It's like “The Straddie” - when Aussies give a race a nickname, you know it's one particularly dear to their punting hearts.
We love our feature handicaps, and there are few sights in racing to increase the pulse more precipitously than the spectacle of a big Doncaster Mile field as it tops that famous Royal Randwick rise and heads for home!
Day One of The Championships kicks off - and this most time honoured of mile contests forms the third Group One leg on a monster race card which boasts four of them.
Since 1866, crowds have flocked to Randwick to place their bets and madly cheer their Doncaster runner on.
Still registered as the Doncaster Handicap, the great race was traditionally run on Easter Monday until the advent of The Championships format.
From 1879 to 1884, they raced over 9 furlongs, then at the old “true” mile until 1973.
Metrics schmetrics- It's the Doncaster Mile, as the ATC officially named it in 2010 - always has been, always will be!
The inaugural running of 1866 was taken out by a chestnut stallion named Dundee, a worthy steed who had won the other big Randwick mile,the Epsom Hcp, in the spring.
Dundee - his name is forgotten to us now but he must have been a good ‘un. The horses who followed him to complete the famous mile double in the one season are Authentic Heir, Broker's Tip, Marvel, Chatham, Gunsynd, Happy Clapper, Super Impose and Winx.
Of course, old “Super” went where no horse had ever gone before or since and did it twice.
In the annual excitement and conversation about the Doncaster there's always an inbuilt “Supercomponent”.
The bold, intelligent chestnut face of Super Impose in his distinctive white bridle seems to hover in the ether, daring us not to relive his legendary Randwick exploits. As if we would ever forget - or pass up the opportunity - so let’s saddle up and ride with the great son of Imposing down memory lane once more.
Lee Freedman's Kiwi-bred marvel showed promise as a young horse, but didn't win a metropolitan race until his four year old season. After the gelding had won the ATC Summer Cup, Lee told reporters he reckoned he had a “pretty smart handicapper” on his hands.
As a five year old Super ran second in the Melbourne Cup under 56kg to Tawriffic. He had not yet contested either the Epsom or the Doncaster!
His first Donny attempt came later that year. With 57kg on his back, the big chestnut wowed the Randwick crowd with a last to first finishing burst that propelled him to victory over champion Shaftesbury Avenue.
The next season, Super lined up in his first Epsom with 58.5kg - and again he flew like a bullet down the outside as if he were carrying a featherweight, overhauling the leaders in the last strides.
Back in Melbourne, the great horse bled while preparing for the Cox Plate, but he was back in Sydney the following autumn to win the Chipping Norton and the Ranvet before a shock last in the BMW. Racing fans were devastated, but not for long - Super lined up in the Doncaster next start and he won.
At seven, as a veteran of 56 starts, Super won his second Epsom and completed his unique Randwick mile “double double” - a feat which will probably never be equalled.
His second Epsom triumph was the result of a Darren Beadman ride described at the time as “insanity bordering on genius.” Dazza dived to the inside and took Super on a slalom run through the pack under his 61.5kg, bursting clear in the closing stages as racecaller Johnny Tapp uttered his famous cry “He's going to do it! It's history at Randwick!”
Super Impose set the weight carrying records of 61.5 in the Epsom and 59.5 in the Doncaster. Later that year he was runner up in the Cox Plate and then was fourth to the great Let’s Elope in the Melbourne Cup, giving her 9kg.
By the time the next Doncaster rolled round he was an eight year old carrying 61.5kg. He finished fourth.
But Super Impose had one last, glorious moment to share with his adoring public and it was of course the infamous Cox Plate of 1992.
Arguably the best field ever assembled including 12 multiple G1 winners took part in a chaotic drama-fest that had racegoers reeling in shock and sent the adrenalin levels of all involved - or watching - off the charts.
The hulking and ominous form of Let's Elope emerged from the carnage which had sent the hot favourite Naturalism and others crashing out of contention as the field hurtled towards the home turn. Right on her hammer was Super, being sooled along desperately by Mick Dittman to stay in touch as the giant mare came around them like a locomotive, while Better Loosen Up was climbing over backs trying to get a run.
He burst through into clear air at the very moment the Let’s Elope express veered off the rails, monstering BLU. In this hectic series of events Super Impose had somehow avoided misfortune, and now he spied the winning post. He lunged at it.
“Super!” screamed Greg Miles. “ I think Super Impose a nose to Let's Elope in the Cox Plate….”
In retirement, Hall Of Famer Super would make the trip from his home at Glenlogan Park in Queensland to appear at Randwick on Epsom and Doncaster days. The old man with his sway back still had the look of eagles as he gazed out over the course, which he - the horse many still regard as Australasia's greatest ever miler - had made his own.
Randwick crowds thrilled to the deeds of Sunline as the mighty Kiwi tackled three Doncasters for the ages.
Her first was a romp to victory. The following year she went down fighting under 57.5kg to Over with 51.5. But it was the 2002 Doncaster that will live forever as one of the greatest races ever seen at Randwick. Lumbered with 58kg, Sunline went out, as always, to take no prisoners. As they topped the rise the crowd held their collective breath, willing the great mare on as the challengers emerged from the pack - two memorable turf warriors in their own right, Shogun Lodge and Defier.
The roar was deafening as the post drew near. Defier was coming but Sunline was holding strong - and then Shogun Lodge escaped a pocket and launched. Despite his equal topweight of 58 he was gaining on the mare!.
It was an all-out, no holds barred epic that lasted 100m but seemed to happen in slow motion. They hit the line and it was too close to call. But Sunline the valiant had managed to win by a lip - and Shogun had to settle for second again.
He would be runner up in 12 G1 races ( two Doncasters) but he won three ( beating Sunline in the George Main) in an exceptional era. No one who saw the 2002 Doncaster could doubt that Shogun Lodge was a champion - but he was beaten by an all time great.
Through the 2000s we marvelled at the likes of Grand Armee, Private Steer, Racing To Win, Haradasun, the beloved “ Rangi” - Rangirangdoo - the great mare More Joyous, dual Doncaster champion Sacred Falls and Kermadec.
Legendary trainer Guy Walter snagged the Doncaster trifecta of 2005 won by his turf warrior Patezza, with Courts In Session second and Danni Martine third.
2016 - the year of Winx. The great one shouldered 56.5kg to a famous victory. Her relative, Gringotts, is this year’s Doncaster topweight. He’s not going to win four Cox Plates - but he is a very good horse, and like his famous relative he carries weight exceptionally well. Gringotts possibly has a better chance than a lot of highly weighted good horses that have tackled this race.
Brutal (2019) and Celestial Legend ( 2024) are the latest three year old Doncaster Mile winners, of which there have been 33 in all.
The amazing Mr Brightside (2022/23) is the latest of only twelve horses to win dual Doncasters, the others being Sacred Falls, Sunline, Pharaoh, Super Impose, Fine And Dandy, Tudor Hill, Slogan II, Blue Legend and Mildura.
Stay tuned for another compelling chapter of Doncaster history this Saturday and check out our tips in Breeding to Win – 2026 Doncaster.
