The Sapphire Stakes is a Group 2 race held at Royal Randwick in April on Day 2 of 'The Championships' during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
2024 Sapphire Stakes Results
- 1st: #3 Wee Nessy
- 2nd: #15 Ballroom Bella
- 3rd: #7 Miss Hellfire
Sapphire Stakes News
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- 2020 Sapphire Stakes Winner Sure Knee Hands Waller a Double
- 2020 Premier’s Cup Day: Doomben Scratchings & Track Report
- Baccarat Baby Leads 2020 Sapphire Stakes Field & Betting
- The Championships Day 2: Randwick Scratchings & Track Report
The ATC Sapphire Stakes – not to be confused with Melbourne’s Group 3 Blue Sapphire Stakes – is a quality Group 2 race held towards the tail end of the esteemed Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival on Day 2 of ‘The Championships’ at Royal Randwick Racecourse.
Run on the second Saturday of April the Sapphire Stakes is a 1200m sprint run under set weights plus penalties by a field of fillies and mares. Offering $300,000 in prize money the race is conducted on the same day as four Group 1 autumn features.
The autumn’s richest race – the Group 1 $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) – headlines the meeting and is joined by the Sydney Cup (3200m), ATC Oaks (2400m), the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) plus a host of Group 2 and 3 status support races.
Female sprinters may come into the Sapphire Stakes field via an earlier autumn run in the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) held at Rosehill in March on Golden Slipper Stakes Day. Held on Day 1 of ‘The Championships’ just a week before the Sapphire Stakes, the Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes (1200m) is another good lead-up.
The Birthday Card Stakes – Sapphire Stakes double was most recently completed by Quilista (2018) and Zapateo (2023).
A nice next-up option for Sapphire Stakes graduates could be the Group 3 Hawkesbury Crown (1300m) later in the month, a race the 2016 Sapphire Stakes winner Two Blue finished runner-up in. Fillies and mares may also come back and contest a harder race like the Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m) over the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival or head to Adelaide for the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m). Secret Agenda (2017) was the last mare to do the Sapphire Stakes – Robert Sangster Stakes double.
The form of the 2021 Sapphire Stakes was franked with the runner-up Entriviere going on to win the Group 2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) in Sydney that spring and the New Zealand’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) the following January.
The 2022 Sapphire Stakes form was franked with the winner Bella Nipotina returning in the spring to win the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.
The Sapphire Stakes 2023 winner Zapateo went on to run third in both the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes and Group 1 The Goodwood results in Adelaide at her next two starts. She went on to run well in a host of other events including her Group 1 The Galaxy victory in Sydney in the autumn of 2024.
The ATC Sapphire Stakes 2024 ran on Saturday April 13, 2024 at Royal Randwick as part of Day 2 of The Championships and was won in style by the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained Wee Nessy ($4.80).
| 2024 Sapphire Stakes | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday April 13, 2024 |
| Track: | Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney |
| Distance: | 1200m |
| Conditions: | Fillies & Mares, Set Weights + Penalties |
| Status: | Group 2 |
| Prizemoney: | $300,000 |
| Inaugurated: | 1998 |
2024 Sapphire Stakes Results
- 1st: #3 Wee Nessy ($4.80)
- 2nd: #15 Ballroom Bella
- 3rd: #7 Miss Hellfire
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | WEE NESSY | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Ms Jamie Kah | 3 | 54kg | $4.80 | |||
| 2 | 15 | BALLROOM BELLA | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | Zac Lloyd (a) | 1.16L | 14 | 53kg | $21 | ||
| 3 | 7 | MISS HELLFIRE | Peter & Paul Snowden | Michael Dee | 1.74L | 7 | 54kg | $17 | ||
| 4 | 2 | C’EST MAGIQUE | Grahame Begg | Tim Clark | 1.8L | 8 | 54kg | $9 | ||
| 5 | 1 | RED CARD | James Cummings | Adam Hyeronimus | 2.78L | 13 | 55kg | $4.40F | ||
| 6 | 4 | TASHI | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tom Sherry | 4.19L | 10 | 54kg | $4.80 | ||
| 7 | 12 | EVERYONE’S A STAR | Marc Chevalier | Louis Beuzelin | 4.6L | 5 | 54kg | $101 | ||
| 8 | 6 | PIPPALI | Jason Coyle | Tyler Schiller | 4.69L | 6 | 54kg | $81 | ||
| 9 | 14 | SALTAIRE | John O’Shea | Craig Williams | 4.94L | 2 | 53kg | $5 | ||
| 10 | 8 | DALCHINI | Lee & Cherie Curtis | Jay Ford | 5.45L | 1 | 54kg | $31 | ||
| 11 | 11 | MISS FABERGE | John Sargent | Ms Rachel King | 6.67L | 11 | 54kg | $81 | ||
| 12 | 9 | MIRRA VIEW | Peter & Paul Snowden | Andrew Adkins | 7.27L | 9 | 54kg | $81 | ||
| 13 | 10 | RAINBIEL | Joseph Pride | Tommy Berry | 7.7L | 4 | 54kg (cd 54.5kg) | $19 | ||
| 14 | 13 | WOLVES | Benjamin Smith | Dylan Gibbons (a) | 9.11L | 12 | 54kg | $151 | ||
| 5 | MUMBAI MUSE | Michael Freedman | Tommy Berry | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2024 Sapphire Stakes Betting Odds
The latest Sapphire Stakes 2024 betting odds on the Randwick Group 2 for fillies and mares this autumn will be available below as soon as released by Ladbrokes.com.au.
Zapateo ($2.30 in 2023) was the last Sapphire Stakes favourite to win.
CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2024 SAPPHIRE STAKES ODDS (Final Field)
2024 Sapphire Stakes Form
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2024 SAPPHIRE STAKES FORM GUIDE
2024 Sapphire Stakes Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Sapphire Stakes 2024 Tips on the Randwick sprint this April.
- To Win: #4 Tashi ($6.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Open Sapphire Stakes field and Tashi present an attractive value bet based on her current form. Team Snowden’s four-year-old Sebring mare has been remarkably consistent, placing two two in her last six starts and boasting a strong record at Randwick. She’s fresh off a victory at this track and distance two back, followed by a narrow second in the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes. While this is a step up in class, the form from that race has proven strong, with the winner going on to win the prestigious Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes in a significant upset. Tashi carries a bit more weight this time around, but her ability suggests she can handle it. Look for her to be a contender.
2024 Sapphire Stakes Field
The ATC Sapphire Stakes field attracts a class line-up of fillies and mares looking to see out their prep with a lucrative Group 2 win or wind-up for a Group 1 target in Brisbane over the winter.
The official Sapphire Stakes 2024 field and barriers will be published in full below on the Wednesday of race week so stay tuned.
The 2024 Sapphire Stakes final field features a bumper line-of of sprinting fillies and mares led in betting by the James Cummings-trained Red Card chasing a hat-trick after back-to-back Group 3 Rosehill wins in the lead-up.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11x1476x11 | RED CARD | James Cummings | Adam Hyeronimus | 14 | 55kg | 105 | ||
| 2 | x43957x329 | C’EST MAGIQUE | Grahame Begg | Tim Clark | 9 | 54kg | 93 | ||
| 3 | 82224x0x33 | WEE NESSY | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Ms Jamie Kah | 3 | 54kg | 93 | ||
| 4 | 23412×1212 | TASHI | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tom Sherry | 11 | 54kg | 92 | ||
| 5 | 5x43911x04 | MUMBAI MUSE | Michael Freedman | Tommy Berry | 6 | 54kg | 87 | ||
| 6 | 0300x6498x | PIPPALI | Jason Coyle | Tyler Schiller | 7 | 54kg | 87 | ||
| 7 | 7122×33126 | MISS HELLFIRE | Peter & Paul Snowden | Michael Dee | 8 | 54kg | 85 | ||
| 8 | 7903x5375x | DALCHINI | Lee & Cherie Curtis | Jay Ford | 1 | 54kg | 84 | ||
| 9 | 514881356x | MIRRA VIEW | Peter & Paul Snowden | Andrew Adkins | 10 | 54kg | 83 | ||
| 10 | x8264x6348 | RAINBIEL | Joseph Pride | Jason Collett | 4 | 54kg | 83 | ||
| 11 | 20×1521144 | MISS FABERGE | John Sargent | Ms Rachel King | 12 | 54kg | 80 | ||
| 12 | 3×31928311 | EVERYONE’S A STAR | Marc Chevalier | Louis Beuzelin | 5 | 54kg | 71 | ||
| 13 | 49×3249212 | WOLVES | Benjamin Smith | Dylan Gibbons (a) | 13 | 54kg | 54kg | 66 | |
| 14 | 624x7223x3 | SALTAIRE | John O’Shea | Craig Williams | 2 | 53kg | 84 | ||
| 15 | 7x1122x433 | BALLROOM BELLA | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | Zac Lloyd (a) | 15 | 53kg | 53kg | 78 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2024 Sapphire Stakes Nominations
The Sapphire Stakes 2024 nominations are taken on the Monday of race week with the full list of early entries to be published below.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | True Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11x1476x11 | RED CARD | M | 4 | James Cummings | 1 | 55kg | 105 | ||
| 2 | 92x14821x4 | GHAANATI | M | 4 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 2 | 54kg | 99 | ||
| 3 | x27415x078 | QUEEN OF THE BALL | M | 4 | Michael Freedman | 3 | 55.5kg | 96 | ||
| 4 | x43957x329 | C’EST MAGIQUE | M | 4 | Grahame Begg | 4= | 54kg | 93 | ||
| 5 | 82224x0x33 | WEE NESSY | M | 4 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | 4= | 54kg | 93 | ||
| 6 | 23412×1212 | TASHI | M | 4 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 6 | 54kg | 92 | ||
| 7 | 5x43911x04 | MUMBAI MUSE | F | 3 | Michael Freedman | 7= | 54kg | 87 | ||
| 8 | 0300x6498x | PIPPALI | M | 6 | Jason Coyle | 7= | 54kg | 87 | ||
| 9 | 7122×33126 | MISS HELLFIRE | M | 4 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 9 | 54kg | 85 | ||
| 10 | 7903x5375x | DALCHINI | M | 5 | Lee & Cherie Curtis | 10= | 54kg | 84 | ||
| 11 | 624x7223x3 | SALTAIRE | F | 3 | John O’Shea | 10= | 53kg | 84 | ||
| 12 | 514881356x | MIRRA VIEW | M | 5 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 12= | 54kg | 83 | ||
| 13 | x8264x6348 | RAINBIEL | M | 6 | Joseph Pride | 12= | 54kg | 83 | ||
| 14 | 20×1521144 | MISS FABERGE | M | 4 | John Sargent | 14= | 54kg | 80 | ||
| 15 | 11x61548x6 | SHESALLSHENANIGANS | F | 3 | Simon Zahra | 14= | 53kg | 80 | ||
| 16 | 7x1122x433 | BALLROOM BELLA | F | 3 | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | 16 | 53kg | 78 | ||
| 17 | 3×31928311 | EVERYONE’S A STAR | M | 4 | Marc Chevalier | 17 | 54kg | 71 | ||
| 18 | 49×3249212 | WOLVES | M | 5 | Benjamin Smith | 18 | 54kg | 66 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Sapphire Stakes History
First run in 1998 the inaugural Sapphire Stakes was won by What Can I Say. It began as a Listed race run over 1200m. The event gained Group 3 status in 2002 and not long after reached Group 2 status in 2006. Up until 2016 it ran as a Group 2 race before being downgraded back to a Group 3 autumn event for 2017, and then returned to Group 2 status for 2018.
Plenty of quality mares have won the Sapphire Stakes including Court (2009), Atlantic Jewel (2012) and Cosmic Endeavour (2014).
In 2020 White Moss continued her excellent record in the race, the 2018 third place-getter and 2019 champion becoming the second two-time Sapphire Stakes winner in the race’s history.
| Sapphire Stakes Records: | |
|---|---|
| Race Record: | 1:08.9 set by Atlantic Jewel in 2012 |
| Most Successful Jockey: | R.S. Dye claimed three successive Sapphire Stakes with What Can I Say (1998), Little Pattie (1999) and Spinning Hill (2000). |
| Multiple Winners: | Spinning Hill (2000 & 2001), White Moss (2019 & 2020) |
Recent Sapphire Stakes Winners
See below for a full list of Sapphire Stakes winners and results going back to 2000.
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Wee Nessy | 1 minute 9.04 seconds |
| 2nd | Ballroom Bella | ||
| 3rd | Miss Hellfire | ||
| 2023 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Zapateo | 1 minute 11.28 seconds |
| 2nd | Never Talk | ||
| 3rd | Princess Grace | ||
| 2022 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Bella Nipotina | 1 minute 14.55 seconds |
| 2nd | Tricky Gal | ||
| 3rd | Belluci Babe | ||
| 2021 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Fasika | 1 minute 9.88 seconds |
| 2nd | Entriviere | ||
| 3rd | Wandabaa | ||
| 2020 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | White Moss | 1 minute 11.81 seconds |
| 2nd | Fasika | ||
| 3rd | Bangkok | ||
| 2019 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | White Moss | 1 minute 9.02 seconds |
| 2nd | Irithea | ||
| 3rd | Winter Bride | ||
| 2018 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Quilista | 1 minute 9.38 seconds |
| 2nd | Ravi | ||
| 3rd | White Moss | ||
| 2017 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Secret Agenda | 1 minute 13.2 seconds |
| 2nd | Missrock | ||
| 3rd | Artistry | ||
| 2016 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Two Blue | 1 minute 10.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Secret Agenda | ||
| 3rd | Brook Road | ||
| 2015 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Avoid Lightning | 1 minute 12.12 seconds |
| 2nd | Griante | ||
| 3rd | Fine Bubbles | ||
| 2014 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Cosmic Endeavour | 1 minute 10.72 seconds |
| 2nd | Avoid Lightning | ||
| 3rd | Belle De Coeur | ||
| 2013 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Arinosa | 1 minute 10.5 seconds |
| 2nd | Miss Stellabelle | ||
| 3rd | Forarainyday | ||
| 2012 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Atlantic Jewel | 1 minute 08.9 seconds |
| 2nd | Mid Summer Music | ||
| 3rd | Lady’s Angel | ||
| 2011 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Hurtle Myrtle | 1 minute 10.6 seconds |
| 2nd | Kimillsy | ||
| 3rd | Marquardt | ||
| 2010 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Renaissance | 1 minute 10.5 seconds |
| 2nd | Beaded | ||
| 3rd | Jersey Lily | ||
| 2009 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Court | 1 minute 10.84 seconds |
| 2nd | Belong To Many | ||
| 3rd | Cajou | ||
| 2008 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Belong To Many | 1 minute 11.15 seconds |
| 2nd | Tenant?s Tiara | ||
| 3rd | Fritz?s Princess | ||
| 2007 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Fire Song | 1 minute 12.98 seconds |
| 2nd | Whoever | ||
| 3rd | Splashing Out | ||
| 2006 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Coolroom Candidate | 1 minute 10.61 seconds |
| 2nd | Imana | ||
| 3rd | Shalimar Sky | ||
| 2005 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Glamour Puss | 1 minute 12.02 seconds |
| 2nd | With My | ||
| 3rd | Wild Queen | ||
| 2004 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Recurring | 1 minute 10.47 seconds |
| 2nd | Fair Embrace | ||
| 3rd | Cataclysm | ||
| 2003 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Fatoon | 1 minute 11.43 seconds |
| 2nd | Provokes | ||
| 3rd | Miss Helterskelter | ||
| 2002 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Fair Embrace | 1 minute 9.23 seconds |
| 2nd | Spinning Hill | ||
| 3rd | Hot Riff | ||
| 2001 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Spinning Hill | 1 minute 10.3 seconds |
| 2nd | Nanny Maroon | ||
| 3rd | Marlina | ||
| 2000 Sapphire Stakes |
1st | Spinning Hill | 1 minute 9.79 seconds |
| 2nd | Snippets? Lass | ||
| 3rd | Heather | ||
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