Gear change possible for Streets’ Mile bid

Streets of Avalon (right) has earned his way into the All-Star Mile with his Futurity win.

Trainer Shane Nichols is likely to tinker with the headgear on Futurity Stakes winner Streets Of Avalon ahead of the $5 million All-Star Mile.

Streets Of Avalon was not nominated for the All-Star Mile but his upset win in Saturday’s Group One Futurity (1400m) at Caulfield guaranteed him a start in the race.

Nichols did not nominate him for the All-Star Mile because the five-year-old has not won over 1600m.

But his rating for winning a Group One weight-for-age race is likely to make it tough for him in handicaps so Nichols believes it is worth a crack at the rich race.

Streets Of Avalon has had blinkers on in all but two of his 43 starts but Nichols indicated he would look to change that in the hope he can go the distance.

“I’ll tinker with it a bit because with the blinkers on he doesn’t really get 1600 metres,” Nichols said.

“But we might as well have a crack for the big cash because his rating is buggered now.

“We’ll maybe take the blinkers off. Or maybe go with visors or maybe winkers. I’ll just have a think about it.”

Streets Of Avalon was at $17 in All-Star Mile betting on Sunday with the two market leaders, three-year-olds Alligator Blood and Catalyst, to clash again in Saturday’s Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington, two weeks before the All-Star Mile.

New Zealand champion Melody Belle ran home for third in Saturday’s Futurity in her first start for 2020 and her jockey Opie Bosson was convinced she would be spot-on for the All-Star Mile.

Lightly raced three-year-old colt Heart Of Puissance, who secured enough votes to land a spot in the All-Star Mile, is nominated in a 1500m benchmark-70 race at Sandown on Wednesday.

The winner of Saturday’s Blamey Stakes at Flemington will also be offered an All-Star Mile wild card if not already in the field.