‘Mr B’ and ‘Mr B 2.0’ Lindsay Park’s 2025 All-Star Mile runners

Lindsay Park has decided not to take up the All-Star Mile wildcard that Marble Arch secured at Flemington on Saturday, instead setting their focus on Sydney with the in-form mare.

The Per Incanto mare broke through for her first Group 2 success in the Blamey Stakes (1600m), which granted her automatic entry into this Saturday’s $2.5 million All-Star Mile. However, Ben Hayes explained that the race came up too quickly for her.

Hayes, alongside his training partners Will and JD, now plans to take her to Sydney for the $1 million Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill a week later.

“Marble Arch pulled up not quite 100 percent to back up, she’s absolutely fine, but she just felt the run a little bit,” Hayes said on Monday morning.

“It was a career peak performance and we’re probably looking to lean towards heading to Sydney and running in the Coolmore.

“The way she ran on Saturday she’d be very competitive in a Coolmore against the really good fillies and mares in Sydney.”

While Marble Arch will miss the All-Star Mile, Lindsay Park will still have representation in the race through Rise At Dawn, who secured his spot after winning the Listed The Elms at Flemington on February 15.

Interestingly, Mr Brightside finished third in The Elms in 2022 before placing fourth in the All-Star Mile and going on to win the next two Doncaster Miles. Hayes suggested Rise At Dawn might be on a similar trajectory.

“We were joking when he won last start that he was ‘Brightside 2.0′,” he said.

“Brightside ran fourth in an All-Star Mile then went on to win a Donny (Doncaster), at this stage he looks like sneaking into that race with a very light weight (51kg) so if he can get in with a weight like that it’d be exciting.

“It would not surprise me if he could finish in the top four, but we’ll be learning. He’s taking on the best and it will give us a good guide where he’s at.”

Despite Rise At Dawn’s potential, Lindsay Park’s main hope remains Mr Brightside, who is set to contest his fourth All-Star Mile. He claimed the 2023 edition at Moonee Valley before running second to Pride Of Jenni last year at Caulfield.

Mr Brightside has been forced to jump from wide barriers in his past two starts—finishing second in the C F Orr Stakes before winning the Futurity Stakes—and Hayes hopes for a better draw this time.

“I’d love it if he was able to draw a barrier where he can take a sit, because I think he’s a horse better chasing, but he’s in great order and we can’t fault him.”

Mr Brightside currently leads the All-Star Mile betting at $2.80, followed by Another Wil at $4 and Futurity Stakes runner-up Tom Kitten at $5, while Rise At Dawn sits as a $26 outsider.