Flight Stakes News

2024 Flight Stakes Results: Lady Shenandoah Makes a Mess of Her Five Rivals

• Autumn Glow Scratched from Flight Stakes 2024 Field – Out of Spring
• Autumn Glow Heads 2024 Flight Stakes Field & Betting
• Unbeaten Tea Rose Winner Autumn Glow Favourite in 2024 Flight Stakes Betting
• 2023 Flight Stakes Results: Waterhouse Wins 11th with Tropical Squall
• Tiz Invincible Leads 2023 Flight Stakes Field & Betting

The Flight Stakes is a 1600m set weights race held at Randwick Racecourse on Epsom Handicap Day in late September or early October each Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. Hosted by the Australian Turf Club (ATC), the Group 1 race attracts the best three-year-old fillies from around the country to compete for the $750,000 prize money.

The Flight Stakes shares a race program with the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) and Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) making it one of the biggest Sydney race days over the spring, on part of a massive weekend of racing that also sees Melbourne host Turnbull Stakes Day.

Fillies often target the Flight Stakes following successful runs in earlier events such as the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes or Group 2 Furious Stakes. These races form the Princess Series with the Flight Stakes the last leg. Funstar (2019) followed by the fellow Chris Waller-trained Zougotcha (2022) are the last fillies to complete the Tea Rose Stakes – Flight Stakes double.

Some of the better runners in the Flight Stakes might continue onto other elite level races in Melbourne later in the spring including the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) in a fortnight’s time at Caulfield. Global Glamour (2016) was the last filly to complete the Flight Stakes – Thousand Guineas interstate double.

The best fillies out of the Flight Stakes will take on the boys next-up in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), a rare double achieved in 2020 by the history-making Montefilia.

As of 2021, the Flight Stakes also now serves as a potential lead-up for fillies invited to contest the $2 million The Invitation (1400m) back at Randwick on Bondi Stakes Day.

In 2021 trainer Gai Waterhouse celebrated her 10th Flight Stakes win and second in partnership with Adrian Bott thanks to an upset by Never Been Kissed ($41).

Waterhouse then extended her Flight Stakes success for an 11th victory, her third in partnership with Bott, in 2023 with Tropical Squall as Tulloch Lodge’s dominance in the race continued after Waterhouse’s father Tommy Smith won the race on 13 occasions.

Never Been Kissed went on to frank the 2021 Flight Stakes form running second to the boys next-up in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m). The 2021 Flight Stakes runner-up Hinged meanwhile returned to win the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) the following autumn in 2022, while the third-placed Startantes ran second in the Surround before winning that winter’s Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) in Brisbane.

Each year the Flight Stakes winner also earns a ballot exemption into the following autumn’s Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) during April’s ‘The Championships’ at Royal Randwick.

The 2022 Flight Stakes form was franked with the runner-up She’s Extreme running third next-up in the Spring Champion Stakes before her win in Flemington’s Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m).

The 2023 Flight Stakes winner Tropical Squall franked the form the following autumn winning the Group 1 Surround Stakes in 2024.

The 2024 Flight Stakes form was firmly franked with the winner Lady Shenandoah returning the following autumn to win her next three starts on the trot including the Group 1 Surround Stakes and Group 1 Coolmore Classic in 2025.

This season the Flight Stakes 2025 takes place on Saturday October 4, 2025 as part of Randwick’s Epsom Handicap Day. 

2025 Flight Stakes Results

See below for the official Flight Stakes 2025 Results & Finishing Order once the three-years-old fillies’ classic is run and won on Epsom Day, Saturday October 4, 2025.

• 1st: TBD
• 2nd: TBD
• 3rd: TBD

2025 Flight Stakes Betting

The full Flight Stakes 2025 betting markets and updated Flight Stakes odds on the hopeful three-year-old fillies in the Epsom Handicap Day Group 1 will be available at Races.com.au complete with links to Ladbrokes.com.au for you to back your Flight Stakes tips.

Funstar ($1.75 in 2019) was the last favourite in Flight Stakes betting to salute for the punters.

There was a notable upset in 2021 with Never Been Kissed winning at Flight Stakes odds of $41.

2025 Flight Stakes Form

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 FLIGHT STAKES FORM GUIDE

2025 Flight Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Flight Stakes 2025 Tips on the Randwick mile race for three-year-old fillies this Epsom Day.

• To Win: TBD

2025 Flight Stakes Field

Each spring the Flight Stakes field attracts a line-up of quality three-year-old fillies that traditionally come out of the Tea Rose Stakes. The Tea Rose Stakes – Flight Stakes double was recently completed by Zougotcha (2022), Funstar (2019), Alizee (2017), Guelph (2013), and First Seal (2014).

Following a run in the Flight Stakes field there are a host of other potential Group 1 races for the fillies to target including a run against the boys in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m), which the 2018 Flight Stakes winner Oohood ran third behind The Autumn Sun in.

The 2025 Flight Stakes field and barrier draw are released on Tuesday of race week and will be provided in full below as soon as final acceptances for the mile feature are released by Racing NSW.

2025 Flight Stakes Nominations

The 2025 Flight Stakes nominations are released by Racing NSW on Monday the 8th of September 2025.

Flight Stakes History

The Flight Stakes was named after the champion mare Flight, which won the Cox Plate in 1945 and 1946. One year later, the first Flight Stakes race was won by Nizam’s Ring. From 1947 to 1978, the event was a principal race however it then elevated to Group 2 status until 1984.

In 2007, the race was cancelled due to the spread of the Equine Flu. Many of the Flight Stakes winners come via the Group 2 Furious Stakes and the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes. Fillies which have placed or won this particular race have made up seven of the last nine Flight Stakes winners.

The Tea Rose Stakes / Flight Stakes double is a popular one for the punters, while the more difficult Furious Stakes / Tea Rose Stakes / Flight Stakes Treble has been won by the likes of Samantha Miss in 2008, Unworldly in 2000, Danglissa in 1999 and Sunline in 1998.

Gai Waterhouse has trained 11 Flight Stakes winners after taking out her third in partnership with Adrian Bott in 2023 with Tropical Squall.

Waterhouse’s father Tommy Smith holds the Flight Stakes training record with 13 victories.

Flight Stakes results and winning times since 2000 are listed below.

Flight Stakes Results