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By Ray Hickson

Champion jockey Hugh Bowman says Mugatoo requires a “career best” to emerge as a big gun of Australian racing by toppling a trio of stars in Saturday’s Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

Jockey Hugh Bowman (Pic: Steve Hart).

Bowman perhaps would have been more bullish had the six-year-old ran up to his favouritism and won last week’s Doncaster Mile but he’s not prepared to write the horse off.

Mugatoo, on the fourth line of TAB betting at $7.50 on Friday behind Verry Elleegant, Addeybb and Sir Dragonet, is the only non-Group 1 winner in the seven horse field but his performances in the Cox Plate and in winning the All Star Mile showed he’s one in waiting.

“We expected more from him in the Doncaster but his run was far from disappointing,’’ Bowman said.

“I’m hopeful the tempo of weight-for-age 2000m is more to his liking than the fast, high speed, of the 1600m Doncaster. Admittedly he’s probably going to have to run a career best to win but there’s no reason why he can’t do that.

“Verry Elleegant in my opinion is the obvious one to beat, Addeybb was good in the Ranvet and his form last year was amazing but we’ve got to see him do it.

“At the end of the day my concern is Mugatoo and I can’t see why he won’t bounce off that Doncaster and go really well this week.”

Bowman of course won three straight Queen Elizabeths on Winx (2017-19) and was also successful in 2013 on Reliable Man.

He said barrier one takes tactics out of play for Mugatoo in the seven horse field and will enable him to put the Kris Lees-trained gelding wherever he’s comfortable.

And as far as comfort goes, he said 2000m is right in the sweet spot.

“We’re all of that opinion, he’s never shown the ability to win at that level over a mile until he won the All Start Mile and all of a sudden you start rubbing your hands together,’’ he said.

“He was bought as a mile and a half horse and it’s not as though it’s an afterthought to go to the Queen Elizabeth.

“It’s only his fourth run for the prep so he’s really had the foundation to run a peak performance this weekend.”

The barrier draw put a dent in Bowman’s confidence about Kiwi stayer The Chosen One’s chances in the Group 1 $2m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) but he said he’ll do his best to offset barrier 14.

Bowman, who won the Cup in 2013 on Mourayan, said he didn’t have any luck slotting the gelding into a good spot in the Tancred Stakes where he weakened after racing wide to finish 11th behind Sir Dragonet.

“Where I get in the run from that barrier is going to be the key but I don’t think we’ll do what we did last time,’’ Bowman said.

Mugatoo runs fourth in the Doncaster Mile at Randwick

“It’s a shame, I thought he was a really good chance of running a hell of a race from a good draw. It does make it hard from out there because you’d love to be forward of midfield snuggled away from the outset.

“We tried our hand getting a good run in the Tancred and it wasn’t to be from a similar draw on a track that wasn’t suiting horses that had the run he had.”

The Chosen One, $16 with TAB, was runner-up in the race last year and his credentials at the top level of handicap staying races are outstanding – in the spring he finished third in the Caulfield Cup and fourth in the Melbourne Cup.

“I’m not concerned about his run in the Tancred as a form pointer but I am concerned about the barrier, it’s going to make it hard,’’ he said.

“There’s no doubt he’s up to it and if he can bring that (spring) form into the race he’s a genuine winning chance.”

All the fields, form and replays for Day 2 of The Star Championships at Royal Randwick on Saturday