Moira, the 2024 champion turf female, and Anisette, a three-time Grade 1 winner in California in the last two years, will have their first starts in Australia in Friday’s Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.
The $2.51 million Doncaster Mile will not be easy for either of the accomplished mares. They are part of a 20-horse field and will face males in what is typically a hectic and competitive race.
Moira, who was trained in North America by Kevin Attard, has not raced since she won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at 1 3/8 miles at Del Mar last November, a victory that clinched her championship. An Ontario-bred, Moira was listed as sold for $4.3 million a few days later at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
In the Doncaster Mile, run under handicap conditions, Moira will carry 119 pounds, below topweight Another Wil at 124.5 pounds. The Doncaster Mile will be Moira’s first start at the distance since she finished a well-beaten second in the Grade 2 Nassau Stakes on yielding turf at Woodbine in July 2023.
The course at Randwick is expected to be rated heavy on Saturday.
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Moira was 16-1 in early betting on Wednesday, while Anisette has been dismissed as an 80-1 outsider. Both are trained by Chris Waller and owned by Yulong Investments. Waller has six of the 20 runners in the main field of the Doncaster Mile, and there are four runners on the also-eligible list.
Anisette, a 5-year-old British-bred mare, has not raced since finishing ninth in the BC Filly and Mare Turf. Her most recent win was the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar last September. Trained in California by Leonard Powell, Anisette was listed as sold for $1.8 million at Keeneland last November.
The Doncaster Mile field is led by Gringotts, Linebacker, and Tom Kitten, who were between 5-1 and 6-1 on Wednesday.
Gringotts won the Grade 1 George Ryder Stakes by a nose at 7 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse on March 22. He also won the $1.96 million Big Dance Stakes against 19 rivals at a mile at Randwick last November, utilizing his typical forward running style.
Linebacker, a Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old, will race against older horses for the first time in the Doncaster Mile. He won the Group 1 Randwick Guineas for 3-year-olds at a mile on March 8 and will carry only 108 pounds.
Tom Kitten won the Group 1 All-Star Mile at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on March 8, but he was fifth by 1 1/2 lengths in the George Ryder Stakes.
There are four Group 1 races and nine group stakes on a 10-race program at Randwick that begins at 9:25 p.m. Eastern. The Doncaster Mile is the third of four consecutive Group 1 races.
Wodeton favored in Inglis Sires' Stakes
Earlier on the program, Wodeton, an unlucky second in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-years-olds at Rosehill Gardens on March 22, will be favored to win the Group 1 Inglis Sires' Stakes at seven furlongs. Wodeton raced in traffic in the stretch of the $3.16 million Golden Slipper Stakes, the world’s richest race for 2-year-olds. The Inglis Sires' Stakes is worth $629,000.
The filly Joliestar and gelding Overpass, Group 1 winners in their last starts, were 3-1 co-favorites on Wednesday for the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes at six furlongs. The $1.88 million Smith Stakes drew a field of 13, including Briasa, who closed from last of 13 to finish fourth by 1 3/4 lengths in the Group 1 Galaxy Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on March 22.
Overpass tends to run near the front and may be tough to catch for closers such as Briasa and Joliestar.
The New Zealand star Willydoit, winner of the Group 1 New Zealand Derby at 1 1/2 miles on March 8, will have his Australian debut in the Group 1 Australian Derby, also at 1 1/2 miles. A winner of 4 of 6 starts, Willdoit was the 3-1 co-favorite with Aeliana as of Wednesday.
Aeliana was fourth in the Randwick Guineas and rallied to finish second by a nose in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas at 1 1/4 miles on March 22. The $1.25 million Australian Derby is her first start at 1 1/2 miles.
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