Horse Racing

The Canterbury Stakes is a 1300m middle distance sprinting event held at Randwick Racecourse over the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Raced in early March under weight-for-age conditions, the Canterbury Stakes offers $500,000 in prize money.

The Canterbury Stakes is one of two Group 1 races held at Royal Randwick on Randwick Guineas Day along with the $1 million Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) for three-year-olds. There are a number of other Group status support races on the cards including the $500,000 Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) for the sprinters.

The Canterbury Stakes is an ideal lead-up race to the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) held a fortnight later at Rosehill Gardens, with the winner of the Canterbury Stakes exempt from the ballot for the George Ryder Stakes. The last galloper to complete the Canterbury Stakes – George Ryder Stakes double was Pierro (2013).

Horses may come into the Canterbury Stakes field via an earlier autumn run in a host of lead-up sprints including the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick in February or the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) for the three-year-olds.

The Canterbury Stakes 2017 ran on Saturday March 4, 2017.

2017 Canterbury Stakes Results

The full Canterbury Stakes 2017 Results & Finishing Order can be seen below – a full rundown on the fighting finish by upset winner Le Romain for his third Group 1 victory and the great grey sprinter Chautauqua found by following the link.

2017 Canterbury Stakes Betting Odds

The latest Canterbury Stakes 2017 odds and betting market links to the Group 1 Randwick feature this autumn will be provided below.

2017 Canterbury Stakes Field

The Canterbury Stakes field attracts a line-up of the season’s best middle-distance sprinters and is announced on the Wednesday before Randwick Guineas Day each autumn.

The official 2017 Canterbury Stakes field and barriers will be published below on Wednesday March 1, 2017.

Check out the full 2017 Canterbury Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw below – following the link for the full rundown on Chautauqua and his seven rivals including Kiwi import Ugo Foscolo for seven-time winning trainer in the race Gai Waterhouse.

2017 Canterbury Stakes Nominations

The Canterbury Stakes nominations are the first indicator of the horses that will line-up in the Group 1 weight-for-age field on Randwick Guineas Day.

The full 2017 Canterbury Stakes nominations will be listed below as soon as released on Monday February 27, 2017.

Check out the official 2017 Canterbury Stakes Nominations below – following the link for more on the early entries dominated by five-time Group 1 winner Chautauqua.

Canterbury Stakes History

First won in 1929 by Amounis under jockey J. Munro, the Canterbury Stakes was originally a 6 furlong (approx 1200m) race until 1973 when it officially became a 1200m race. Thirty-one years later in 2004, the Canterbury Stakes became a 1300m event. However it was temporarily increased to 1550m in 2008.

Since 1979, the Canterbury Stakes held Group 2 status and has been won in three consecutive years by a single horse. Between 1930 and 1932, Holdfast managed to reach the finish line first each year. The race’s double winners include San Domenico (1950-51), Sky High (1961-62) and At Sea (1988-89). The most recent winner of the Canterbury Stakes / George Ryder Stakes double was Quick Flick in 1998.

For the 2013 edition of the race the Canterbury Stakes has been upgraded to Group 1 level. The prize money for the race was also upgraded from $175,000 to $350,000.

The most successful jockey in the Canterbury Stakes is Darren Beadman with seven wins in 1988, 1989, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

See below for the full Canterbury Stakes results dating back to 2000.

Recent Canterbury Stakes Winners