Horse Racing

The Villiers Stakes is a Group 2 event that takes place at the Royal Randwick racecourse in Sydney, just outside of the prominent Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. Conducted in December, it is an open handicap event run over the middle distance of 1600m and is worth $150,000.

Held just before Christmas each year, the Villiers Stakes is a strong race and a quality black type event on the New South Wales racing calendar. It attracts a good field of fine gallopers and suits horses with experience and proven ability in the mile events.

Although not held in as high regard as the famous Randwick milers, the Epson Handicap and Doncaster Handicap, which occur earlier in the year, it is still a great race for punters to get in on some late betting action in the year.

The above average types contesting the Villiers Stakes may have previously contested the Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m), another open handicap event held in November or some of the Sydney Spring Carnival races of around the same status including the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) at Randwick on George Main Stakes Day, or the Group 2 Shannon Stakes (1600m) at Rosehill in September.

The 2010 Villiers Stakes is the feature race at Royal Ranwick on Saturday December 18 2010.

Villiers Stakes History

First run in 1892 when Two Up claimed victory, the event was originally a principal race run over six furlongs. The race length was increased in 1902 to eight furlongs and remained the same until 1972 when the distance was converted to 1600 metres. Not long after in 1979 the event was elevated to Group 3 status before finally becoming a Group 2 race in 1986. In the rich and extensive history of the Villiers Stakes, there has only been one year when the race was not held, 2007 due to the equine flu.

Recent Villiers Stakes Winners