The Crystal Mile is a Group 2 open handicap race held each year at Moonee Valley racecourse during the Melbourne spring racing carnival in October. The race is run over a distance of 1600 metres and worth $200,000 in prizemoney. The 2011 Crystal Mile was won by Testa My Patience from Hawks Bay with He's Remarkable third.
The Crystal Mile is held on the same day as the Moonee Valley Racing Club's most prestigious race, the Group 1 WS Cox Plate.
The Crystal Mile is the prominent mile race of the spring for the Moonee Valley Racing Club and usually attracts above average horses to make a hotly contested race. A race such as the Gr1 Toorak Hcp at Caulfield provides the ideal lead up to this event and horses competing in this race might consider making their way to the Gr1 Emirates Stakes at Flemington on the final day of the four-day Melbourne Cup carnival.
The race suits strong milers who can run a solid 1600m, and those horses with good track & distance form around the tight Moonee Valley track have a decided advantage over any interstate horses racing at the track for the first time.
More often than not, the winner of this race will be a more than handy miler best suited in Group 2 races or lower, but occasionally the winner may be capable of winning a Group 1 event later in the spring.
Testa My Patience (2011) won a handicap event over 1400m at Caulfield before scoring a comfortable win in this race and recent Crystal Mile winners include Sound Journey (2010) and Rangirangdoo (2009).
Spring Carnival Guide
Gathering (6th in 2010) went on to win the Gr1 Railway Stakes at Ascot during the Perth Summer Carnival after finishing unplaced in this event, while Rangirangdoo (2009) ran second in the Gr1 Epsom Handicap in Sydney on his way to winning this race.
All American (3rd in 2009) went on to win the Emirates Stakes during the Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington while Sea Battle (2nd 2008) managed to finish runner-up in the 2008 Emirates Stakes.
Orange County (2nd 2007) won the 2008 Gr1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes the following spring while Tears I Cry (3rd 2007) went on to take out the Emirates Stake in the same year.
2011 Crystal Mile result
1. $6.00 Testa My Patience 53.5 C Newitt
2. $81.00 Hawks Bay 54.5 D Yendall
3. $4.40 He’s Remarkable 52.5 C Brown
then followed
4. $14.00 Happy Trails 52.5 C Williams
5. $11.00 Ginga Dude 55.5 M Walker
6. $11.00 Triple Elegance 55.0 D Oliver
7. $6.00 Luen Yat Forever 54.5 L Nolen
8. $17.00 Danleigh 58.0 H Bowman
9. $13.00 Blackie 52.5 B Avdulla
10. $18.00 Silver Grecian 53.5 D Beadman
11. $10.00 Dao Dao 55.0 D Dunn
12. $151.00 Playwright 53.5 D Holland
Margins: 1 1/2 len, 1 3/4 len Time: 1:36.74
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