FLYING Mascot, a racehorse with connections to Portland, has narrowly missed out on gaining a place in the All-Star Mile, the world’s richest 1600m race.

 The three-week public voting period – used to determine 10 of the 15 starters in the race – closed on Sunday, and when the top 10 was revealed on Wednesday afternoon the four-year-old mare had narrowly missed out.

Flying Mascot was purchased for just $25,000 by Flying Start Syndications, who then on-sold shares – including a 5% share held by Ninja Racing, a racing syndicate that includes former Portlanders Anthony Englezos and Glenn Wilson and current Portlander Denis Belden.

“It’s been a fun few weeks trying to rally some interest in her, but unfortunately we fell a bit short,” Belden said.

“It was always going to be a challenge because our horse doesn’t have the big profile of a lot of the other horses, but we finished 12th or 13th out of 78 nominations, so we gave it a good crack.”

The All-Star Mile, which will be run at Flemington on March 19, carries prizemoney of $5 million, with the winner taking home $2.25 million.

If any of the horses in the top 10 vote withdraw from this point they will not be replaced by the horse next in line.

Instead they will be replaced by the horse that has won the most prizemoney, which won’t be Flying Mascot.

“Her only hope is to gain one of the five places set aside by Racing Victoria, but we expect they will be looking at the really big names in racing, not us.”

Last year’s Melbourne Cup winner, Verry Elleegant, topped the voting but trainer Chris Waller has already indicated she will not run, instead opting to target some races in Sydney.

Flying Mascot returned to racing on Saturday after a three-month break, and was pipped on the post in the 1200m Group 3 Bellmaine Stakes at Caulfield by Probabeel.

“Probabeel is a four-time Group 1 winner and has won $4.3 million in prizemoney, so to be beaten a short half-head by her shows that Flying Mascot is not out of her depth racing against these big-name horses.”

Unfortunately Probabeel sustained a ligament injury in the race, and was retired from racing on Wednesday.

Flying Mascot has now raced 11 times for four wins, three seconds and a third, and has collected $285,475 in prizemoney.

Her next start is expected to be at Caulfield again, on February 26, in the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes in a mares race over 1400m.

“Because of COVID and crowds being banned from racing many of the 20 people in the Ninja Racing syndicate have not had a chance to see her race live yet.

“Some of the syndicate were there on Saturday, but we’re planning on a big gathering for the Mannerism.”