Ladbrokes Tip: The George Ryder Stakes is the best lead-up form going into the Doncaster Mile

The Doncaster Mile is one of the premier Group 1 races held on Day 1 of The Championships on the first Saturday in April* during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. 

*In 2021 the Doncaster Mile ran on the second Saturday of April with all race meetings of the autumn in Sydney from Slipper Day onwards postponed a week due to the weather.

Held at Royal Randwick Racecourse it is one of four elite level features on Doncaster Mile Day and is supported by the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m), Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) and Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).

Offering a lucrative $3 million in total prize money including $1.8 million to the winner the event is contested over 1600m under handicap conditions and is open to horses aged three-years-old and over.

The prizemoney for the 2020 edition of the Doncaster Mile was cut to $1.5 million including $870,000 to the winner with Racing NSW making cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before being reinstated at $3 million for 2021.

Each year the winners of the Flight Stakes, Villiers Stakes, Chipping Norton Stakes, Randwick Guineas, Canterbury Stakes, Coolmore Classic and George Ryder Stakes are exempt from Doncaster Mile ballot.

Of those the traditional lead-up is the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) held at Rosehill a fortnight before. The George Ryder Stakes – Doncaster Mile is a popular betting double and the latest horses to enjoy wins in both races during the same season are Vision And Power (2009) and Winx (2016).

Non-Group 1 races offering a Doncaster Mile ballot and penalty exemption are the Ajax Stakes and Doncaster Prelude. Horses coming out of the Doncaster Mile can back-up on the seven day turnaround into the autumn’s richest race – the  Group 1 $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes the following Saturday.

The latest edition of the Doncaster Mile took place on Saturday April 10, 2021 and was won by Cascadian for Godolphin. 

Doncaster Mile Race Info

• Date: Saturday April 10, 2021
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 1600m
• Conditions: Open Handicap
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $3 million ($1.5 million for 2020 due to Coronavirus)
• First Run: 1866

2021 Doncaster Mile Results

The full 2021 Doncaster Mile results and finishing order will be published below once the classic is run and won on Saturday April 10, 2021.

• 1st: #10 Cascadian
• 2nd: #21e Icebath
• 3rd: #11 Dalasan

The powerhouse Godolphin stable took out the Doncaster Mile 2021 results with Cascadian thanks to a beautiful ride by now five-time Group 1 winning female hoop Jamie Kah. 

Doncaster Mile Betting

Doncaster Mile betting markets are led by horses with proven Sydney form over the distance that ran well last time out in Group 1 company.

From 2004 – 2021 just two Doncaster Mile winners didn’t run in Group 1 company last start when Triple Honour (2008)  improved on a Group 2 Hobartville Stakes sixth to win and It’s Somewhat (2017) came off a Group 2 Ajax Stakes victory.

Because of the handicap conditions of the race three-year-olds have a strong record and often feature strongly in the Doncaster Mile odds. From 2006 – 2021 five three-year-olds won the Doncaster Mile including Kermadec (2015) and Brutal (2019) with plenty more running in the trifecta.

Chris Waller-trained horses are always popular in Doncaster Mile betting as the Sydney horseman prepared six of the 14 winners from 2008 – 2021 including four straight thanks to a double by Sacred Falls (2013-14) followed by Kermadec (2015) and Winx (2016).

2021 Doncaster Mile Odds

Our early, all-in Doncaster Mile betting odds and futures prices on the hopeful milers heading towards the April classic are listed below.

Doncaster Mile Field

The Doncaster Mile field has a field limit of 20 starters and was recently run at capacity in 2020, 2019, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

Winx (2016) was the last horse to complete the George Ryder Stakes – Doncaster Mile double. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.

Gallopers come into the Doncaster Mile via a number of different autumn lead-ups but the most popular is the George Ryder Stakes run over just 100m shorter two weeks earlier at Rosehill.

The George Ryder Stakes produced 10 of the Doncaster Mile winners from 2004 – 2021  including the star mare Winx (2016) who won the double. Cascadian (4th in 2021) was the last Doncaster Mile winner to improve off a George Ryder Stakes performance. 

The other race producing many runners in the Doncaster Mile field is the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) on Golden Slipper Day, horses dropping back in distance for the lucrative Randwick feature. Nettoyer (4th in 2020) was the last Doncaster Mile winner to improve off a Ranvet Stakes run.

Doncaster Mile nominations close in early February followed by first acceptances at the start of March. The final field of Doncaster Mile acceptances and barrier draw are released on the Tuesday before the race.

2021 Doncaster Mile Field

The official Doncaster Mile 2021 final field of acceptances is due for release on the Tuesday leading-up to Day 1 of ‘The Championships’ and will be available below.

The updated 2021 Doncaster Mile field of final acceptances will be confirmed on Tuesday the 6th of April, 2021. 

Kris Lees’ $5 million The All-Star Mile champion Mugatoo heads a capacity 2021 Doncaster Mile field for this weekend drawn a treat in barrier four. Rosehill Guineas winner Mo’unga drew wide out in 21, while the upset George Ryder champ Think It Over also has work to do from a double-digit gate (18).

• Scratchings: #7 Gem Song (19)

2021 Doncaster Mile Nominations

Early nominations on the Doncaster Mile 2021 closed at midday on Tuesday the 9th of February, 2021.

The 2021 Doncaster Mile nominations attracted 151 early entries including Godolphin’s $7.5 million Golden Eagle winner Colette, VRC Oaks winning filly Personal and the Ladbrokes Cox Plate champion Sir Dragonet

2021 Doncaster Mile First Acceptances

The Doncaster Mile 2021 first acceptances closed on March 9, 2021 reducing the list of potential runners to 81 with the ballot led by four runners including Chris Waller’s outstanding mare Verry Elleegant and the Randwick Guineas winning youngster Lion’s Roar. 

Doncaster Mile Tips

Doncaster Mile tips favour proven milers with good autumn form throughout the carnival.

All 22 Doncaster Mile winners from 2000 – 2021 had their final lead-up at Rosehill Gardens so watching for gallopers that ran well in races including the George Ryder Stakes is always a good tip.

From 2004 – 2021 five favourites saluted for the punters with the latest being Winx (4/5 in 2016).

Three-year-olds have a good record and are feature in Doncaster Mile tips along with Chris Waller-trained runners and well-weighted chances with just three horses carrying more than 55.5kg to victory in the race since 2003, Happy Clapper (57kg in 2018) the most recent.

2021 Doncaster Mile Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Doncaster Mile 2021 betting tips on the Group 1 1600m classic will be detailed below with the milers to back and sack this autumn so stay tuned.

• To Win: #12 Think It Over ($9 at time of publish) 

A great edition of the Doncaster Mile ahead and love the nearly double-figure price on Think It Over who is underrated yet again. Kerry Parker’s consistent So You Think five-year-old continued his good form with a big upset win in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes with 59kg and gets in with 52.5kg here including the penalty. Has a wide barrier (18) but the time to overcome. Yet to win over a mile, but has four placings from five starts at the 1600m and think he can surprise again at a good price with the right ride by G. Boss. 

Doncaster Mile Form Guide

The Doncaster Mile form guide shows punters the barriers, jockeys, trainers, weights and lead-up runs of the horses in the field. Looking for Rosehill graduates that come out of autumn Group 1 races is important when doing the Doncaster Mile form.

The Doncaster Mile barrier draw hasn’t been of huge significance in the race with an even spread of winners from across all of the gates, but the most successful since 1983 producing five winners is barrier 12.

The most successful Doncaster Mile jockey with six wins since 1996 including Kermadec (2015) is Glen Boss who also rode three winners on the trot from 2006 – 2008.

Doncaster Mile Form Facts

• Only three favourites in Doncaster Mile betting from 2007 – 2021 saluted for the punters including two mares: More Joyous (2012) and Winx (2016)
• Chris Waller has dominated the Doncaster Mile results in the past decade producing all four winners from 2013 – 2016
• Eight of the 13 Doncaster Mile winners from 2009 – 2020 jumped from barrier 10 or wider including Brutal (18 of 20 in 2019)
• A Group 1 run at Rosehill Gardens in either the Ranvet Stakes or George Ryder Stakes is the key Doncaster Mile form line to follow into the race

2021 Doncaster Mile Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Doncaster Mile Handicap 2021 Form Guide will be provided by punters the week of the race.

Doncaster Mile Results

The Doncaster Mile results and finishing order are known on Day 1 of The Championships on the first Saturday in April each autumn. Single-figure hopes have dominated the Doncaster Mile results in the past two decades.

The longest priced winners in recent years though have been Nettoyer ($41 in 2020), It’s Somewhat ($34 in 2017), Sacred Falls ($21 in 2013) for her first of two victories and Patezza ($21 in 2005). Other notable Doncaster Mile winners in that time include Winx (2016), More Joyous (2012), Rangirangdoo (2010) and Racing To Win (2006).

Doncaster Mile Winners