Hayes team in anxious Doncaster Mile wait

Lindsay Park continue to sweat on first emergency Rise At Dawn (NZ) (Almanzor) getting a start in the Gr.1 Doncaster Mile (1600m), hopeful he can repeat the heroics of stablemate Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) three years ago.

Mr Brightside's biggest win had been at Listed level before he posted the first of his back-to-back Doncaster victories as a four-year-old in 2022.

Prior to landing his maiden major, he had finished fourth in the All-Star Mile (1600m) and training partners Ben, Will and JD Hayes have followed a similar template with Rise At Dawn.

A dual Listed winner, the gelding finished sixth to Saturday's rival Tom Kitten (Harry Angel) in the All-Star Mile at level weights and will be the beneficiary of a 4.5kg weight turnaround at Randwick.

But as first reserve, he needs a scratching to squeeze into the field.

"We've taken our time with him and he has just kept stepping up," Ben Hayes said.

"He was really thrown in the deep end in the All-Star Mile…. you can just see those topliners are a little bit good for him at the moment but he is that kind of horse who will keep improving.

"He has come out of the race in excellent order and he gets into a Doncaster with 51 kilos, and he's got the same rating as Mr Brightside when he won it, so fingers crossed."

If he can gain a start, Rise At Dawn is expected to give plenty of cheek from barrier two.

"He has got that high natural cruising speed and with 51 kilos on his back in the 'Donnie' and a couple of good, hard runs, he will be a horse people forget and he'll surprise, a bit like Brightside did."

Thanks to Mr Brightside, Lindsay Park has collected two of the past three renewals of the Doncaster Mile (1600m), while Chris Waller will be looking to join Gai Waterhouse and T J Smith as the race's most successful trainer.

Waller has won six Doncaster Miles, Winx (Street Cry) in 2016 his most recent, and will saddle up five runners as he bids to add to that haul.