Horse Racing

The Ajax Stakes is a 1500m Quality Handicap for both local and interstate horses. The minimum weight is 52kg while some horses may have to carry up to 61kg. Held at Sydney’s Rosehill Racecourse in March, the Ajax Stakes offers $150,000 in prize money.

The Group 2 Ajax Stakes is considered a lead-up event to the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m) held three weeks later. The Ajax Stakes / Doncaster Handicap double has been won most recently by Grand Armee in 2003.

The Ajax Stakes 2012 will be run on Saturday March 31st, 2012.

Ajax Stakes History

The first recorded running of the Ajax Stakes took place in 1976 and was won by Count Rajan. Since then, there have only been two horses to win the event twice, Confiscate in 1998-99 and Catalan Opening in 1996-97. The fastest recorded winning time since 1990 was 1 minute 27.38 seconds by Soho Square in 1993. The slowest winning time was recorded by Windsor’s Pal in 1990.

The Ajax Stakes is named in honour of the Australian Hall of Fame horse Ajax. Ajax was a champion chestnut colt who won 18 races in succession and had a career of 43 starts for 36 wins, 7 seconds and 2 thirds with total prize money of £40,250. His major wins include the 1938 Cox Plate as well as the All Aged Stakes (1938, 1939, 1940), Memsie Stakes (1938, 1939, 1940), Futurity Stakes (1938, 1939, 1940) and Underwood Stakes (1938, 1939, 1940).

Recent Ajax Stakes Results