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The Robert Sangster Stakes is one of only four Group 1 races held in South Australia at Morphettville Racecourse as part of the esteemed Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival.

Conducted by the South Australia Jockey Club (SAJC) the other Group 1 races run are the Australasian Oaks (2000m) now held a week prior to the Robert Sangster Stakes, The Goodwood (1200m) and the South Australian Derby (2500m).

The Robert Sangster Stakes is the elite fillies and mares event of the carnival and is run under weight-for-age conditions. Raced over a sprint distance of 1200m the event is now worth just over $500,000 in total prize money. In 2020 the event was worth a reduced $400,000 due to COVID-19.

The contending females may have just contested the Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) previous month at the Morphettville track, so keep an eye on the dominant fillies and mares in this other weight-for-age event. Driefontein (2014) was the last mare to do the RN Irwin Stakes – Robert Sangster Stakes double.

As the premier fillies and mares’ race in Adelaide, the event attracts all the best local gallopers and quite often an impressive interstate female will make the trip and claim victory in the Robert Sangster.

The most famous Robert Sangster Stakes winner was the world’s highest-rated mare Black Caviar who took out the 2012 edition in her Adelaide debut.

In 2021 the Robert Sangster Stakes form was franked with the winner Instant Celebrity going on to run second next-up in that year’s The Goodwood results. Platelet (2013) and Black Caviar (2012) both completed the Robert Sangster Stakes – The Goodwood double.

The 2022 Robert Sangster Stakes form was franked with the winner Snapdancer heading to Brisbane for a next-up second in the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) before winning the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) in Melbourne that spring.

The Robert Sangster Stakes 2023 ran on Saturday May 6, 2023 as the second Group 1 event of the Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival and was won in an impressive upset by the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained filly Ruthless Dame ($14). 

2023 Robert Sangster Stakes
Date:	Saturday May 6, 2023
Track:	Morphettville Racecourse
Distance:	1200m
Conditions:	Weight-for-age
Status:	Group 1
Prize Money:	$502,250
Inaugurated:	1983

2023 Robert Sangster Stakes Results

• 1st: #13 Ruthless Dame ($14)
• 2nd: #12 Another Award
• 3rd: Zapateo

Tavistock filly Ruthless Dame ($14) from the Maher/Eustace stable broke through for her maiden Group 1 success, the recent Surround Stakes runner-up flying past a field of older rivals for a three-quarter length victory in the Robert Sangster Stakes 2023 results.

	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	13	RUTHLESS DAME (NZ)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	John Allen		12	55kg		$14
	2	12	ANOTHER AWARD	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas	Jason Holder	0.7L	13	56.5kg		$41
	3	4	ZAPATEO	James Cummings	Damien Oliver	0.9L	11	56.5kg		$4
	4	8	CHAIN OF LIGHTNING	Peter G Moody	Luke Nolen	0.9L	8	56.5kg		$19
	5	10	SERADESS	Mark & Levi Kavanagh	Todd Pannell	2.5L	2	56.5kg		$31
	6	1	BELLA NIPOTINA	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ben Melham	3.2L	5	56.5kg		$3.80F
	7	7	ESPIONA	Chris Waller	Michael Dee	4.5L	10	56.5kg		$14
	8	6	PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE	Grahame Begg	Jordan Childs	4.8L	1	56.5kg		$7
	9	5	SEPTEMBER RUN	Chris Waller	Craig Williams	5L	14	56.5kg		$13
	10	3	MARABI	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ben Allen	5L	7	56.5kg		$13
	11	2	ROCH ’N’ HORSE (NZ)	Michael Moroney	Jamie Mott	7.4L	9	56.5kg		$17
	12	11	DIAMONDS	Chris Bieg	Ms Teagan Voorham	7.5L	6	56.5kg		$61
	13	9	LITERARY MAGNATE	Matthew Williams	Dean Yendall	7.8L	3	56.5kg		$21
	14	14	I’MLOVIN’YA	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	Zac Spain	12.1L	4	55kg		$61

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Robert Sangster Stakes Betting Odds

The latest Robert Sangster Stakes 2023 odds including futures all-in betting on the Adelaide Group 1 autumn race will be available below as soon as markets are out at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Mares traditionally dominate Robert Sangster Stakes betting as since since Rostova in 2010 only three fillies have won with Shoals (2018), Instant Celebrity (2021) and Ruthless Dame (2023).

There were huge $41 Robert Sangster Stakes odds on offer for the upset 2020 champion Bella Vella and more value to be had again in 2022 with Snapdancer winning at $17.

Ruthless Dame also enjoyed an upset at Robert Sangster odds of $14 in 2023.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2023 ROBERT SANGSTER STAKES ODDS (Final Field)

2023 Robert Sangster Stakes Form

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 ROBERT SANGSTER STAKES FORM GUIDE

2023 Robert Sangster Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our exclusive Robert Sangster Stakes 2023 Tips on the Adelaide Group 1 showdown this May.

• To Win: #1 Bella Nipotina ($4.20 at time of publish) 

Absolutely have to give Bella Nipotina another shot. She deserves this win, which would be the mare’s first since the Group 1 Manikato Stakes at The Valley last October over Rothfire who came out and won Brisbane’s Group 2 Victory Stakes last weekend. This five-year-old daughter of Pride Of Dubai has been typically excellent this prep finishing top three in two Group 1s. She comes off a trip to WA where she ran third to Overpass in the inaugural $4 million The Quokka. If she didn’t miss the kick she would have won that. Ben Melham retains the ride here, she’s rock-hard fit and drawn well in gate five. This is her fourth Morphettville run where she is yet to finish in the money, but her fifths in this race and The Goodwood last year were both good. She is arguably going better this season and can salute for the punters if she gets away well.

2023 Robert Sangster Stakes Field

The Robert Sangster Stakes field attracts strong locally-trained mares as well as interstate raiders that are starting to dominate the event. South Australian Racing announce the field the Tuesday of race week. The race also offers a SABOIS Breeders Super Bonus for qualified horses.

The official 2023 Robert Sangster Stakes field and barriers are set for release on Tuesday May 2, 2023 and will be published in full below as soon as announced.

The Robert Sangster Stakes 2023 final field features a class line-up of Group 1 sprinters including Bella Nipotina coming off a third in the $4 million The Quokka in WA, the consistent Grahame Begg-trained Passive Aggressive, and the Chris Waller-trained Coolmore Classic winner Espiona chasing a third win on the trot.

Click here to read more on the key runners in the 2023 Robert Sangster Stakes field and betting markets.

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	x1219x3023	BELLA NIPOTINA	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ben Melham	5	56.5kg		112
2	x4221x0039	ROCH ’N’ HORSE (NZ)	Michael Moroney	Jamie Mott	9	56.5kg		112
3	1x11115x8x	MARABI	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ben Allen	7	56.5kg		111
4	x16144x011	ZAPATEO	James Cummings	Damien Oliver	11	56.5kg		110
5	135x84x404	SEPTEMBER RUN	Chris Waller	Craig Williams	14	56.5kg		110
6	1111x4x10	PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE	Grahame Begg	Jordan Childs	1	56.5kg		107
7	81x640x611	ESPIONA	Chris Waller	Michael Dee	10	56.5kg		106
8	11310×3899	CHAIN OF LIGHTNING	Peter G Moody	Luke Nolen	8	56.5kg		104
9	24323x123x	LITERARY MAGNATE	Matthew Williams	Dean Yendall	3	56.5kg		98
10	5311x70x24	SERADESS	Mark & Levi Kavanagh	Todd Pannell	2	56.5kg		98
11	74x103110x	DIAMONDS	Chris Bieg	Ms Teagan Voorham	6	56.5kg		95
12	x4057x3143	ANOTHER AWARD	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas	Jason Holder	13	56.5kg		94
13	11×320	RUTHLESS DAME (NZ)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	John Allen	12	55kg		100
14	61x3380x1	I’MLOVIN’YA	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	Zac Spain	4	55kg		83

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Robert Sangster Nominations

The Robert Sangster Stakes nominations for the race close the week prior and attract a better class of mares each season attracted to the big prize money on offer as an end-of-autumn run or as a nice lead-up into the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.

The 2023 Robert Sangster Stakes nominations close on April 26, 2023.

Robert Sangster Stakes History

The Robert Sangster is one of the younger Australian thoroughbred races, first run in 1983 when Ranee’s Palace claimed victory.

The race distance has remained the same from the inaugural race, but the status and race name have seen a number of changes.

It began as a special race but became a listed race the next year in 1934. Two years later it gained Group 3 status until 2004 when it was installed as a Group 2 event. The following year in 2005 it became a prestigious Group 1 event.

Originally registered and known as the Swettenham Stud Stakes, the race was renamed when it received Group 1 status as the Robert Sangster Stakes in honour of the legendary owner and breeder Robert Sangster who passed away the year before in 2004.

The Robert Sangster Stakes record was set by Dantelah in 1999 with a time of 1:07.9.

Robert Sangster Stakes Recent Winners

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2023 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Ruthless Dame	1 minute 9.85 seconds
	2nd	Another Award
	3rd	Zapateo
2022 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Snapdancer	1 minute 10.14 seconds
	2nd	Away Game
	3rd	September Run
2021 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Instant Celebrity	1 minute 9.62 seconds
	2nd	Subpoenaed
	3rd	Rubisaki
2020 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Bella Vella	1 minute 11.07 seconds
	2nd	Lyre
	3rd	Bam’s On Fire
2019 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Spright	1 minute 9.28 seconds
	2nd	Cool Passion
	3rd	Bella Martini
2018 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Shoals	1 minute 9.19 seconds
	2nd	Secret Agenda
	3rd	Mica Lil
2017 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Secret Agenda	1 minute 09.15 seconds
	2nd	Viddora
	3rd	I Am A Star
2016 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Precious Gem	1 minute 09.4 seconds
	2nd	Sheidel
	3rd	I Love It
2015 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Miracles Of Life	1 minutes 09.7 seconds
	2nd	Gregers
	3rd	I Love It
2014 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Driefontein	1 minutes 09.2 seconds
	2nd	Platelet
	3rd	Gregers
2013 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Platelet	1 minutes 11.0 seconds
	2nd	Angelic Light
	3rd	Yosei
2012 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Black Caviar	1 minutes 10.6 seconds
	2nd	Sistine Angel
	3rd	Power Princess
2011 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Response	1 minutes 09.0 seconds
	2nd	Beaded
	3rd	Miss Octopussy
2010 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Rostova	1 minute 9.42 seconds
	2nd	Velocitea
	3rd	Sister Madly
2009 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Bel Mer	1 minute 9.5 seconds
	2nd	Hidden Energy
	3rd	Impressive Eagle
2008 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Juste Momente	1 minute 9.7 seconds
	2nd	Zipanese
	3rd	Serious Speed
2007 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Universal Queen	1 minute 8.3 seconds
	2nd	Media
	3rd	Flying Object
2006 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Ellicorsam	1 minute 9.7 seconds
	2nd	Social Glow
	3rd	Truly Wicked
2005 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Alinghi	1 minute 8.7 seconds
	2nd	Glamour Puss
	3rd	Solar Antiquity
2004 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	French Bid	1 minute 9 seconds
	2nd	Fly For Me
	3rd	Social Glow
2003 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Our Egyptian Raine	1 minute 8.7 seconds
	2nd	Brief Embrace
	3rd	Dama De Noche
2002 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Suzy Grey	1 minute 13.2 seconds
	2nd	Regal Kiss
	3rd	Lady Belvedere
2001 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Umaline	1 minute 8.1 seconds
	2nd	Fayrouz
	3rd	Crixia
2000 Robert Sangster Stakes	1st	Rain Dance Lady	1 minute 9.1 seconds
	2nd	Tapalinga
	3rd	Daninkling