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Once the fifth ‘major’ of Australian racing, the Doncaster quality warrants official recognition of an expanded Grand Slam series

The quality of the Doncaster Mile again highlights the need to recognise Australia’s strength in racing and create a Grand Slam race series for sprinters and milers.

Ray Thomas
6 min read
April 3, 2025 - 3:54PM
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The Doncaster Mile, once considered the fifth “major’’ of Australian racing, has attracted its strongest field in many years.

There are a maximum 20 runners contesting the $4 million race run over 1600m on Day One of The Championships at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Celestial Legend, Pericles and Militarize ran the trifecta in the Doncaster last year and they clash again on Saturday but such is the sheer quality in the race, they are rated only $34 chances!

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The official race ratings show every runner above 102 with Gringotts and Tom Kitten equal highest on 115. The Doncaster Mile highlights include:

• The Doncaster field includes 13 individual Group 1 winners.

• Every runner in the race – and the four emergencies – have all won at stakes level.

• The combined prizemoney of the Doncaster runners is nearly $50 million and includes 17 who have won more than $1 million.

• Moira is the first US Breeders Cup winner to race in Australia.

• Japanese raider Geoglyph was the last horse to beat the mighty Equinox when he won the 2000 Guineas.

Despite the depth of the Doncaster field, the early $5.50 favourite is the youngest, least experienced horse – three-year-old Linebacker who has had just eight starts, winning the Group 1 Randwick Guineas at his most recent run.

Which brings me back to why the Doncaster Mile is no longer regarded as the “fifth major” behind the four Grand Slam races, Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and Golden Slipper.

This is not because the historic Randwick mile race has lost any lustre, quite the contrary given the quality of Saturday’s race.

But it is more an acknowledgment the four-race Grand Slam concept is obsolete as it caters only for two-year-olds, middle distance and stayers, but ignores the undeniable strengths of Australian racing which is our sprinters and milers.

This could be resolved by increasing the number of Grand Slam races to cater for all distance ranges and age groups.

The nation’s best milers deserve to have a Grand Slam race with the Doncaster Mile, King Charles III Stakes and Champions Mile obvious choices. The Golden Eagle over 1500m could also be part of this conversation given the race’s impact since being introduced just six ago.

Our best sprinters can finally get the opportunity to race in a “major” by including elite sprints like The Everest, TJ Smith Stakes and Champions Sprint.

The Queen Elizabeth Stakes run on Day Two of The Championships at Royal Randwick on April 12 is always one of the nation’s highest-rating races each season and should be afforded Grand Slam status to complement the Cox Plate.

The ATC Australian Derby is the nation’s premier three-year-old classic and if elevated to Grand Slam status, it would be in keeping with worldwide trends, while the merit of races like the Golden Rose, Caulfield Guineas and Randwick Guineas for three-year-old milers is worthy of debate.

Official recognition of an expanded Grand Slam series would require the imprimatur of Racing Australia and the Principal Racing Authorities which is easier said than done.

But for an industry that needs to challenge tradition and look for fresh ideas to stay relevant in an increasingly competitive market, an elite tier of prestigious Group 1 races that covers all distance ranges and age groups could be established carrying Grand Slam status to acknowledge the very best horses.

This is an idea borrowed from similar concepts that have proven very successful in other sports including tennis which has the Masters series, an elite group of tournaments carrying higher rankings points than other ATP events, and the Fed-Ex Cup golf series in the United States is also reserved for only the very best golfers.

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Former Canadian Horse of the Year Moira hasn’t raced since her win in the US Breeders Cup Fillies and Mares at Del Mar in California last November.

But Moira, who has been purchased by Yulong, has done well since joining the Chris Waller stable and is at $16 in latest Doncaster betting.

Moira’s historic Australian debut at Royal Randwick on Saturday, is creating plenty of interest in North America, according to Yulong’s Vin Cox.

“There is a lot of interest out of Canada about Moira,’’ Cox said.

“I get a lot of emails and texts out of Canada from people wanting to know how she is going.

“She is clearly pleasing Chris (Waller) from the reports we are getting. She is not a big, robust mare but if she brings her “A-Game’ here she will be hugely competitive in the Doncaster.’’

Moira, who is named after a character in the hit TV series Schitt’s Creek, is the first US Breeders Cup winner to race in this part of the world.

“I think that speaks to Mr (Yuesheng) Zhang (the owner of Yulong) and how game he is with his racing – he challenges the norms,’’ Cox said.

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Champion jockey James McDonald is a notable absentee on Day One of The Championships as he is overseas to ride Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior in the Group 1 $8 million Dubai Turf.

Romantic Warrior is at almost unbackable odds of $1.40 with TAB Fixed Odds while the horse who beat him last start in the Saudi Cup, Japan’s Forever Young, is $1.55 favourite to win the $15 million Dubai World Cup.

But in McDonald’s absence, some of the world’s best jockeys will be at Royal Randwick including English superstar Ryan Moore who is riding Coolmore’s crack colts Switzerland in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes and Wodeton in the Group 1 Inglis Sires.

Moore is also riding Imperialist in the Group 1 ATC Australian Derby and Desert Hero, owned by King Charles III, in the Group 2 Chairman’s Stakes.

Hong Kong’s champion jockeys Zac Purton, Hugh Bowman and Andrea Atzeni are also in Sydney for The Championships.

Purton is on Moira in the Doncaster and Buffalo in the Sires, Bowman is riding for his 100th Australian Group 1 win with either Rivellino in the Sires or Derby hopeful Red Aces, and Atzeni is on Al Mubhir in the Doncaster.

WHAT THEY SAID

“When they first started The Championships, I think they would have hoped this is what it would turn into. I thought last year the racing at The Championships was absolutely phenomenal with the quality of horses and races. The racing at The Championships is unbelievable every year. Credit to those who came up with this concept and they ultimately got what they wanted – it is The Championships,’’ said John O’Shea.

“I think Linebacker is probably better performed at the same stage of their careers (than the trainer’s 2006 Doncaster winner Racing To Win) and he gets into the Doncaster with less weight. Linebacker’s a really tough, galloping horse and he will probably run further. He’s going well but I think this year’s version is an outstanding Doncaster,’’ O’Shea again.

“The Doncaster has been a good race for me but it’s not an easy race to win. There’s always a full field and you need things to go your way. But Randwick is a lovely track and I always enjoy coming back for the autumn carnival,’’ said champion Hong Kong-based jockey Zac Purton, rider of Moira.

“Because Aeliana’s raced against them (colts and gelding) it’s not the unknown. The only unknown is the distance and it looks like, the way she’s racing, that 2400m might suit her,’’ said Chris Waller, trainer of ATC Australian Derby favourite Aeliana.

“Jimmysstar was a good horse last prep but he’s come back a better horse and that’s why I’ve given up rides at Caulfield for one ride at Randwick. It’s well and truly worth it in my book,’’ jockey Ethan Brown said.

“Via Sistina is a champion. I’ve been admiring Via Sistina from afar and she is going to be very hard to beat. But I think there is more to come from Dubai Honour. He looked a bit fresh to me. He will come on from that and we will go to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes now,’’ said William Haggas after Dubai Honour’s Tancred Stakes win.

Originally published as Once the fifth ‘major’ of Australian racing, the Doncaster quality warrants official recognition of an expanded Grand Slam series

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/horse-racing/once-the-fifth-major-of-australian-racing-the-doncaster-quality-warrants-official-recognition-of-an-expanded-grand-slam-series/news-story/eb28b02f8f91de342ba31cd1941349a7