Horse Racing

The Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes is an exciting 1200m sprint held in November annually at the scenic Ascot Racecourse in Perth. Run under weight-for-age conditions, the contenders aged three-years-old and up compete for the lucrative prize purse of $500 000. The event is conducted on day two of the major three-day summer racing carnival in Western Australia, which also features the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) and the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m).

As the premier sprint event in Perth, entries are generally handy local sprinters that may have previously contested the Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) three weeks before or the Group 3 Prince Of Wales Stakes (1200m) in late October.

Runners that do well in the Winterbottom Stakes may compete in the most prestigious weight-for-age event at the carnival, the Kingston Town Classic the following week. Horses, however, not quite up to the standard needed for the Kingston Town may continue on to contend other weight-for-age events in Perth including the Group 3 AJ Sachill Stakes (1400m) a fortnight later.

Winterbottom Stakes History

The Winterbottom Stakes began as a principal race run over seven furlongs and was first run in 1952 when Raconteur claimed victory. In 1973 the race distance was converted to 1400m and the event gained Group 2 status in 1979. The length was decreased to its current 1200m sprint distance in 1993.

A number of high quality horses have claimed victory in the Winterbottom Stakes including Takeover Target (2008), Miss Andretti (2005) and Ellicorsam (2004) who holds the current race record of 1:08.6.

From 2011 the Winterbottom Stakes will run as a Group 1 feature having achieved elite level status.

Recent Winterbottom Stakes Winners