All-Star Mile 2021: Contenders race to stand out in final days of public voting

He might look like a character from Game of Thrones, but trainer Ciaran Maher wants to rule the turf rather than some mythical kingdom.

With only a few days remaining for the 2021 All-Star Mile, the trainer is pulling out all stops in an effort to secure votes for his contending horses, which includes 2021 Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet.

Drawing inspiration from the racehorse’s name, Maher decided to dress the part.

Trainer Ciaron Maher gets into character on Dandenong Rd in an effort to put Sir Dragonet’s name on the map before voting closes for the 2021 All-Star Mile. Picture: Jason EdwardsSource:News Corp Australia

“When I first started training, getting dressed up in costume wasn’t exactly what I envisioned doing, but here we are,’ said Maher.

“We got a few honks from drivers and someone even yelled out ‘go Sir Dragonet’ during the shoot, so our efforts aren’t in vain.”

It’s just one of the ways the owners of Sir Dragonet are thinking outside of the box to increase their All-Star Mile prospects, having also taken out 34 billboards across Australia to give the star racehorse added publicity.

“We’ve also got Amish Boy and Grand Slam contending for the race, so given the name of that latter it would be great to link up with a player from the Australian Open, so we’ll see what we can do.”

Maher and his team aren’t the only ones getting inventive with their All-Star Mile campaigns, with the owners of Arcadia Queen pledging $10,000 to Living Legends if they make the selection.

The Tasmanian team behind Still a Star are also thinking outside the box, offering $5000 in prizes to those who help keep the racehorse in the top 10.

Gai Waterhouse-trained mare Shout the Bar is another racehorse making light of its name, with his owners offering one voter an impressive $10,000 bar or restaurant tab at a location of their choice.

Behemoth has already secured a considerable amount of votes, but that hasn’t stopped his owners from offering up 2.5 per cent of the prizemoney as an added incentive.

The All-Star mile is the only race in the country where the public play a role in choosing the final field of horses, with each voter having a chance at taking home part of the $500,000 total prize pool.

It’s not too late to get behind one of the nominated horses. Simply vote online before nominations close this Sunday.

Cast your vote at allstarmile.com.au

Originally published asPrizes and ploys in desperate bid to win race berth

Source: Read Full Article