The ‘Owner Ambassadors’ who will represent the top 10 vote-getters in The All-Star Mile have today been announced by Racing Victoria (RV), with each in line to claim a share of $500,000 in prizemoney.
With $250,000 on offer to the winning ambassador, the world’s richest mile race at Flemington on Saturday, 16 March could prove a life-changing experience for one lucky ‘owner’.
Those that voted for each of the top 10 vote-getters – which were unveiled on Thursday at Flemington – were placed in a random draw with one voter per horse rewarded for helping to turn their favourite horse into an All-Star.
The 10 ambassadors are located in towns and cities across the country, reflecting the demographic of the near on 140,000 people who lodged eligible votes to help shape the 14-horse field for the inaugural The All-Star Mile.
The Owner Ambassadors and their representatives in the $5 million race are as follows:
- Alizee - Aaron Campbell (Greensborough, VIC)
- Amphitrite - Blake Hutchins (Berwick, VIC)
- Balf’s Choice - Adam Durdin (Angle Vale, SA)
- Foundry - Gerard Dooley (Ballarat, VIC)
- Grunt - Jonathon Monasso (Doncaster, VIC)
- Man of His Word - Hanna Bellew (Wollongbar, NSW)
- Material Man - Zoe Austen (Ivanhoe, VIC)
- Moss ‘n’ Dale - Jodie Finnegan (Yarra Glen, VIC)
- Mr Money Bags - Ashlee Hammond (Flemington, VIC)
- Urban Ruler - Ron Trezise (Bunbury, WA)
“The opportunity for Owner Ambassadors to be part of the day and experience the thrill of racehorse ownership is an integral element of The All-Star Mile concept,” RV’s Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter, said.
“With each Owner Ambassador guaranteed to win at least $10,000 and the winner going home with $250,000, there are sure to be some wild celebrations on The All-Star Mile Raceday at Flemington on 16 March.
“I want to wish each of The All-Star Mile Owner Ambassadors the very best of luck as they countdown to what will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
The dream of winning $250,000 remains alive for everyone else that lodged a validated eligible vote on The All-Star Mile website, including those who voted for The Autumn Sun and the first wildcard Happy Clapper.
Everyone will be entered into the second chance draw for the opportunity to be randomly selected as the Owner Ambassador for one of the three remaining wildcard runners which will be announced by RV on or before Monday, 4 March.
The position as the Owner Ambassador for Happy Clapper will be determined via a reader competition being run by Melbourne’s Herald Sun and Sydney’s Daily Telegraph. The details of the Happy Clapper competition, which was officially launched today, can be found at www.allstarmilewildcard.com.au.
The breakdown of prizemoney for the Owner Ambassadors is as follows:
1st $250,000
2nd $80,000
3rd $40,000
4th $25,000
5th $15,000
6th to 14th $10,000 each