Danny O’Brien will have Russian Camelot ready for a first-up crack at the $5 million All-Star Mile

Glamour galloper Russian Camelot is nearing a return to work to prepare for an autumn campaign that will be geared towards a first-up shot at the $5 million All-Star Mile in March.

Russian Camelot will be ready to go first-up in the $5 million All-Star Mile at The Valley in March. Picture: Pat Scala

Top Danny O’Brien-trained galloper Russian Camelot is the equal favourite to make a successful first-up raid on the $5 million All-Star Mile in March next year.

Russian Camelot is an $11 equal favourite in TAB’s opening market on the 2021 All-Star Mile, which will be held at The Valley on March 13.

Russian Camelot will return to work in the coming weeks. O’Brien gave Russian Camelot a break after the exciting stallion finished eighth in last month’s Melbourne Cup.

“He’s done well at Barwon Heads and he’ll back in work again soon,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien said the All-Star Mile was Russian Camelot’s first target of 2021 before a trip to Sydney.

“The plan is definitely to run him in the All-Star Mile first-up and then the Queen Elizabeth in Sydney second-up,” he said.

“He was beaten a head first-up in the Makybe Dive over a mile in the spring so we think that’s the right starting point for him.

“He could well only have those two runs then be set for the spring.”

Mackinnon Stakes winner Arcadia Queen is also an equal favourite in the opening betting on the 2021 All-Star Mile. Picture: Scott Barbour

Russian Camelot shares the top line of All-Star Mile betting with Perth mare Arcadia Queen and the Adelaide galloper Behemoth.

Arcadia Queen defeated Russian Camelot in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes but Russian Camelot beat home Arcadia Queen when the pair met again in the Cox Plate.

The inaugural All-Star Mile winner Mystic Journey is on the second line of the opening All-Star Mile market at $15. TAB put Mystic Journey at the same price as Makybe Stakes winner Fierce Impact, top Kiwis Melody Belle and Probabeel, and Caulfield Guineas winner Ole Kirk.

Last year’s All-Star Mile winner Regal Power is a $26 chance to repeat the effort. Caulfield Cup winner Verry Elleegant is also at $26 in the early betting on the rich event.

All-Star Mile entries close on January 11.

A public vote will determine 10 runners with Racing Victoria and selected lead-up races to produce the five remaining All-Star Mile contenders.

CHOP’S CAREER OVER

Triple Group 1 winner Gailo Chop has run his last race.

Syndicator OTI Racing announced the 10-year-old’s retirement via Twitter on Monday morning.

Gailo Chop’s career ended with a fifth place behind Truly Great in last Saturday’s Group 1 Kingston Town Classic at Ascot.

The gelding won 13 of his 42 starts in a career that took him all over the world, starting with a third placing in a maiden in France in 2013.

Gailo Chop competed in Group 1 races in France, the US and England before landing in Australia for the 2015 Cox Plate, where he finished eighth behind Winx.

Trainer Antoine De Watrigant backed up Gailo Chop a week later to win the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington.

Gailo Chop spent 17 months off the scene before resuming for the Darren Weir stable in August 2017.

Weir won the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes with the gelding that spring, before claiming the Ranvet Stakes in autumn 2018.

Gailo Chop ran third for his next trainer, Matthew Williams, in last year’s Underwood Stakes and second in the 2019 Kingston Town Classic.

Lindsey Smith trained Gailo Chop, who won more than $4.4 million, for his last two starts in Western Australia.

Originally published as Danny O’Brien will have Russian Camelot ready for a first-up crack at the $5 million All-Star Mile