The eighth edition of the $2 million All-Star Mile headlines the HQ racing action in Melbourne on Saturday and Ladbrokes are here to unpack each and every contender in our exclusive runner-by-runner preview of the Flemington feature.
After Tom Kitten won the first edition of the event since its upgrade to Group 1 status last year, the Godolphin galloper returns to defend his title in a compact but elite field of milers on the weekend.
It is the front-running queen Pride Of Jenni, another former champ thanks to her 2024 success, leading All-Star Mile betting in 2026 but the challengers are there to write off at your own peril!
We’ve got bonny mare Stefi Magnetica out to return to her best, an underrated WFA champ in Evaporate looking value and some early money coming for the consistent Waller-trained Buckaroo.
So, where to look?
To save punters the tough task of going through the full form, below we’ve got the lowdown on every contender to help sort the genuine contenders from the making-up-numbers pretenders.
Read on for our expert runner-by-runner guide to the 2026 The All-Star Mile!
- Top 2 – No. 8 Pride Of Jenni
- Top 3 – No. 4 Evaporate
- Top 4 – No. 11 Leica Lucy
| 4. Evaporate (7) J: Luke Currie 59kg 233×4T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | ||
| 8. Pride Of Jenni (2) J: Declan Bates 57kg 1718xT: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 11. Leica Lucy (8) J: Jye Mcneil 57kg 432×5T: Chris Waller |
No. 1 Tom Kitten (7) – Anthony & Sam Freedman
TOM KITTEN (7) lines up as a genuine winning hope for Team Freedman with the defending champ arriving at Flemington in the right headspace after regaining confidence first‑up with a narrow but authoritative win over Feroce in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan.
The Godolphin five‑year‑old has since tightened the screws with a sharp trial at The Heath, and his return run—where he knuckled down late and produced strong closing splits—suggests he’s come back every bit as well as last year.
With Craig Williams expected to let him settle off the strong tempo Pride Of Jenni will generate, Tom Kitten’s versatility, turn of foot and proven big‑race temperament give him the perfect platform to launch late and mount a serious title defence.
Watch for him late.
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1. Tom Kitten (6)
J: Craig Williams 59kg
453×1T: Anthony & Sam Freedman
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No. 2 Buckaroo (6) – Chris Waller
BUCKAROO (6) shapes as a major winning chance with the Chris Waller‑trained Fastnet Rock seven‑year‑old arriving at Flemington off a booming return run that has punters warming to the idea of the champion trainer finally claiming this race.
His Futurity Stakes second first‑up was one of the eye‑catchers of the early autumn so far, surging late to split a strong field and signalling he’s come back every bit as sharp as his spring campaign, which was stacked with elite Group 1 placings — most notably his runner‑up finish in the Cox Plate.
He boasts an excellent second‑up profile (8:3‑1‑1), rarely turns in a poor performance, and his ability to absorb pressure and build through his gears makes him ideally suited to the predicted All‑Star Mile tempo.
While he hasn’t won since the 2024 Underwood, his consistency at the highest level suggests he only needs the right run to land a long‑overdue major, and Flemington’s long straight gives him the perfect platform to launch late and make a genuine bid for the title.
| 2. Buckaroo (6) Scratched: | |||
No. 3 Antino (1) – Tony Gollan
Hailing from the star Brisbane stables of Tony Gollan, the rails-drawn ANTINO (1) is out to win back the love of the punters after two distant finishes either side of a spell.
The Kiwi-bred son of Redwood was huge running second to Sir Delius here in last October’s Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) before things went amiss for his dead last to Via Sistina in the Cox Plate.
He was eighth again fresh beating home just two over the line at Randwick in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes at 40/1 behind the undefeated Autumn Glow on Valentine’s Day.
Fitter for the run and heading south now, the seven-year-old is looking to prove he’s still able to match motors with the best WFA performers and no doubting his second-up record is elite (7:4-0-1).
Gollan is bullish regarding improvement from his stable ace who has proven is class in the past winning the 2024 Toorak by 6.5 lengths at his peak.
Internationally performed, he also added the 2025 Doomben Cup trophy to his CV with a four-length win last May and is out now attempting to return to those former heights.
He’ll settle back and hope they go hard-out up front setting him up for a late launch.
The improver.
Omen Betting Alert! Antino is the Queenslander out to make an impact down south and he’s one of our standout Hoodoo Bets for Saturday tying into the AFL Opening Round with the Lions!
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3. Antino (1)
J: Jamie Melham 59kg
428×8T: Tony Gollan
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No. 4 Evaporate (8) – Ben, Will & JD Hayes
Is EVAPORATE (8) underrated in All-Star Mile betting this year? Absolutely.
The Lindsay Park-trained Per Incanto four-year-old is more than capable of an upset and appeals as one of the best Each Way plays of the day in Melbourne.
It’s been a while between drinks with his latest turf triumph being a nail-bitingly close win in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes last September, but his form since has been around the best including a Toorak Handicap second, Golden Eagle third to Autum Glow and CF Orr third to Jimmysstar.
He got his autumn underway in the Futurity under a length off the winner Pericles and will only improve off of that.
Up to a mile suits to a tee (5:3-1-1), and his second-up record is excellent (4:2-1-0).
He’s had just the one Flemington run when unplaced in the VRC Sires’ back in 2024, but track bias aside he’s a class horse that is more than capable of keeping in touch with this field.
He’s a 1600m specialist (5:3-1-1) and will relish the extra furlong now.
Can surprise.
Check out all of my best value Saturday Roughies over at Hendo’s Hopefuls now!
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4. Evaporate (7)
J: Luke Currie 59kg
233×4T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes
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No. 5 Steparty (11) – Paul Preusker
STEPARTY (11) may be chasing a hat-trick but he’s at big odds to complete it with Paul Preusker’s Artie Schiller five-year-old forgotten by the punters in this stacked field.
He’s a capable galloper on his day in the right race and is proven here at HQ (10:2-11-), but not sure he’s as classy as some of these top-tier WFA giants.
Yes, he’s won his latest two on the trot, but both of those wins were down in the Apple Isle in much easier company.
Last time out he was a Launceston Black-Type winner over the mile, so the distance box is ticked, but back at HQ against these guys he’s likely to struggle.
Was a Group 1 placegetter as a 3YO in the 2023 Caulfield Guineas and has bagged two subsequent elite-level minor placings, but he’s been unable to really compete at this level for a while, and I can’t see that changing this weekend.
Wide draw and can’t see the Tassie form being the one to follow into this.
Happy to leave out despite his blinder last time out.
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5. Steparty (9)
J: John Allen 59kg
77211T: Paul Preusker
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No. 6 Watch Me Rock (5) – Mark Walker
The rank outsider in All-Star Mile betting at 30/1 at time of publish, Mark Walker’s Awesome Rock five-year-old WATCH ME ROCK (5) appeals to me as a potential value play for the wider exotics having been overlooked.
The gelding is an out-and-out miler undefeated over the 1600m with a flawless three-from-three strike rate over the distance.
Group 1 horse? Yep, he won the Railway Stakes over on the west coast last November beating home Western Empire by nearly a length in a run full of merit before being narrowly denied in the Northerly Stakes still in Perth but over 1800m.
Flemington is a query as he’s yet to race at HQ and obviously this is a tough WFA assignment, but he’s capable of more than his Futurity sixth when racing for Walker for the first time.
The ‘Wizard of the West’ Willie Pike sticks with, he’ll be second-up improver but would really need to produce a career best to come from off pace late to challenge.
Maybe Top 4?
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6. Watch Me Rock (5)
J: William Pike 59kg
112×6T: Mark Walker
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No. 7 Sabaj (3) – Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr
Manhattan Rain four-year-old SABAJ (3) is lightly raced with upside but is on the drift in the markets for his acid test on Saturday.
The Price & Kent Jnr-trained gelding is second-up on Saturday and is unbeaten at this stage of his prep with two previous second-up victories.
Overall, he boasts a 50% winning strike rate from 10 career starts and he’s a genuine miler (4:2-1-0) who is set to enjoy getting up to his pet trip now after resuming here on February 14 for a narrow loss in the Listed Elms Handicap (1400m).
This is much tougher obviously; he rises in weight and is widely drawn but still has that little sniff of improvement pending.
He carted 59.5kg to victory here from a wide ally in a BM84 last November, so the Flemington box is ticked, and he’ll get conditions to suit.
It’s a big ask but could he surprise a few of these the closing stages?
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7. Sabaj (3)
J: Beau Mertens 59kg
110×2T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr
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No. 8 Pride Of Jenni (2) – Ciaron Maher
We come to our 2026 All-Star Mile favourite now with the punter rallying around Ciaron Maher’s front-running super mare PRIDE OF JENNI (2) who could just go all-the-way and nab herself a second trophy having saluted in the race two years ago.
That said, she’s now a rising nine-year-old so going hard out up front is going to take some supreme effort.
Saturday marks her 44th career start and 15th at the Flemington track where she won the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at last November with a 4.5 length romp home over Lecia Lucy.
The Champions Mile flop (8th) that followed can be excused by the Heavy (9) track and quick back-up, but she’s fresh now and the punters are coming for her in a big way.
She’s won first-up twice in the past and the 1600m to kick things off isn’t outside her capabilities.
A recent winning jump out at Cranbourne has her fit, Declan Bates knows her like the back of his hand, and he’ll rate her well no doubt.
She’s the horse they all have to catch, she’s looked sharp in her lead‑up work, including a strong Cranbourne jump‑out win on February 23 that confirmed she still has her trademark zest despite her age.
From barrier two, regular rider Bates is almost certain to roll straight to the front and control the race as only she can, and if she turns up in anything like her best free‑wheeling form, the challenge for the rest will be running her down.
With her high‑cruising speed, proven big‑race class and a perfect on‑pace draw, the top-elect will have few excuses in her attempt to make history as the first dual All‑Star Mile champion.
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8. Pride Of Jenni (2)
J: Declan Bates 57kg
1718xT: Ciaron Maher
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No. 9 Stefi Magnetica (4) – Bjorn Baker
STEFI MAGNETICA (4) brings a genuine knockout profile into the 2026 All‑Star Mile, with Hugh Bowman — forever linked to Winx — jumping back aboard from an ideal barrier four draw as the All Too Hard mare steps out second‑up.
She arrives via the Group 2 Apollo Stakes in Sydney, where she finished fifth behind the unbeaten Autumn Glow, a run that looked even better on replay given she was forced to chase from an awkward spot yet still closed off strongly late.
Now fitter and better placed at the mile, she shapes as one of the more intriguing improvers in the field, and she’s capable of producing a sharp turn of foot when ridden quietly.
Bowman’s presence adds another layer of confidence, and if she lands the right trail behind the expected hot tempo, the reigning The Invitation winner has the closing strength to surge into the finish and give the race a real shake.
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9. Stefi Magnetica (4)
J: Hugh Bowman 57kg
413×5T: Bjorn Baker
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No. 10 Treasurethe Moment (9) – Scratched
| 10. Treasurethe Moment (9) Scratched: | |||
No. 11 Leica Lucy (10) – Chris Waller
LEICA LUCY (10) lines-up as the second of two Waller-trained hopes in the mix, and this Kiwi expat is out to break her Australian maiden status.
She was a standout across the Tasman as a three-year-old winning last year’s NZ Oaks as the odds-on favourite and was strong in her first start down under when fourth under a length off Treasurethe Moment in the ATC Oaks at her next start.
Her spring was also solid with placings in the Toorak (3rd) and Empire Rose (2nd) when best of the rest behind POJ over this track and trip.
Another of the eye-catching Futurity graduates up in trip now second-up, she was only 1.43 lengths off Pericles when resuming and as a proven Group 1 champ over the mile-and-a-half is sure to improve now.
She’s been very good over 1600m in the past (4:2-1-1), has Jye McNeil coming aboard and is another of the back markers who’ll get the right set up to close hard and challenge at a nice price.
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11. Leica Lucy (8)
J: Jye Mcneil 57kg
432×5T: Chris Waller
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Good luck punters!