Purton eyes fourth Doncaster Mile victory – this time with Militarize
Hong Kong’s champion jockey bullish on his chances in Group One Australian feature
Zac Purton is confident he can land a fourth Doncaster Mile when he rides outstanding colt Militarize in the
Group One feature at Randwick in Australia today.
One of 12 races simulcast by the Jockey Club today, the A$4 million (HK$20.61 million) Doncaster has been a favourite for Purton after three successful raids in the past decade.
Hong Kong’s champion jockey teamed up with Chris Waller, the trainer of Militarize, to win on Sacred
Falls in 2014. He also guided It’s Somewhat to victory in 2017 and Mr Brightside last year.
The Australian rider was thrilled to pick up the ride on Militarize, a three-time Group One winner who finished strongly for third in the Group One George Ryder Stakes (1,500m) at Rosehill last start.
“There’s a bit of history there. Obviously I’ve won the race before for Waller and had some success for Newgate [Farm], as well,” Purton said, referring to his Group One Canterbury Stakes (1,300m) triumph on the Newgate-owned Artorius at Rosehill in March last year.
“[A fourth Doncaster] would be nice. I won’t complain.”
Purton views the prospect of a heavily rain-affected Randwick track as an advantage, with Militarize claiming his first elite level win in last year’s Inglis Sires’ (1,400m) on a heavy Randwick surface.
The son of Dundeel also won the Group One Champagne Stakes at the Doncaster course and distance and the Group One Golden Rose (1,400m) at Rosehill last year.
“I saw a stat where 16 of the last 17 Doncasters have been run on slow or heavy tracks. It seems to always be wet and it’s going to be wet again this year,”
Purton said. “[Militarize] likes the Randwick mile and he’s been successful on a wet track before.
“Three-year-olds have a good record in the race, although he’s poorly handicapped against Celestial Legend, but he’s just got to show how good he is really.
“I’m certainly hopeful. You don’t run him in a Cox Plate as a three-yearold unless they think a bit of you. This is his chance to take that next step and he’s got a chance.”
Rated an $8.50 chance in overseas fixed-odds markets, Militarize ran second to Celestial Legend in the Group One Randwick Guineas (1,600m) last month, but he concedes an additional 11 pounds to the Boniface Ho Ka-kui-owned galloper in the Doncaster. Militarize has drawn barrier four in the capacity field of 20 plus four emergencies.
“It will just come down to how wet the track is on the day, how it’s playing, whatever bias there is and all that sort of stuff, so it’s hard to know whether it’s going to be a good or bad draw at the moment,” Purton said.
Purton has five other rides at Randwick – Aft Cabin in the Group One TJ Smith Stakes (1,200m), Duvana in the Group One Inglis Sires’, Bright Red in the Group Two Adrian Knox Stakes (2,000m), Tannhauser in the Group Three HKJC World Pool Carbine Club Stakes (1,600m) and Embassy in the Group Three Kindergarten Stakes (1,100m).
Races three to 10 at Randwick will be part of the Jockey Club’s simulcast offering. Four Group One races from Turffontein, headlined by the SA Derby (2,450m), will also be beamed live.