All-Star Mile Tips & Preview 2023

Looking for All-Star Mile tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2023 All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley.

ALL-STAR MILE BETTING SNAPSHOT

The last start Futurity Stakes (1400m) winner, Alligator Blood, is the $2.80 favourite with Palmerbet ahead of I’m Thunderstruck at $6 and Mr Brightside at $6.50. The three-year-old filly, Sheeza Belter, is at $14, while the Godolphin galloper, Cascadian, is at $15.

There are 15 runners in the All-Star Mile as well as one emergency. Laws Of Indices is at $16, while the French import, Alenquer, is at $18. Nugget and Gentleman Roy heads the rest at the $20 quote.

ALL-STAR MILE FORM ANALYSIS

The first six past the post in the Futurity Stakes are in action in the All-Star Mile. Alligator Blood was first up that day and settled up front before finding plenty in the run home to defeat Mr Brightside by more than a length, while I’m Thunderstruck was 3rd.

Alligator Blood should only improve second up and went 9.6 lengths faster than standard benchmark. He improved eight lengths on figures when second up after more than two months off the scene when going from a luckless 7th in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) to a narrow runner-up behind I’m Thunderstruck in the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last spring.

I’m Thunderstruck has not won since that outing but did finish runner-up in the Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley behind Anamoe. Not quite sure that the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper is going quite as well this time around. Mr Brightside produced the fastest last 200m in the Futurity Stakes but has only finished ahead of Alligator Blood once in five outings between the pair.

Aegon (4th), Nugget (5th) and My Oberon (6th) are the others to come out of the Futurity. Hard to see any of that trio turning the tables but it is worth noting that My Oberon pulled up with issues and his best performance since coming to Australia came at the track and trip when taking out the Crystal Mile on Cox Plate day, going 16.8 lengths faster than standard benchmark.

That is the second best figure that any horse in this race has produced in the past two years, just behind the 17 lengths faster than standard that I’m Thunderstruck produced when winning the 2021 Toorak Handicap (1600m) with the light weight.

Cascadian and Laws Of Indices come down after recent racing in Sydney. Cascadian draws wide and will probably have to be snagged back. Laws Of Indices might be a tier or two below some of the favoured runners.

Sheeza Belter injects the three-year-old flavour and went a healthy 11.2 lengths faster than standard when 3rd in the recent Coolmore Classic (1500m). She rises 1.5kg in weight but hit the line hard and should be strong late.

Is there a diamond in the rough? Gentleman Roy might lead and give a kick. He went at a hectic tempo early on in the Blamey Stakes (1600m) before just fading late into 4th position. The Ben & JD Hayes-trained galloper was first past the post in the CF Orr Stakes (1400m) prior to that before being relegated on protest.

Keats comes in full of fitness and with the best last start benchmark figures of any runner, going 12.5 lengths faster than standard when being run down late in the Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Sandown last time. That was a career peak for the Gavin Bedggood-trained galloper, who draws well in barrier 4. Alenquer makes his Australian debut and worked well at Moonee Valley last Tuesday. Monitor betting for the Mike Moroney-trained galloper.

ALL-STAR MILE TIPS AND BEST BETS

No reason to suggest why Alligator Blood can’t win again after defying the challengers first up at Sandown. He will strip fitter and kicked clear at his only go at Moonee Valley last year in the Cox Plate before finding the 2040m too far. 1600m is much better. Gentleman Roy presents a bit of value and will settle on speed at the Valley, which is usually a tick. He can slip away with a softer run this time around and is worth thought at the each-way quote.