Horse Racing

The Storm Queen Stakes is a premier Group 1 race for three-year-old fillies held as part of the exciting Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. A middle distance event run over 2000m, the Storm Queen Stakes is run on one of Rosehill Garden’s most prestigious days of racing, Golden Slipper Day in early April. This elite race meeting conducted by the Sydney Turf Club features four other fantastic Group 1 races, they are the Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m), The BMW (2400m), George Ryder Stakes (1600m) and Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1500m).

The 2012 Storm Queen Stakes will be run on Saturday April 7, 2012 on Golden Slipper Day.

The $400,000 Storm Queen Stakes attracts the finest fillies from right across the country every year. Runners may have previously contested the Group 2 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Chipping Norton Day, Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) in March, or the prestigious Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) the week before.

The Storm Queen Stakes is an excellent lead-up race to the coveted Group 1 AJC Australian Oaks (2400m) a fortnight later at Randwick and in recent years has been a good guide to this later event. This is also a popular betting double at the carnival and fillies to claim victory in both races include Heavenly Glow (2008) and Serenade Rose (2006).

Over the years the Storm Queen Stakes has also been named the Arrowfield Stud Stakes and the Vinery Stud Stakes.

Storm Queen Stakes History

The Storm Queen Stakes is quite a young Australian thoroughbred race, first run in 1979 when Impede won. It began as a principal race run over 1900m but was given Group 2 status and run over 2000m the following year in 1980. In 1992 the Storm Queen Stakes gained its current Group 1 status.

Registered as the Storm Queen Stakes, the race has also been known as the Arrowfield Stud Stakes or the Vinery Stud Storm Queen Stakes. In 2009 the race took place under the name of Vinery Stud Stakes.

Many memorable winners have gone on to become some of Australian turf’s top quality mares including Miss Finland (2007), Special Harmony (2004), Champagne (1998) and Research (1989).

Recent Storm Queen Stakes Winners