Bendigo Mile Draws Intriguing Field

Saturday's Listed Golden Mile (1600m), one of two black type races on the Bendigo card, sees a full field of 16 and three emergencies having accepted for the $150,000 race, with the Will Clarken-trained, Australian Bloodstock import Ironclad (Dubawi-Heat Haze, by Green Desert) the current favourite. Having won all three starts since arriving in Australia including the Listed CS Hayes Stakes last time out over a mile at Morphettville, the 5YO gelding has the services of Jamie Kah in the saddle and from barrier 5 looks the horse to beat. Top weight, the Hawkes Racing-trained Rock (Pierro-Subtitle, by Fastnet Rock) has come up with the outside barrier but has the form on the board, with a narrow third last time out in the Gr2 Ajax Stakes at Rosehill. With Group 1 form to his record, if jockey William Pike can overcome the barrier and weight, Rock has the ability to be right in the finish. Set to be the local launching pad for Mike Moroney's 925,000gns Tattersalls Autumn Horse In Training purchase English King (Camelot-Platonic, by Zafonic), a winner of the Listed Derby Trial at Lingfield, before a fifth in the Gr1 Epsom Derby as favourite, the 4YO is just one of many horses to add a level of intrigue to the field, with others including Gr1-winning mare Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman-Night Danza, by Danzero) who is having her first run for the Dean Binaisse yard, and is also catalogued at the upcoming Inglis Chairman's Sale as Lot 18 in the Newgate Farm consignment. Previously highly touted Skyward (Camelot-Shakeyourbody, by Giant's Causeway), who Arrowfield Stud's John Messara purchased as a Melbourne Cup horse, gets a chance to improve on his two Spring runs.

Rock will have to deal with a poor draw (pic: Steve Hart)