How Good is the G1 All Star Mile? Prizemoney Down- Quality Up

Tara Madgwick - Thursday Mar 5

With Autum Glow campaigning in Sydney, some of the best horses in the land have elected to go south with the result we have an outstanding field for the $2million Group I VRC All Star Mile (1600m).

Pride of Jenni won the All Star Mile in 2024 - image Grant Courtney

Created in 2019 with a purse of $5million, the All Star Mile was won in the very first year by an outstanding three year-old filly in Mystic Journey, who went into the race having just won the Group I VRC Australian Guineas.

The gradual reduction in prizemoney in recent years might have been expected to lessen the quality of runners, but this year is undoubtedly vintage.

We tend to get wrapped up in the next big thing and the challenge of finding juveniles that might ultimately evolve into something special, but this is a race where they are pretty much all special for one reason or another.

Tom Kitten won the All Star Mile in 2025 - image Grant Courtney

We have last year’s winner Tom Kitten engaged as well as Pride of Jenni, who won it in 2024 and you can add in six more G1 winners – Buckaroo (GB), Antino (NZ), Watch Me Rock and glamour mares Stefi Magnetica, Treasurethe Moment and Leica Lucy (NZ).

None of these horses were what we would call super expensive yearlings (Evaporate the dearest at $330,000) and yet they have combined to win a staggering amount of prizemoney tallying $45million and change.

The 11 runners are all by 11 different sires and highlight the very real scenario that a good horse can indeed come from anywhere.

All Star Mile – who can win in 2026?

1. Tom Kitten (AUS) (Harry Angel (IRE)) A and S Freedman / Craig Williams (7) 59kg

2. Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock) Chris Waller / Mark Zahra (6) 59kg

3. Antino (NZ) (Redwood (GB)) Tony Gollan / Jamie Melham (1) 59kg

4. Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto (USA)) Ben, Will and Jd Hayes / Luke Currie (8) 59kg

5. Steparty (AUS) (Artie Schiller (USA)) Paul Preusker / John Allen (11) 59kg

6. Watch Me Rock (AUS) (Awesome Rock) Mark W Walker / William Pike (5) 59kg

7. Sabaj (AUS) (Manhattan Rain) M G and M Price and Kent / Beau Mertens (3) 59kg

8. Pride Of Jenni (AUS) (Pride Of Dubai) Ciaron Maher / Declan Bates (2) 57kg

9. Stefi Magnetica (AUS) (All Too Hard) Bjorn Baker / Hugh Bowman (4) 57kg

10. Treasurethe Moment (AUS) (Alabama Express) Matt Laurie / Ben Melham (9) 57kg

11. Leica Lucy (NZ) (Derryn) Chris Waller / Jye McNeil (10) 57kg

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