Horse Racing

The Group 2 Canterbury Stakes is a 1300m sprinting event held at Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney. Raced in March as a weight-for-age race, the Canterbury Stakes offers $175,000 in prize money.

The Canterbury Stakes is an ideal lead-up race to the 1500m Group 1 George Ryder Stakes, with the winner of the Canterbury Stakes exempt from the ballot for the George Ryder Stakes held two weeks later.

Each year the Canterbury Stakes is run on the same race day at Rosehill as the Group 1 Coolmore Classic, Group 1 Ranvet Stakes, Group 2 Reisling Slipper Trial, Group 2 Todman Slipper Trial and the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes.

The Canterbury Stakes 2012 will be run on Saturday March 24th, 2012.

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 has 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.

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

Recent Canterbury Stakes Winners