Lindsay Park has chosen to forgo the All-Star Mile wildcard earned by Marble Arch at Flemington on Saturday, opting instead for a Sydney campaign with the in-form mare.
The talented daughter of Per Incanto secured her first Group 2 victory in the Blamey Stakes (1600m), a race that guaranteed her a place in this Saturday’s $2.5 million All-Star Mile at Flemington. However, trainer Ben Hayes explained that the timing of the prestigious event didn’t quite align with their plans.
Rather than backing up in the All-Star Mile, Hayes and his co-trainers, brothers Will and JD, are now focusing on the following week’s $1 million Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill.
“Marble Arch pulled up not quite 100 percent to back up, she’s absolutely fine, but she just felt the run a little bit,” Hayes said on Monday morning.
“It was a career peak performance and we’re probably looking to lean towards heading to Sydney and running in the Coolmore.
“The way she ran on Saturday she’d be very competitive in a Coolmore against the really good fillies and mares in Sydney.”
Although Marble Arch won’t be using her ballot exemption for the All-Star Mile, stablemate Rise At Dawn will take up the spot he secured with his victory in the Listed The Elms at Flemington on February 15.
The Elms has proven to be a stepping stone for top-level horses, with Mr Brightside finishing third in the race before making his All-Star Mile debut in 2022, where he placed fourth. He later went on to claim back-to-back victories in the Doncaster Mile. Hayes acknowledged the similarities between the two horses but remains cautious.
“We were joking when he won last start that he was ‘Brightside 2.0′,” he said.
“Brightside ran fourth in an All-Star Mile then went on to win a Donny (Doncaster), at this stage he looks like sneaking into that race with a very light weight (51kg) so if he can get in with a weight like that it’d be exciting.
“It would not surprise me if he could finish in the top four, but we’ll be learning. He’s taking on the best and it will give us a good guide where he’s at.”
Leading Lindsay Park’s charge in the 2025 All-Star Mile is Mr Brightside, who is set to contest the race for the fourth time. The seven-year-old claimed victory in the 2023 edition at Moonee Valley and finished runner-up last year to Pride Of Jenni at Caulfield.
He enters this year’s event following a second-place finish in the C F Orr Stakes and a win in the Futurity Stakes, both from wide draws. Hayes is hoping for a more favorable barrier this time around.
“I’d love it if he was able to draw a barrier where he can take a sit, because I think he’s a horse better chasing, but he’s in great order and we can’t fault him.”
Mr Brightside currently leads the betting market for the All-Star Mile at $2.80, ahead of his Orr Stakes rival Another Wil ($4) and Futurity Stakes runner-up Tom Kitten ($5). Rise At Dawn is listed as a $26 outsider.