Empire Rose Stakes

The $1 million Empire Rose Stakes is a Group 1 mile feature for fillies & mares held on VRC Derby Day.

2023 Empire Rose Stakes Results

  • 1st: #10 Pride Of Jenni
  • 2nd: #4 Atishu
  • 3rd: #12 Life Lessons



The Empire Rose Stakes, previously known as the Myer Classic, is a Group 1 race run over a mile (1600m) for the season’s best fillies and mares held on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival in late October / early November annually.

The weight-for-age race is one of only two Group 1 events for fillies and mares offered during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Held on the same day as the prestigious Victoria Derby, the Empire Rose Stakes now offers $1 million in prize money.

Raced at Flemington Racecourse the Empire Rose Stakes is also featured on the same day as the Coolmore Stud Stakes, totalling three Group 1 races on the one day of elite spring racing.

The 2023 Empire Rose Stakes ran on Victoria Derby Day at Flemington – Saturday November 4, 2023 – and was won in an upset by the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Pride Of Jenni ($16).

Empire Rose Stakes 2023
Date: Saturday November 4, 2023
Track: Flemington Racecourse
Distance: 1600m
Race Type: 3YO+ Fillies and Mares Weight-For-Age
Status: Group 1
Prize Money: $1 million

2023 Empire Rose Stakes Results

  • 1st: #10 Pride Of Jenni ($16)
  • 2nd: #4 Atishu
  • 3rd: #12 Life Lessons

The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained six-year-old Pride Of Jenni ($16) returned to winning form on Derby Day with an upset Group 1 victory in the Empire Rose Stakes 2023 results. With Michael Dee aboard the winner was so brave leading all-the-way to defeat the beaten favourite Atishu by a length on the line.

Finish No. Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Bar. Weight Penalty Starting Price
1 10 PRIDE OF JENNI Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Declan Bates 16 57kg $16
2 4 ATISHU (NZ) Chris Waller James McDonald 1L 8 57kg $4.20F
3 12 LIFE LESSONS (NZ) Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman Daniel Stackhouse 3.75L 14 57kg $21
4 11 DENY KNOWLEDGE (IRE) Michael Kent Ms Jamie Kah 3.95L 7 57kg $31
5 1 ALCOHOL FREE (IRE) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Opie Bosson 4.05L 5 57kg $5
6 14 WISHLOR LASS Symon Wilde John Allen 4.35L 10 57kg $14
7 2 PRINCESS GRACE (USA) Chris Waller Jye McNeil 4.55L 11 57kg $8.50
8 5 HINGED Chris Waller Blake Shinn 4.75L 12 57kg $26
9 3 HOPE IN YOUR HEART Kerry Parker Tim Clark 4.95L 1 57kg $7.50
10 16 MORE SECRETS Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Damien Oliver 5.15L 4 57kg $16
11 7 RENAISSANCE WOMAN (NZ) Bjorn Baker Harry Coffey 5.45L 13 57kg $26
12 6 FOXY FRIDA Andrew Noblet Billy Egan 5.55L 6 57kg $26
13 17e JENNILALA Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Jamie Spencer 6.8L 3 57kg $81
14 13 SHUFFLE DANCER Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman Luke Nolen 11.8L 2 57kg $31
15 15 AUSBRED FLIRT Brad Widdup Ms Rachel King 12.55L 9 57kg $31
16 8 BARBIE’S FOX Ben, Will & JD Hayes Mark Zahra 99L 15 57kg $31
9 WROTE TO ARATAKI (NZ) Matthew Williams Dean Yendall 0

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Empire Rose Stakes Betting Odds

The latest Empire Rose Stakes 2023 odds will be listed below with links to the markets at Ladbrokes.com.au to back your 2023 Empire Rose Stakes betting tips at the best spring racing odds.

There was a notable upset in 2023 with Pride Of Jenni saluting at Empire Rose Stakes odds of $16.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2023 EMPIRE ROSE STAKES ODDS (Final Field)

2023 Empire Rose Stakes Form Guide

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 EMPIRE ROSE STAKES FORM GUIDE

2023 Empire Rose Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our exclusive Empire Rose Stakes 2023 Tips on the mares’ feature on Derby Day this spring.

  • To Win: #2 Princess Grace ($7 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Going to give the Chris Waller-trained Princess Grace one last chance after a frustrating run of close minor placings and hoping she’s not just one of those horses that doesn’t like to win! Her early spring form was excellent when runner-up to stablemate Fangirl in the Group 1 Winx Stakes in Sydney before her second only a quarter-length off a very good galloper in Mr Brightside in Caulfield’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes. Fourth to the same star miler at this track and distance in the Makybe Diva Stakes before being rolled as the odds-on favourite in the Group 2 Blazer Stakes (1400m) here on October 7. A month between runs so she has had a little freshen-up, handles the track, has been knocking on the door all prep and could just put it all together now.

2023 Empire Rose Stakes Field

The Empire Rose Stakes field attracts a quality line-up of fillies and mares each spring coming off a variety of different lead-up races including the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes at Caulfield, with Red Tracer (2013) and Colette (2021) the latest mares to do the double.

Fillies in the Empire Rose Stakes field may come off a run the Saturday before in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic (1600m), a Cox Plate Day race that I Am A Star ran third in before her 2016 Empire Rose Stakes victory over the older mares.

The official Empire Rose Stakes 2023 Final Field & Barriers are announced by Racing Victoria on the Wednesday leading-up to Derby Day in Melbourne and will be published in full below.

The 2023 Empire Rose Stakes final field features a quality line-up of female gallopers including three for Chris Waller led by early favourite Atishu and Princess Grace.

Click here to read more on the key runners in the Empire Rose Stakes 2023 field and betting markets.

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 4913x0x404 ALCOHOL FREE (IRE) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Opie Bosson 5 57kg 113
2 23x31x2242 PRINCESS GRACE (USA) Chris Waller Jamie Spencer 12 57kg 111
3 2x1442x368 HOPE IN YOUR HEART Kerry Parker Tim Clark 1 57kg 108
4 3x216Px520 ATISHU (NZ) Chris Waller James McDonald 8 57kg 110
5 x26844x407 HINGED Chris Waller Blake Shinn 13 57kg 106
6 5x12116x03 FOXY FRIDA Andrew Noblet Billy Egan 6 57kg 103
7 9x6124x512 RENAISSANCE WOMAN (NZ) Bjorn Baker Harry Coffey 14 57kg 103
8 3102341742 BARBIE’S FOX Ben, Will & JD Hayes Mark Zahra 16 57kg 101
9 33112×3031 WROTE TO ARATAKI (NZ) Matthew Williams Dean Yendall 10 57kg 102
10 7x4298x626 PRIDE OF JENNI Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Declan Bates 17 57kg 101
11 15931×1736 DENY KNOWLEDGE (IRE) Michael Kent Ms Jamie Kah 7 57kg 97
12 112x74x421 LIFE LESSONS (NZ) Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman Daniel Stackhouse 15 57kg 99
13 121146×852 SHUFFLE DANCER Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman Luke Nolen 2 57kg 92
14 1115×4111 WISHLOR LASS Symon Wilde John Allen 11 57kg 103
15 12x614x125 AUSBRED FLIRT Brad Widdup Ms Rachel King 9 57kg 92
16 413x353x53 MORE SECRETS Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Damien Oliver 4 57kg 97
17e 15x27213x1 JENNILALA Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Jamie Spencer 3 57kg 86

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Empire Rose Stakes Nominations

The Empire Rose Stakes 2023 nominations close the Monday of race week and the full list of early entries for the mile Group 1 on Victoria Derby Day will be published below once announced.

The 2023 Empire Rose Stakes nominations attracted 22 fillies and mares led in all-in betting by the autumn’s Doncaster Mile fourth place-getter Hope In Your Heart, Chris Waller’s multiple Group 1 place-getter Princess Grace coming off a Group 2 Blazer Stakes second, and her stablemate Atishu with form around the team’s The Invitation winner Espiona.

Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 4913x0x404 ALCOHOL FREE (IRE) M 6 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 113
2 3x216Px520 ATISHU (NZ) M 6 Chris Waller 110
3 12x614x125 AUSBRED FLIRT M 5 Brad Widdup 92
4 3102341742 BARBIE’S FOX M 7 Ben, Will & JD Hayes 101
5 15931×1736 DENY KNOWLEDGE (IRE) M 6 Michael Kent 97
6 5x12116x03 FOXY FRIDA M 6 Andrew Noblet 103
7 x26844x407 HINGED M 5 Chris Waller 106
8 2x1442x368 HOPE IN YOUR HEART M 5 Kerry Parker 108
9 15x27213x1 JENNILALA M 4 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 86
10 112x74x421 LIFE LESSONS (NZ) M 5 Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman 99
11 1x407x2804 MADAME POMMERY M 4 Chris Waller 102
12 413x353x53 MORE SECRETS M 6 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 97
13 3950×61146 MUSTANG VALLEY (NZ) M 5 Andrew Forsman 108
14 7x4298x626 PRIDE OF JENNI M 6 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 101
15 23x31x2242 PRINCESS GRACE (USA) M 7 Chris Waller 111
16 9x6124x512 RENAISSANCE WOMAN (NZ) M 4 Bjorn Baker 103
17 3410x52x50 ROOTS M 5 Chris Waller 105
18 121146×852 SHUFFLE DANCER M 4 Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman 92
19 111 SKYBIRD F 3 Mitchell Freedman 84
20 x95143x645 WALTZ ON BY M 4 Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman 86
21 1115×4111 WISHLOR LASS M 5 Symon Wilde 103
22 33112×3031 WROTE TO ARATAKI (NZ) M 5 Matthew Williams 102

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Empire Rose Stakes History

Since 1988 when Concordance won, the Myer Classic has gone through several sponsor names starting with Honda. First named “The Honda Legend”, the race went on to be named the Hong Kong Bank Stakes, Hardy Brothers Classic and Nestle Peters Classic. In 2005 it was named the Myer Classic. It’s registered name is the Empire Rose Stakes.

Regarded as the best sprint race for fillies and mares, the Myer Classic is often raced by horses which have competed in the Rose Of Kingston Stakes and the Tristarc Stakes. Although no Myer Classic winner has gone on to win the WS Cox Plate or Melbourne Cup, the Emirates Stakes has been won by Divine Madonna in 2006 and Bonanova in 1997.

In 2003 the event became a Group 2 race and was changed from a set weight race with penalties to a weight-for-age race. In 2004 it was upgraded to Group 1 status. In 2016 I Am A Star became the first three-year-old filly to beat the mares in the Myer Classic results in over 20 years, then the following year Shoals (2017) made it back-to-back wins for the youngsters with her narrow victory for the punters.

The 2019 Empire Rose Stakes saw New Zealand-trained mare Melody Belle continue her outstanding string of Group 1 wins with her 10th elite level victory and first on Aussie turf.

Empire Rose Stakes Results

Read through the list of Empire Rose Stakes winners and place getters from 2000.

Year Place Horse Time
2023
Empire Rose Stakes
1st Pride Of Jenni 1 minute 34.86 seconds
2nd Atishu
3rd Life Lessons
2022
Empire Rose Stakes
1st Icebath 1 minute 37.8 seconds
2nd Mirra Vision
3rd Excelida
2021
Empire Rose Stakes
1st Colette 1 minute 34.84 seconds
2nd Mystic Journey
3rd Hungry Heart
2020
Empire Rose Stakes
1st Shout The Bar 1 minute 35.37 seconds
2nd Odeum
3rd Forbidden Love
2019
Empire Rose Stakes
1st Melody Belle 1 minute 37.78 seconds
2nd Aristia
3rd Spanish Reef
2018
Empire Rose Stakes
1st Shillelagh 1 minute 34.86 seconds
2nd Bring Me Roses
3rd Fundamentalist
2017
Myer Classic
1st Shoals 1 minute 35.26 seconds
2nd Eckstein
3rd Dixie Blossoms
2016
Myer Classic
1st I Am A Star 1 minute 35.56 seconds
2nd French Emotion
3rd Denmagic
2015
Myer Classic
1st Politeness 1 minute 37.75 seconds
2nd Fenway
3rd Azkadellia
2014
Myer Classic
1st Bonaria 1 minute 36.55 seconds
2nd Sweet Idea
3rd Catkins
2013
Myer Classic
1st Red Tracer 1 minute 36.45 seconds
2nd Catkins
3rd Fire Up Fifi
2012
Myer Classic
1st Appearance 1 minute 34:97 seconds
2nd Soft Sand
3rd Secret Admirer
2011
Myer Classic
1st Hurtle Myrtle 1 minute 37:50 seconds
2nd Sacred Choice
3rd Dysphonia
2010
Myer Classic
1st Sacred Choice 1 minute 38:91 seconds
2nd Typhoon Tracy
3rd Hot Danish
2009
Myer Classic
1st Typhoon Tracy 1 minute 35:3 seconds
2nd Lady Lynette
3rd Zarita
2008
Myer Classic
1st Forensics 1 minute 35.9 seconds
2nd Absolutely Fabulous
3rd Mimi Lebrock
2007
Myer Classic
1st Divine Madonna 1 minute 36.1 seconds
2nd Translate
3rd Red For Lou
2006
Myer Classic
1st Lyrical Bid 1 minute 37.6 seconds
2nd Sea Change
3rd Kosi Bay
2005
Myer Classic
1st Lotteria 1 minute 35.4 seconds
2nd Miss Potential
3rd Shania Dane
2004
Myer Classic
1st Miss Potential 1 minute 37.5 seconds
2nd Alinghi
3rd Infinite Grace
2003
Myer Classic
1st Zanna 1 minute 38.4 seconds
2nd Infinite Grace
3rd Mrs Tendulkar
2002
Myer Classic
1st Miss Zoe 1 minute 35.8 seconds
2nd Purple Groove
3rd Ramanos Star
2001
Myer Classic
1st Market Price 1 minute 34.2 seconds
2nd Pernod
3rd Calm Smytzer
2000
Myer Classic
1st Super Sequel 1 minute 37.8 seconds
2nd Its Platonic
3rd Nova Claus

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