Horse Racing

The Schillaci Stakes is a quality Group 2 thoroughbred race held mid-way through the coveted Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival on Caulfield Guineas Day in October.

The Schillaci Stakes is a 1000m sprint race run under weight-for-age conditions worth $200 000. There are a number of other great lead-up races held earlier in the carnival that runners may have previously contested including the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley a fortnight earlier, Group 3 McEwen Stakes (1000m) in early September, and the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield in early August.

The 2010 Schillaci Stakes will run on Saturday October 9 2010.

The feature race at the meeting is the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) but there are five other fantastic group races on the day including the Group 1 Yalumba Stakes (2000m), Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m), Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m), Group 3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes (1200m) and of course the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes.

Horses that ran in the Schillaci Stakes will often continue their spring campaigns by competing in the later weight-for-age sprints like the Group 2 Schweppes Stakes (1200m) or the Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) on Emirates Stakes Day.

Schillaci Stakes History

The first Schillaci Stakes, originally known as the Chirnside Stakes, was run in 1970 when Regal Vista claimed victory. It began as a Principal race run over six furlongs but the race distance was converted to 1200m in 1973. In 1979 the event became a Group 2 race and for one year in 1986 the race was run over 1219m. A few years later in 1988 the distance was permanently decreased to its current length of 1000m. The race name was changed to the Schillaci Stakes in 2000 in honour of the former champion sprinter Schillaci.

Recent Schillaci Stakes Winners: