
8.50WIN
3.10PLACE
7th
3. Tom Kitten (1)
J: Ben Melham55.5kg
3x215T: James Cummings
6.50WIN
2.60PLACE
8th
20. Linebacker (11)
J: Zac Lloyd49kg
6x261T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton
6.00WIN
2.40PLACE
9th
14. Port Lockroy (10)
J: Craig Williams53.5kg
610x8T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
51.00WIN
12.00PLACE
10th
6. Militarize (7)
J: Chad Schofield55kg
33x00T: Chris Waller
61.00WIN
13.00PLACE
11th
2. Gringotts (6)
J: Tommy Berry55.5kg
10x31T: Ciaron Maher
6.50WIN
2.60PLACE
12th
19. Firestorm (8)
J: Jay Ford50kg
56x12T: Chris Waller
8.50WIN
3.10PLACE
13th
15. Al Mubhir (4)
J: Andrea Atzeni53kg
383x6T: William Haggas
61.00WIN
13.00PLACE
14th
10. Moira (18)
J: Zac Purton54kg
2121xT: Chris Waller
12.00WIN
3.90PLACE
15th
17. Iowna Merc (12)
J: Ashley Morgan52kg
42211T: Bjorn Baker
35.00WIN
9.00PLACE
16th
13. Kovalica (14)
J: Kerrin McEvoy53.5kg
260x7T: Chris Waller
34.00WIN
8.50PLACE
17th
11. Just Folk (9)
J: Daniel Moor54kg
x4381T: Gavin Bedggood
61.00WIN
13.00PLACE
18th
4. Geoglyph (20)
J: Damian Lane55kg
2x5x0T: Tetsuya Kimura
31.00WIN
8.00PLACE
19th
16. New Energy (19)
J: Dylan Gibbons52.5kg
610x0T: Ciaron Maher
201.00WIN
34.00PLACE
20th
9. Anisette (17)
J: Michael Dee54kg
x139xT: Chris Waller
71.00WIN
15.00PLACE
For current odds on all of our live racing markets, please visit www.ladbrokes.com.au/racing. Data retrieved: 01/05/2026 01:03:42 AM (Australia/Brisbane)

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