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The Gilgai Stakes is a Group 2 event worth $300,000 held at Flemington Racecourse on a Saturday in early October during the heart of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival as part of Turnbull Stakes Day.

A sprint race over 1200m contested under set weights plus penalties, the Gilgai Stakes attracts plenty of first-up runners kicking off their spring or horses out of earlier lead-ups like the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) over more metres at Caulfield in August.

Hosted on a massive day of racing for Turnbull Stakes Day, the Gilgai Stakes shares the race card with a host of other black type events including the:

• Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m)
• Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m)
• Group 2 Blazer Stakes (1400m)
• Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2500m)

Proven Flemington straight track performers tend to dominate the Gilgai Stakes field and those horses that perform well often move on to similar events later in the Spring carnival, such as the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) on Mackinnon Stakes Day. In 2015 Chautauqua won the Gilgai Stakes for the second time before victory in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley next start.

The Gilgai Stakes also now serves as a potential lead-up to the world’s richest turf race, the $14 million The Everest (1200m) held at Randwick a fortnight later.

The Gilgai Stakes 2019 ran on Saturday October 5, 2019 and was won by the brilliant The Everest-bound mare Sunlight. 

Gilgai Stakes
Date:	Saturday October 5, 2019
Track:	Flemington Racecourse
Distance:	1200m
Race Type:	Open Set Weights + Penalties
Status:	Group 2
Prize money:	$300,000

2019 Gilgai Stakes Results

• 1st: #7 Sunlight
• 2nd: #1 Santa Ana Lane
• 3rd: #4 Zoutori

The Everest-bound duo Sunlight and Santa Ana Lane dominated the 2019 Gilgai Stakes results in Melbourne on Turnbull Stakes Day running first and second respectively in the Group 2 clash. Race favourite Sunlight was too good at the track / distance she won the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap – William Reid Stakes double over in the autumn and improved on a lead-up third in the Moir to salute for the punters.

Read more on the 2019 Gilgai Stakes win by The Everest bound mare Sunlight.

Place	#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Br.	Wgt.	SP
1	7	SUNLIGHT	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Luke Currie	–	9	58kg	$2.25F
2	1	SANTA ANA LANE	Anthony Freedman	Mark Zahra	0.5L	5	60kg	$3.70
3	4	ZOUTORI	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra	Damian Lane	0.7L	11	59kg	$8.50
4	6	VITAL SILVER	Daniel & Ben Pearce	Ben Melham	2.2L	2	58.5kg	$17
5	2	DOTHRAKI	Peter & Paul Snowden	Michael Walker	2.6L	3	59kg	$31
5	11	NAANTALI (NZ)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Jamie Kah	2.6L	1	56kg	$21
7	9	I AM EXCITED	David Pfieffer	John Allen	2.8L	4	57kg	$21
8	5	TYZONE	Toby & Trent Edmonds	Craig Williams	3.3L	6	58.5kg	$14
9	12	BELLA MARTINI	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Dwayne Dunn	3.4L	10	55kg	$26
10	10	VAINSTREAM	John Pascoe	James Winks	9.4L	8	57kg	$201
11	8	I AM SOMEONE	Paul Preusker	Jordan Childs	9.8L	7	58kg	$51
–	3	HOME OF THE BRAVE (IRE)	James Cummings	Brad Rawiller	–	0	–	–

2019 Gilgai Stakes Odds

The season’s latest Gilgai Stakes 2019 betting odds on the Flemington Group 2 sprint race this Turnbull Stakes Day will be available below as soon as markets at Ladbrokes.com.au are available.

2019 Gilgai Stakes Field

The Gilgai Stakes field attracts a good quality field of sprinters each year, many racing first-up after tougher runs in the autumn.

The Gilgai Stakes 2019 field and barriers are released on the Wednesday of race week and will be provided in full below once announced by Racing Victoria.

The official 2019 Gilgai Stakes field features a dozen sprinters including champion Group 1 winner Santa Ana Lane carrying the 60kg topweight first-up. Fellow 2019 The Everest runner Sunlight meanwhile is drawn barrier nine as she races on the quick back-up out of a Moir Stakes third in Melbourne last Friday evening.

Update: The Gilgai Stakes field is down to 11 runners with Home Of The Brave (10) instead running against a smaller field in the $500,000 Group 2 Premiere Stakes on Epsom Day in Sydney.

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Hcp. Rating
1	x5161x514x	SANTA ANA LANE	Anthony Freedman	Mark Zahra	5	60kg	118
2	3320400×63	DOTHRAKI	Peter & Paul Snowden	Michael Walker	3	59kg	105
3	0x214x70x5	HOME OF THE BRAVE (IRE)	James Cummings	Brad Rawiller	10	59kg	109
4	54x11100x1	ZOUTORI	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra	Damian Lane	12	59kg	98
5	461x15812x	TYZONE	Toby & Trent Edmonds	Craig Williams	6	58.5kg	107
6	x11213x13x	VITAL SILVER	Daniel & Ben Pearce	Ben Melham	2	58.5kg	100
7	71x3113x53	SUNLIGHT	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Luke Currie	9	58kg	115
8	311362102x	I AM SOMEONE	Paul Preusker	Jordan Childs	7	58kg	95
9	3x368105x7	I AM EXCITED	David Pfieffer	John Allen	4	57kg	107
10	9415424×39	VAINSTREAM	John Pascoe	James Winks	8	57kg	75
11	212241949x	NAANTALI (NZ)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Jamie Kah	1	56kg	97
12	974x4703x4	BELLA MARTINI	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Dwayne Dunn	11	55kg	99

2019 Gilgai Stakes Nominations

The Gilgai Stakes 2019 nominatons are taken by Racing Victoria on the Monday leading up to Turnbull Stakes Day, the full early entries to be published here as soon as available.

The 2019 Gilgai Stakes nominations attracted a bumper 22 early entries including a number of The Everest contenders led by returning TJ Smith Stakes champion Santa Ana Lane. Sunlight, who also holds an entry in Sydney on the same day, is the other standout nominee on the back of her Moir Stakes third last Friday night at The Valley.

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Ballot	Weight	Hcp. Rating
1	x5161x514x	SANTA ANA LANE	G	7	Anthony Freedman	1	60kg	118
2	71x3113x53	SUNLIGHT	M	4	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	2	58kg	115
3	314x32460x	LAND OF PLENTY	H	6	Peter & Paul Snowden	3	60kg	109
4	3320400×63	DOTHRAKI	G	9	Peter & Paul Snowden	4	59kg	105
5	0x214x70x5	HOME OF THE BRAVE (IRE)	G	8	James Cummings	5	59kg	109
6	3x368105x7	I AM EXCITED	M	5	David Pfieffer	6	57kg	107
7	54x11100x1	ZOUTORI	G	4	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra	7	59kg	98
8	461x15812x	TYZONE	G	6	Toby & Trent Edmonds	8	58.5kg	107
9	x11213x13x	VITAL SILVER	G	6	Daniel & Ben Pearce	9	58.5kg	100
10	6x211x114x	DEBT AGENT (NZ)	G	7	Jim Conlan	10	58kg	105
11	363216×654	LONG LEAF	H	4	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	11	58kg	91
12	212241949x	NAANTALI (NZ)	M	5	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	12	56kg	97
13	21×1653138	REYKJAVIK	H	5	Lindsey Smith	13	58kg	95
14	1187x211x6	ORDER OF COMMAND	G	5	Danny O’Brien	14	58kg	98
15	311362102x	I AM SOMEONE	G	5	Paul Preusker	15	58kg	95
16	21106142×2	GIFT OF POWER (NZ)	M	5	Anthony Freedman	16	56kg	97
17	x466x308x5	DEPLOY	G	7	Gerald Ryan	17	57kg	102
18	974x4703x4	BELLA MARTINI	M	5	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	18	55kg	99
19	2x11x239x0	TATO KEY (ARG)	H	5	Chris Waller	19	57kg	97
20	214x4153x1	WILLIAM THOMAS	G	5	John Price	20	57kg	91
21	9415424×39	VAINSTREAM	G	5	John Pascoe	21	57kg	75
22	565×211283	RICH ITCH	G	4	Shawn Mathrick	22	57kg	70

Gilgai Stakes History

The Gilgai Stakes was inaugurated in 1984, with Royal Troubador seizing victory in the first edition of the race. Since that day, the Gilgai Stakes has been run annually without fail. Plenty of horses have gone on from the Gilgai Stakes to other great results. In 2008, Swick went from a victory in the Gilgai Stakes to win the Patinack Farm Classic (now the Darley Classic). In 2009, All Silent won the same race after placing second in the Gilgai Stakes results.

Redelva had a streak of three second places in 1989, 1990 and 1991, all faster than his only win in 1988. Temple Of Boom won with a great run in 2011, and Spirit Of Boom was able to maintain the pedigree’s success with a third in 2012 and a second in 2013.

Notable winners of the Gilgai Stakes include Placid Ark (1987), Redelva (1988), Hareeba (1994), Hay List (2010), Chautauqua (2014 – 2015) and class mare Sunlight (2019). Gilgai Stakes results since 2000 can be found below.

Gilgai Stakes Results

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2019 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Sunlight	1 minute 9.42 seconds
	2nd	Santa Ana Lane
	3rd	Zoutori
2018 Gilgai Stakes	1st	I Am Excited	1 minute 9.11 seconds
	2nd	Edurado
	3rd	Bons Away
2017 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Keen Array	1 minute 9.28 seconds
	2nd	Sold For Song
	3rd	Malibu Style
2016 Gilgai Stakes	1st	The Quarterback	1 minute 9.07 seconds
	2nd	We’ve Got This
	3rd	Durendal
2015 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Chautauqua	1 minute 9.8 seconds
	2nd	Delectation
	3rd	Knoydart
2014 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Chautauqua	1 minute 8.3 seconds
	2nd	Bounding
	3rd	Final Crescendo
2013 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Platelet	1 minute 10.2 seconds
	2nd	Spirit Of Boom
	3rd	Steps In Time
2012 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Hallowell Belle	1 minute 08.8 seconds
	2nd	King’s Rose
	3rd	Spirit Of Boom
2011 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Temple Of Boom	1 minute 10.5 seconds
	2nd	Sistine Angel
	3rd	Response
2010 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Hay List	1 minute 08.2 seconds
	2nd	Catapulted
	3rd	Chasm
2009 Gilgai Stakes	1st	All Silent	1 minute 09.8 seconds
	2nd	First Command
	3rd	Light Fantastic
2008 Gilgai Stakes	1st	El Cambio	1 minute 10.1 seconds
	2nd	Swick
	3rd	Murtajill
2007 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Stanzout	1 minute 10.4 seconds
	2nd	Shadoways
	3rd	Valedictum
2006 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Fast N Famous	1 minute 08.3 seconds
	2nd	Shadoways
	3rd	Dance Hero
2005 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Falkirk	1 minute 07.9 seconds
	2nd	Glamour Puss
	3rd	Recapitalize
2004 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Recapitalize	1 minute 09.2 seconds
	2nd	Falkirk
	3rd	Amtrak
2003 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Bomber Bill	1 minute 09.7 seconds
	2nd	Mr. Magoo
	3rd	Red Labelle
2002 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Cosmic Strike	1 minute 09.3 seconds
	2nd	Strategic Image
	3rd	Rubitano
2001 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Belle Du Jour	1 minute 10.4 seconds
	2nd	Point Danger
	3rd	Gold Class
2000 Gilgai Stakes	1st	Bomber Bill	1 minute 08.6 seconds
	2nd	Sports
	3rd	Umrum