The Group 1 Doncaster Mile is one of the biggest races staged during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. It is held on Day 1 of The Championships at Royal Randwick Racecourse. As the race name suggests, the Doncaster Mile is held over 1600m and is a handicap event with a minimum weight of 49kg. Horses aged three years old and upwards are eligible for the race.
A capacity field of up to 20 horses can run in the Doncaster Mile, with four emergencies also being named if numbers permit.
Dating all the way back to 1866, the first Doncaster Mile was won by Dundee. It was originally called the Doncaster Handicap and that race name stayed until 2008. In 2009 it was changed to the Doncaster Mile when Vision And Power captured the event. A record number of horses faced the starter in 1892 with 30 horses contesting the race.
As of 2019, the Doncaster Mile is worth $3 million in prize money, with the winner taking home $1.74 million. The race pays down to 10th place with horses that finish ninth and 10th receiving $20,000 for their efforts.
The training record currently sits at seven, set by champion trainer, the late TJ Smith. Happy Clapper captured the 2018 edition in a race-record time of 1:33.17. The gelding is famous for chasing home champion mare Winx in feature races, and after finishing runner-up in 2016 and 2017, he finally captured the Doncaster in 2018 when Winx didn’t contest the race. The win gave both Happy Clapper and trainer Patrick Webster their first Group 1s.
There have been plenty of champion racehorses to win the Doncaster Mile; the biggest is Winx who won the 2016 edition by two lengths over Happy Clapper. She also boasted a winning streak in the thirties as she went on to win four consecutive Cox Plates.
Hall of Famer Super Impose won back-to-back Doncasters in 1990 and 1991. He narrowly defeated Shaftesbury Avenue in 1990 before returning a year later to defeat Royal Creation and Shaftesbury Avenue once again. In recent years, Sacred Falls also achieved back-to-back wins in 2013 and 2014.
Other notable winners of the Doncaster Mile include Briseis (1876), Wakeful (1901), Chatham (1934), Cuddle (1936), Tobin Bronze (1967), Gunsynd (1972), Emancipation (1983), Sunline (1999 & 2002), Grand Armee (2003) and More Joyous (2012).
Wakeful had a tremendous career which saw her win 25 of 44 starts. Her career began at the age of four and she would win sprinting and staying races which showcased her incredible ability. Notable victories included the Oakleigh Plate, Newmarket Handicap, Sydney Cup, All Aged Stakes and Caulfield Stakes (twice).
Tobin Bronze dominated the 1960s with victories in the Victoria Derby, Underwood Stakes, Turnbull Stakes, Cox Plate (twice), Mackinnon Stakes, CF Orr Stakes, All Aged Stakes, Toorak Handicap and the Caulfield Cup.
