Racing
2026 Doncaster Mile - Let History Be Your Guide!
CHRIS SCHOLTZ dissects the facts and figures that can point you to the winner of this year's $4 million Doncaster Mile at Randwick.
It is also a race steeped in history, first run on the famous Randwick course in 1866 some five years after the first Melbourne Cup.
Traditionally the highlight of Easter Saturday racing at Randwick, the Doncaster Handicap began as a mile race but from 1879 to 1884 was run over nine furlongs. It remained the Doncaster Handicap when racing went metric in 1973 but deferred to its history in 2010 when its title was changed to the Doncaster Mile even though it is run over the metric 1600 metres.
Sydney's autumn carnival is now a sequence of floating race dates but the Doncaster's custodians – the Australian Turf Club - have protected its standing by keeping prizemoney ahead of other Group One races run over 1600m, ensuring it attracts the best of the best and remains squarely in the public eye as a highlight of the Sydney autumn.
In 2026 the field falls short of capacity with only 16 acceptors competing for $4 million prizemoney but record betting turnover is a surety as the race will be covered by the world tote – a betting pool that links investments from punters across the globe, not the least being the punt mad Hong Kong public.
Their betting will be driven by the presence of Zac Purton and James McDonald – the world's most popular jockeys with Chinese and Australian punters.
With a history spanning almost 160 years much can be made of historical precedents when searching for the Doncaster winner. Historians revel in the statistics that surround the Melbourne Cup but they find equal enjoyment citing historical facts and figures when it comes to analysing a Doncaster field.
There are countless stats to compute but I'm going to make it simple! The following is a rundown of the most critical and relevant historical facts that apply to the Doncaster. In the end we will have a list of horses that history says have all the right credentials to play leading roles in the 2026 Doncaster Mile!
AGE/SEX: History says you must be with all the 3YOs in any Doncaster field – it's their race! Top class 3YOs invariably target the Doncaster, a trend that took off in the 1980s when astute trainers exploited the advantage the age group hold under handicap conditions combined with their scope for improvement at a time of the season when they are reaching full maturity
Some 33 three-year-olds have won the Doncaster including nine since 2000, a strike rate of better than one every three years over the last two and a half decades! It's also a 3YO strike rate unequalled in open age G1 races in Australia.
There has been only one 5YO and one 7YO win in the past 13 years.
Fillies and mares have won the Doncaster 35 times. The last mare to win the Doncaster was STEFFI MAGNETICA in 2025. 3YO Fillies have won the Doncaster 11 times but the last was SUNLINE in 1999 (17 starters since for one placing – Norzita in 2013).
WEIGHT/FORM: It's a challenge to win the Doncaster Mile under the topweight but it's not impossible. Since the switch to metrics in 1973 seven Doncaster winners have carried 57kg or more, the record of 59.5kg set by Super Impose in his second win in 1991.
In the 50 years before metrics 11 winners carried 9 stone (57kg) or more including 10.4 (65.5kg) by Chatham in 1934 that equalled Marvel's feat under the same weight in 1892.
At the other end of the scale five of the last seven winners have carried 53kg or less and 17 of the last 23 winners 55kg or less. Only two winners have carried 57kg or more this century.
A popular key is to look for the horses with a significant drop in weight from a prominent performance at weight-for-age, especially in the G1 George Ryder Stakes.
WINX was the last of eight horses to complete the George Ryder-Doncaster double in the same year while 15 of the last 30 Doncaster winners including six of the last 10 have come through the Rosehill WFA event as their final lead-up. All six of those winners finished in the first four in the George Ryder Stakes.
The advent of Melbourne's All Star Mile has seen it become a key form reference in recent years. In 2022 and again in 2023 all three Doncaster placegetters ran in the All-Star Mile.
The Doncaster Prelude winner cannot be re-handicapped but no horses has backed up from the Prelude to win the Doncaster since it took the place of the Ajax Stakes in 2010 as the final prep race.
The Ajax Stakes was moved to an earlier date in 2010 but remains a worthy Doncaster guide as the winner is also exempt from a penalty. The Ajax/Doncaster double has been was won four times, the last being IT'S SOMEWHAT in 2017.
The Sky High Stakes over 2000m at Rosehill has produced four Doncaster winners since 2013, showing horses can come back from longer distances in their final prep race. The Rosehill Guineas (1 winner) and Ranvet Stakes (3 winners) are other 2000m races to produce Doncaster winners in the last 30 years.
The Epsom Handicap – the spring equivalent of the Doncaster over the Randwick mile – is often a worthy form reference. The big mile double has been won nine times in the same season, the last being HAPPY CLAPPER in 2017-18.
However the starting price of 13 of the last 20 winners was $8 or less.
WET TRACK: Most top class horses don't get to that level without displaying the ability to cope with affected tracks. It's just that some cope with serious wet conditions better than others.
Nine of the last 11 Doncaster Miles have been run on rain-affected tracks. STEFI MAGNETICA won the 2025 edition on a good track, the first since HAPPY CLAPPER's win in 2018.
BARRIERS: A wide barrier is no great disadvantage in the Doncaster Mile. The 1600m start at Randwick is one of the fairest in Australia with the field granted a straight run of 600 metres to the first turn at the 1000m.
Coming from a wide gate is supported by the statistics as the most successful Doncaster barriers since 1996 have been gates 12, 16 and 18 with three wins each. 14 of the last 30 winners started from gates 11-18. However barriers 2 to 5 have produced 4 of the last 5 winners.
Chris Waller has won the race six times in the last 16 years including an historic first four in 2013. He has two runners this year. Other Doncaster winning trainers with starters this year are Joe Pride (2 wins), brothers Ben and JD Hayes (2 wins) and Bjorn Baker.
No horse representing a northern hemisphere stable has won a Doncaster.
JOCKEYS: Now retired Glen Boss is the Doncaster record holder with seven wins between 1996 and 2019.
Past winners with mounts this year are three time winner Zac Purton, Nash Rawiller (2 wins); Jason Collett, Tyler Schiller; Tim Clark, Craig Williams and Jamie Melham (Kah).
2026 DONCASTER MILE SELECTIONS
(15) SHEZA ALIBI; (7) AUTUMN BOY; (3) HEADLEY GRANGE; (8) STEPARTY; (5) LINEBACKER; (10) ATTICA; (9) VIVY AIR; (11) CRISTAL CLEAR
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