Godolphin trio nominate for world’s richest mile race

Godolphin’s star G1 performers Hartnell, Best Of Days and Alizee have been entered for the world’s richest mile race, the $5m All-Star Mile to be run at Flemington on March 16.

Head Trainer James Cummings has confirmed that all three horses will seek a place in a race he praised as a brilliant concept that will take Australian racing to a global audience.

“We think it’s great the way in which it really engages with not only the racing audience, but potentially reaching out beyond just that and bringing in a wider audience from not only Australia, but from around the world,” Cummings said.

“We’re really excited to be a part of the richest mile race anywhere in the world.”

To be run along the same lines as one of Japan’s best and most heavily supported races, the Arima Kinen, the All-Star Mile line up will be largely decided by the general public who will vote for their choice of runners among those entered.

The public will choose 10 of the 14 runners with Racing Victoria to select four “wildcards”.

“They just love sport and love the ability to be engaged and be involved and have a desire to see the best of the best competing,” Cummings said.

A strong case exists for the Godolphin runners, each of which has won at least one G1 mile in the past year.

Hartnell is one of the most versatile and durable horses in training, Best Of Days made a huge impression in his first Australian campaign and Alizee resumed this month with a resounding victory at Randwick.

“We’re pretty pumped up just to see how many people might vote for the runners,” Cummings said.

“Hartnell is the perennial stable favourite, a proper weight-for-age horse and the winner of the G1 Epsom Handicap in course-record time.

“We’ll be putting forward Alizee, a stunning return winner this preparation over 1200m effortlessly, and with two 1600m, G1 wins to her name she looks a really nice candidate.”

“We’ll also be putting forward one of our newer, imported horses, Best Of Days who won the G1 Cantala Stakes on Derby Day last year. He ran fast time in a high-rating race in what was only his first preparation in Australia.

“He’s just the sort of horse that you could see improving enough to be competitive with these horses at weight-for-age."

“They’re our three horses and they’re all in great health.”
 
Some 80 nominations, at least 20 of them G1 winners, have already been received for the race for which entries close on Tuesday, 15 January.

The All Star Mile will rotate between the Melbourne tracks of Flemington, Caulfield and Moonee Valley.