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All-Star Mile winner likely to have one start in Queensland

All-Star Mile (1600m) winner Mugatoo (Henrythenavigator) will press on to the Queensland carnival, with trainer Kris Lees eyeing a tilt in the Doomben Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) on May 22 with the six-year-old gelding. 

The gelding is having a short break following his sixth place finish in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) last Saturday and as well as the Doomben Cup, he will also be nominated for the inaugural $1.2 million The Q22 (2200m), which will serve as an end-of-season, weight-for-age finale for middle-distance horses.

However, Lees says Mugatoo is likely to have just one run in Queensland and then they will turn their attention to the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m). 

"It is a long time until the Cox Plate, which is his long-term goal," Lees said.

"He will have a week out on our water walker and then will be back by the end of the week.

"We will then prepare him for the Doomben Cup.

"Timing wise, it works to just give him one run in Queensland, we want to get him to the Cox Plate so he will need a break after this leading into that.

"Being Weight For Age and 2000 metres, I think he will get around Doomben well," Lees said.

"He handled Moonee Valley, it is hard to compare that to Doomben, but any rain does not worry him.

"To be fair, it will probably be a grade below the Queen Elizabeth Stakes that he recently ran in.

"He has come on well from the All-Star Mile, he obviously has not won in his two runs since, but he ran well and was competitive in the Doncaster and Queen Elizabeth.

"He was racing pretty well."