Probabeel Primed for All Star Mile

RaceForm's Richard Edmunds reports:

Multiple Group One winner Probabeel is ready to fly the New Zealand flag in Saturday's A$5 million All-Star Mile in Melbourne, where she will attempt to go two better than what a star stablemate managed a year ago.

Matamata trainer Jamie Richards tackled the rich race 12 months ago with two-time New Zealand Horse of the Year Melody Belle, who finished third behind Regal Power and Superstorm.

Probabeel heads to The Valley in a rich vein of form, having scored super-impressive victories in the Gr. 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes and Gr. 1 Futurity Stakes in her first two starts of this preparation.

“She was outstanding winning that Group One race last start, and we've been happy with her since then,” Richards told RaceForm this week. “She's in really good shape.

“She worked nicely at The Valley on Tuesday morning, and everything seems to have gone to plan so far. Now it's just about keeping her in cotton wool up until the big race on Saturday, and hoping she can deliver again.”

Probabeel will be ridden by Damian Lane, and she has drawn gate 10 in a field of 15.

This will be Probabeel's second start at Moonee Valley, having finished seventh in the Cox Plate in October - her only defeat in five starts dating back to the spring, when she won the Gr. 1 Epsom Handicap and Gr. 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap in Sydney.

“I think her biggest problem in the Cox Plate was the rain-affected ground that day,” Richards said. “I don't believe she has any issues with getting around The Valley, so we don't have too many concerns around that leading into this weekend.

“Having said that, there is a little bit of rain in the forecast for this week, so we'll just hope it doesn't come to too much.”

Bought by Te Akau's David Ellis for $380,000 from the draft of Waikato Stud at Karaka in 2018, Probabeel has won 10 of her 21 starts and almost $3 million in stakes for Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay.

Australian bookmakers rate Probabeel a $4 second favourite for Saturday's All-Star Mile, with star Western Australian mare Arcadia Queen heading the market at $3.50. Probabeel beat Arcadia Queen in the Futurity Stakes last start, but Arcadia Queen has drawn the better of the two in gate five this time around.

The only others in single figures are Russian Camelot at $8 and Behemoth and Mugatoo at $9.