Understanding Doncaster Mile Fields

The Doncaster Mile is the third highest prize money race of the autumn carnival and therefore one of the races you should be targeting. The Doncaster field is made up of 20 runners.

The Doncaster Mile is an ATC handicap race for horses three years old and older, held over 1,600 metres. The race is now run on the first day of the ATC Championships Carnival at Royal Randwick with total prize money of $3,000,000.

For the majority of the 20 starters, the Order of Entry ultimately determines the make-up of the field however the following races grant the winner with a ballot exemption from the Doncaster Mile:

• Group II Villiers Stakes (1600m) – Randwick 12th Dec 2015 won by Happy Clapper

• Group I Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) – Randwick 27th Feb won by Winx

• Group I Randwick Guineas (1600m) – Randwick 5th Mar won by Le Romain

• Group II Ajax Stakes (1500m) – Rosehill 12th Mar won by by Peeping

• Group I Coolmore Classic (1500m) – Rosehill 12th March won by It's Somewhat

• Group I George Ryder Stakes (1500m) – Rosehill 19th March won by Winx

• Group II Doncaster Prelude (1500m) – Randwick 26th Mar won by Havana Cooler

The ballot rankings for the Order of Entry are determined by the weight-for-age scale compared to the horse's weight allocated in the Doncaster Handicap. The limit handicap is 50kg, so the three-year-olds are very much assisted (as they receive lighter handicaps) but there are restrictions for the age group to gain a berth in the final field. Also, fillies and mares, like the weight-for-age scale, receive a 2kg allowance.