Saturday Bets! 2025 All-Star Mile

Despite a small field, the All-Star Mile has attracted some of Australia’s best milers for the 2025 edition.

ALL-STAR MILE

1600m – Group 1 – Weight For Age

The 7th version of the All-Star Mile heads back to Flemington this weekend for the third time in its short history with a field of 7 vying for a piece of the lucrative $2.5 million prizemoney.

First raced in 2019, the make-up of the field is unique and innovative adding to the spectacle of the race. Fans vote for horses from a pool of runners that have accepted to run back in January. From there, additional runners are added from winning lead-up races such as the Futurity Stakes and the Blamey Stakes as well as horses selected as wildcards from an All-Star Mile panel making up the 2025 final field.

While still in its infancy, the All-Star Mile has a stellar winners list of Jockeys and Trainers – but no two-time winners as of yet. The best record in terms of place finishes goes to Hugh Bowman with a first and a third finish in the last 6 years while Grant and Alana Williams lead the trainers in terms of place finishes with a first and second place finish.

How do Favourites fare in this race?

‘Good in a short period of time…’

Favourites have won twice in the 6 years of the event. Although this does not provide much of a gauge of how successful Favourites have been over a long period, we can see from across the 6 races that 5 winners have had an SP of $8 or less demonstrating most winners have been in or around the top of the market. Only winner that was at double-digit odds was REGAL POWER winning at 11s in 2020.

So the takeaway – single-digit SPs have an 83% strike rate.

What Barriers are most successful?

‘Outside at Flemington – but doesn’t seem to matter in 2025… ’

Out of 6 winners, two have won from inside barriers, two from middle barriers and two from outside barriers. You can win from anywhere it seems…

But - with only a small field assembled for 2025, gates seem less important as the widest barrier is 7 – and 3 winners in the last 6 years have won from Barrier 8 or wider. This includes the previous two winners at Flemington – MYSTIC JOURNEY (13) and ZAAKI (15).

Saturday Bets! 2025 Newmarket Handicap

Does it matter where my horse settles?

‘No winners have come from the back…’

Again, lack of historical depth makes it tricky to obtain a pattern – but also, we know horses do settle in different positions depending on track bias. At Flemington, we have seen both winners settle in different positions with ZAAKI settling on pace while MYSTIC JOURNEY won from being positioned midfield and running on.

With only 7 runners on Saturday, where your horse settles may be inconsequential considering coming from the back is 6th or 7th. What’s interesting is how late many of the midfield runners come home to get over the top in the last 400m showing most runners can win from any position.

Here is the position at the 800m and 400m of the last 6 winners:

PRIDE OF JENNI 1ST/1ST; MR BRIGHTSIDE 6TH/6TH; ZAAKI 2ND/1ST; MUGATOO 8TH/5TH; REGAL POWER 4TH/4TH; MYSTIC JOURNEY 8TH/5TH.

What kind of Lead-Up form should I look for?

‘No clear, consistent path taken…’

With a field born out of distinctiveness due to the unusual nature it is selected, lead-up form has come from many different avenues. In fact, the 6 winners of the All-Star Mile have used in total 9 different races amongst them heading into the All-Star Mile.

Interestingly, the last 5 winners did not win any of their lead-up races finishing anywhere between 2nd to 5th. Furthermore, the last 5 winners were all 2UP or 3UP when they won the All-Star Mile. Only MYSTIC JOURNEY was 4UP and remarkably won all her lead-up races unlike the rest.

When looking at age and sex, the All-Star Mile continues to demonstrate its unpredictability. Out of 6 winners – two girls and four boys have won; one 3YO, 4YO, 5YO, 7YO and two 6YO. The boy winners were all at 59kg while the only Mare was at 57kg and the only Filly was at 54kg.

TBF Trivia

‘The All-Star and the Donny trifecta…’

In 2022 and 2023, the Doncaster Mile trifecta was made up of horses from the All-Star Mile field earlier in the prep. MR BRIGHTSIDE, I’M THUNDERSTRUCK and ICEBATH finished in the top three in 2022 before MR BRIGHTSIDE, MY OBERON and NUGGET did the trifecta in 2023.

Keep an eye on the Donny in 2025.

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Andy’s Rundown for the All-Star Mile:

This race is tricky for a few factors due to the lack of many historical patterns which is also compounded by having only 7 runners in this year’s race. However, we still need to have a crack. Being at Flemington does open the race up as demonstrated by MYSTIC JOURNEY and ZAAKI winning from very wide barriers and settling in different positions. This gives me hope we might move away from the Favourites – and lands me at ATISHU. Didn’t win any lead-up race like 5/6 previous winners; has the widest barrier at Flemington which is no disadvantage as seen in 2019/22 plus she’s best 2UP with a good record at track and distance; and – won last start over 1600m at Flemington…case?

Obviously ANOTHER WIL and MR BRIGHTSIDE are the dangers and rightly so. Their records speak for themselves and both are back in fine form this prep and will be there or thereabouts at the end. TOM KITTEN finished strongly last time before being pipped on the line – don’t count him out.

Nic Ashman Tip:

MR BRIGHTSIDE has better 1600m figures than ANOTHER WILL and while the latter looks set for his best prep yet, MR B is one of the best in the land and hasn't drawn barrier one which could spell problems for ANOTHER WILL if he gets trapped on the rail for a few strides. Can't have any of the $5 about TOM KITTEN, he had his chance first-up and this will be tougher.