Standish Handicap

The Standish Handicap is a Group 3 sprint race held at Flemington Racecourse in January each summer.

2024 Standish Handicap Results

  • 1st: #2 Sghirripa
  • 2nd: #5 Crosshaven
  • 3rd: #4 Curran



The Standish Handicap is a 1200m sprint that takes place at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne in early January each summer.

It is held under handicap conditions and pays $250,000 in prize money and has been run in mid-January since 2022 having been moved from its traditional spot on the New Year’s Day race card at HQ.

As a Group 3 event, it attracts some fairly decent talent looking for an off-season Black-Type to either round out their summer or kick off their autumn.

Standish Handicap Day now runs on the same date as Queensland’s Magic Millions Race Day at the Gold Coast headlined by the $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic and $3 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas.

It is now also part of Melbourne’s Summer Sprint Series running as the third event in the four-race series. The other races in the series are the Listed Kensington Stakes at Flemington, Listed Christmas Stakes at Caulfield and the Group 2 Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley.

The Standish Handicap is considered an important event for some horses who are gearing up for some of the few January races or the early Autumn Racing Carnival. However, many of the top sprinters in Melbourne are usually in the paddock around this time.

In 2019 the Standish Handicap winner Whispering Brook franked the form winning the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) next start at The Valley.

The Standish Handicap is held down the “straight six”, which is the Flemington straight (six furlongs long).

Horses that do well in the Standish Handicap may target the Group 1 sprints of the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival including Caulfield’s Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) in February.

Dual Standish Handicap champion Halvorsen franked the form out of the 2022 race when running second in both the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) in Melbourne and Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) in Adelaide later that year.

The Standish Handicap winner is now also exempt from that autumn’s Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) held at the same track and distance in March.

The 2024 Standish Handicap ran on Saturday January 13, 2024 with the dominate three-length winner Sghirripa ($2.05F) now free from ballot for the 2024 Newmarket Handicap. 

Standish Handicap 2024
Date: Saturday January 13, 2024
Track: Flemington Racecourse
Distance: 1200m
Race Type: Open Handicap
Status: Group 3
Prize Money: $250,000

2024 Standish Handicap Results

  • 1st: #2 Sghirripa ($2.05F)
  • 2nd: #5 Crosshaven
  • 3rd: #4 Curran

The autumn Group 1 riches look to be calling classy Lonhro grey Sghirripa ($2.05F) after he absolutely ripped his rivals apart down the Flemington straight with a powerhouse three-length win for the punters in the 2024 Standish Handicap results.

Finish No. Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Bar. Weight Penalty Starting Price
1 2 SGHIRRIPA Shane & Cassie Oxlade Craig Newitt 1 54.5kg $2.05F
2 5 CROSSHAVEN Ben, Will & JD Hayes Blaike McDougall 3L 4 54kg $8
2 4 CURRAN Lyn Tolson & Leonie Proctor Matthew Cartwright 3L 6 54kg $8
4 7 POLAND Gavin Bedggood Beau Mertens 5.75L 7 54kg $19
5 1 THE ASTROLOGIST Leon & Troy Corstens Damian Lane 6.15L 3 59kg $4.20
6 3 TREASURED STAR John Leek (Jnr) Ms Celine Gaudray (a) 8.4L 5 54kg $14
7 6 SNAPPER (NZ) Michael Moroney Jye McNeil 12.9L 2 54kg $15

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2024 Standish Handicap Betting Odds

The latest available Standish Handicap 2024 odds will be listed below, pricing open at Ladbrokes.com.au where you can lock in your Standish Handicap betting tips at the hottest summer racing prices.

Sirius Suspect ($2.90 in 2021) and Sghirripa ($2.05 in 2024) are the latest favourites in Standish Handicap betting to salute for the punters.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2024 STANDISH HANDICAP ODDS (Final Field)

2024 Standish Handicap Form Guide

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2024 STANDISH HANDICAP FORM GUIDE

2024 Standish Handicap Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Standish Handicap 2024 Tips on the summer showdown this January.

  • To Win: #2 Sghirripa ($2.05 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Tipping the Shane & Cassie Oxlade-trained favourite, in-form Lonhro four-year-old Sghirripa, who gets the rails run from barrier one in a small field. The grey is airborne having won three of his past four starts including the Listed Xmas Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Boxing Day. Up in grade now but deservingly so. Previous winning form over the 1200m. Approaching odds-on so back now. 

2024 Standish Handicap Field

The Standish Handicap field attracts a quality line-up of summer sprinters each January, many coming off a lead-up run at the Flemington track and the bulk of which progress onto the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival sprint races later in the year.

The 2024 Standish Handicap field and barriers are set for release the week before the race and will be provided in full below  as soon as made available by Racing Victoria.

The Standish Handicap 2023 final field features a small line-up of summer sprinters with markets firmly led by last start Xmas Stakes winner Sghirripa

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 1x062725x9 THE ASTROLOGIST Leon & Troy Corstens Damian Lane 3 59kg 106
2 31145×1131 SGHIRRIPA Shane & Cassie Oxlade Craig Newitt 1 54.5kg 97
3 151x81676x TREASURED STAR John Leek (Jnr) Ms Celine Gaudray (a) 5 54kg 98
4 51703×5023 CURRAN Lyn Tolson & Leonie Proctor Matthew Cartwright 6 54kg 95
5 27273×2069 CROSSHAVEN Ben, Will & JD Hayes Blaike McDougall 4 54kg 94
6 17140x400x SNAPPER (NZ) Michael Moroney Jye McNeil 2 54kg 94
7 283x52056x POLAND Gavin Bedggood Beau Mertens 7 54kg 88

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2024 Standish Handicap Nominations

Early Standish Handicap 2024 nominations are taken the Monday leading-up to the race and will be updated below once announced.

Standish Handicap History

The Standish Handicap was inaugurated in 1884. This makes it one of the older races in Australia.

It is named after Captain Frederick Standish. He was a former VRC Chairman and also held the position of Victorian Chief Commissioner of police during the period that Ned Kelly was galloping around the scrub bush-rangering. Fred Standish passed away in 1883.

Between 1884 and 1972 the Standish Handicap was held over six furlongs. Following the conversion to metric, it was held over 1200m, right up until 2006. In that year it was held over 1100m. Since 2007 it has been raced over 1200m.

In 1997 for a year the race was held at Moonee Valley. Caulfield Racecourse hosted it in 2006.

Prior to 1979, it was a Principal race, and since then it has held Group 3 status.

Notable Standish Handicap winners include: Barefoot (1892); Miss Bobby (1907, 08); Press Gang (1935); Ungar (1950, 51); Scarborough Fair (1972); Redelva (1988); Iglesia (2001); Super Impressive (2003, 05); and Flamberge (2014).

Standish Handicap results, place getters and winning times since 2000 are provided below.

In 2022 Halvorsen emulated Super Impressive (2003, 2005) winning the Standish Handicap for the second time in three years.

Standish Handicap Winners

Year Place Horse Time
2024
Standish Handicap
1st Sghirripa 1 minute 9.07 seconds
2nd Crosshaven
3rd Curran
2023
Standish Handicap
1st Snapper 1 minute 9.73 seconds
2nd Rose Quartz
3rd Dawn Passage
2022
Standish Handicap
1st Halvorsen 1 minute 8.66 seconds
2nd It’sourtime
3rd The Astrologist
2021
Standish Handicap
1st Sirius Suspect 1 minute 9.27 seconds
2nd Albumin
3rd Defiant Dancer
2020
Standish Handicap
1st Halvorsen 1 minute 10.24 seconds
2nd Bold Star
3rd Superhard
2019
Standish Handicap
1st Whispering Brook 1 minute 9.18 seconds
2nd Smart Coupe
3rd True Excelsior
2018
Standish Handicap
1st Lord Of The Sky 1 minute 8.98 seconds
2nd Flippant
3rd Chamois Road
2017
Standish Handicap
1st Odyssey Moon 1 minute 10.54 seconds
2nd Cavaloce
3rd Inspector
2016
Standish Handicap
1st Durendal 1 minute 9.4 seconds
2nd Zupacharged
3rd Churchill Dancer
2015
Standish Handicap
1st Decircles 1 minute 9.1 seconds
2nd Lord Of The Sky
3rd Reparations
2014
Standish Handicap
1st Flamberge 1 minute 9.9 seconds
2nd Essay Raider
3rd Decircles
2013
Standish Handicap
1st Adamantium 1 minute 8.2 seconds
2nd Catapulted
3rd Goldstone
2012
Standish Handicap
1st Catapulted 1 minute 7.6 seconds
=2nd Rocking Force
=2nd Cascabel
2011
Standish Handicap
1st Ahdashim 1 minute 9.1 seconds
2nd Chasm
3rd Eclair Mystic
2010
Standish Handicap
1st Royal Ida 1 minute 11.1 seconds
2nd Beltrois
3rd Juggle The Books
2009
Standish Handicap
1st King Hoaks 1 minute 10.3 seconds
2nd Bowhunter
3rd Orbit Express
2008
Standish Handicap
1st Publishing 1 minute 9.3 seconds
2nd Eskaw
3rd Pencelaron
2007
Standish Handicap
1st Watchyerback 1 minute 9.0 seconds
2nd Murray Downs
3rd Cocinero
2006
Standish Handicap
1st Honalee 1 minute 3.4 seconds
2nd Gold Wells
3rd Starhere
2005
Standish Handicap
1st Super Impressive 1 minute 9.8 seconds
2nd Blessum
3rd Savage Attack
2004
Standish Handicap
1st Blessum 1 minute 9.2 seconds
2nd Monahan Tweed
3rd Super Impressive
2003
Standish Handicap
1st Super Impressive 1 minute 10.3 seconds
2nd Confederate Kid
3rd The Expat
2002
Standish Handicap
1st Lets Planet 1 minute 9.7 seconds
2nd Chattanooga
3rd Generalissimo
2001
Standish Handicap
1st Iglesia 1 minute 7.1 seconds
2nd Sedation
3rd Major
2000
Standish Handicap
1st Upright 1 minute 9.6 seconds
2nd Rain Dance Lady
3rd Bush Outlaw

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