Alligator Blood tops public voting on $5m All-Star Mile at The Valley

Alligator Blood was the most popular horse in public betting on the $5m All-Star Mile at The Valley on March 18. Picture : Racing Photos via Getty Images.

Alligator Blood's career has had its controversies but racing fans have again shown they love the five-time Group 1 winner in All-Star Mile voting.

Last Saturday's Group 1 Futurity Stakes winner topped the public voting for the All-Star Mile for the second time in three years.

Alligator Blood was the leading vote-getter in 2020 but the gelding finished 10th behind Regal Power in the All-Star Mile, which was held in the early days of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Alligator Blood attracted 18,301 votes, putting him more than 2000 votes ahead of the second-placed I Wish I Win (16,002 votes).

However, I Wish I Win's trainer Peter Moody has all but ruled out I Wish I Win running in the All-Star Mile, setting the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap as the smart Kiwi galloper's next test.

The Ben and JD Hayes-trained Gentleman Roy grabbed the last publicly-voted spot in the March 18 event with 2707 votes, keeping out Group 1 winning filly Sheeza Belter (2460 votes) and the Moody-trained Pounding.

Gentleman Roy grabbed the last spot in the publicly-voted runners in next month's $5m All-Star Mile at The Valley. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.

Last year's runner-up I'm Thunderstruck again proved popular with the gelding third in voting with 15,416 votes while Mr Brightside, who finished fourth to Zaaki in 2022, secured another All-Star Mile start with 9,961 votes.

Nugget, syndicated in the same interests as the 2021 All-Star Mile winner Mugatoo and last year's Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip, was fifth in All-Star Mile betting on 6,963 votes.

A hefty local push propelled Tasmanian galloper The Inevitable (5897) into the All-Star Mile field, giving the Scott Brunton-trained gelding, who has won his last six starts, the chance to give the Apple Isle a second win in the $5m event.

Mystic Journey won the inaugural edition of the All-Star Mile at Flemington for Devonport trainer Adam Trinder and adopted Tasmanian jockey Anthony Darmanin.

The Lindsey Smith-trained Group 1 winner Tuvalu secured an All-Star Mile start with 4617 votes ahead of glamour three-year-old Jacquinot (3998 votes).

But Jacquinot is an unlikely runner with trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr more likely to target Group 1 races to enhance the classy galloper's stud value.

Bargain buy Keats made the All-Star Mile field via a concerted public relations campaign. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.

A campaign that included a large mural in La Trobe Street in the city and the backing of Australian singer Shannon Noll paid off for the Gavin Bedggood-trained Keats, who finished ninth in voting with 2851 votes.

While the public voting has ended, Racing Victoria will offer four wildcards to runners of its choosing, irrespective of whether the horses were original All-Star Mile entries.

The winner of Saturday's Group 2 Blamey Stakes at Flemington is also entitled to an All-Star Mile wildcard should connections decide to tackle the rich event at The Valley.

The Top 10 vote-getters in the 2023 All-Star Mile (with their trainer in brackets) were as follows:

1 – Alligator Blood (Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott) – 18,301 votes

2 – I Wish I Win (Peter Moody) – 16,002 votes – DOUBTFUL STARTER

3 – I'm Thunderstruck (Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr) – 15,416 votes

4 – Mr Brightside (Ben and JD Hayes) – 9,661 votes

5 – Nugget (Ciaron Maher and David Eustace) – 6,963 votes

6 – The Inevitable (Scott Brunton) – 5,897 votes

7 – Tuvalu (Lindsey Smith) – 4,617 votes

8 – Jacquinot (Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr) – 3,998 votes – DOUBTFUL STARTER

9 – Keats (Gavin Bedggood) – 2,851 votes

10 – Gentleman Roy (Ben and JD Hayes) – 2,707 votes