Field takes shape

The top 10 All-Stars will be revealed tomorrow, as the field takes shape for the world’s richest mile race.

After the 2022 Seppelt Wines All-Star Mile polls officially closed on Sunday night (13 February), Racing Victoria (RV) will unveil the top 10 vote-getters live nationally on free-to-air broadcaster Racing.com from 2.55pm (AEDT) Wednesday, 16 February.

RV’s Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter, will reveal the identity of the 10 most popular All-Star Mile nominees, who will be offered a golden ticket into the world’s richest mile race at Flemington on Saturday, 19 March.

Following weeks of intensive campaigning by the owners and trainers of the 78 horses nominated for the $5 million event, Wednesday’s announcement will bring joy to many and disappointment to others who had harboured dreams of competing in the fourth edition of Australia’s only fan-voted race.

While the likes of reigning Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) heroine Verry Elleegant and her fellow Group 1 winners Zaaki and I’m Thunderstruck entered the final weekend of voting with their place among the top 10 votegetters all but assured, connections of other horses such as Elephant and Lightsaber – who occupied ninth and 10th placing respectively when the leaderboard went into blackout mode last Friday night – faced a nervous wait to find out whether they have secured a start.

The American owners of Lighthouse, who went into the weekend in the unenviable position of 11th place but enhanced her credentials with a runner-up finish behind Tofane in the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m), will be tuning in from New York to see if the grey mare’s performance helped catapult her into the all-important top 10.

Similarly, Flying Start Syndications will be hoping the determined effort of Flying Mascot, who pushed fellow All-Star Mile nominee Probabeel all the way in Saturday’s Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, helped push her into the top 10 from 12th position on the pre-blackout leaderboard.

Once the top 10 has been revealed, attention then turns to the five wildcard runners which will complete the field of 15 for the 2022 All-Star Mile and provide those horses that missed out with a second chance to secure a berth at Flemington. The winners of the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday, 26 February and the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday, 5 March will both be offered a wildcard, with the remaining three determined by a panel.

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