Michael Freedman‘s airborne filly Apocalyptic is odds-on favourite to make it a hat-trick in the Princess Series this season heading Saturday’s Flight Stakes 2025 field and betting markets at Royal Randwick.

One of three spring elite levels on the Sydney race card for Epsom Handicap Day, the Group 1 $750,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) features an 11-filly field of top-line three-year-olds led by Apocalyptic at $1.90 through Ladbrokes.
The daughter of Extreme Choice is drawn barrier seven, which hasn’t produced a winner in over 25 years, but comes into the mile event in terrific form having claimed the Group 2 Furious Stakes – Tea Rose Stakes double at her latest two starts.
Lightly raced having just her fourth career run on the weekend, she has made a quick leap through the grades and continues to live up to the hype.
When up to 1400m in the Tea Rose she was dominant saluting by nearly two lengths in a performance that left Freedman singing her praises and full of confidence that she’ll run out the 1600m in the Group 1.
“To do what she did and let down like she did, from a training perspective you don’t get too many horses in your hands that can do that,” he said.
“She certainly finished off today like a filly that should relish the mile.”
Zougotcha (2022) was the last filly to complete the Tea Rose Stakes – Flight Stakes double and the money is firmly on Apocalyptic, who will again be ridden by Tommy Berry, to be the next.
The danger in Flight Stakes betting at $6.50 drawn the outside barrier is the consistent Annabel & Rob Archibald trained Tupakara.
The Trapeze Artist filly remains a maiden after eight starts but has been racing well all along to record five top three placings including a third in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes against the boys at this track and trip as a two-year-old.
She comes via the traditional path having run second in the Furious and third in the Tea Rose Stakes and has the benefit of two previous mile runs.
The other fillies being kept safe under $10 in the Flight Stakes odds at Ladbrokes are Within The Law ($8) and Queen Of Clubs ($8) drawn in barriers two and four respectively.
Bjorn Baker‘s one-time favourite, Lucky Vega filly Within The Law, has form against some very nice types as a juvenile including her Group 2 Percy Sykes third behind last weekend’s Golden Rose third placegetter Tempted.
She was also runner-up in the Champagne Stakes at elite level before coming back as a three-year-old this prep to run second fresh on a Heavy (10) in the Silver Slipper.
Her subsequent two runs however have seen her finish out of the money when fifth and sixth respectively in the Furious and Tea Rose, but back up to a mile and rock-hard fit from gate two she’s not without claims.
Gary Portelli‘s Maurice filly Queen Of Clubs meanwhile comes via a fourth in the Tea Rose Stakes and is drawn a treat for Nash Rawiller in her acid test this weekend.
Tea Rose runner-up Artistic Venture is drawn the rails on Saturday and pays $11 to turn the tables on her last start conqueror, while Apocalyptic’s trainer Freedman also saddles-up well-bred Frankel Magenta Skies ($15) who comes via a lead-up win in a Newcastle maiden.
The 2025 Flight Stakes is set to run as Randwick Race 6 at 3:00pm (AEST) as the first of the three Group 1 races on the 10-event card.
Flight Stakes 2025 Results
| 1. Apocalyptic (7) 56kg2x11 | |||
| 4. Within The Law (2) 56kg2x256 | |||
| 6. Karinska (5) 56kg8x565 | |||
| 8. Enviable (9) 56kg0x337 | |||
| 9. Reflect (8) 56kgx3851 | |||
| 2. Artistic Venture (1) 56kg5x212 | |||
| 10. Magenta Skies (6) 56kg31 | |||
| 5. Queen Of Clubs (4) 56kg51x34 | |||
| 11. Lighthouse Lass (3) 56kgx6722 | |||
| 3. Tupakara (10) 56kg23x23 | |||
| 7. Next Jen (9)SCRATCHED: | |||
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