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The Underwood Stakes is a Group 1 race run during the renowned Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival in late September or early October on the same Saturday as Sydney’s Golden Rose Stakes and the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne.

The feature event of Underwood Stakes Day, this 1800m race is run under weight-for-age conditions and is worth $1 million in prize money.

The Underwood traditionally takes place at Caulfield Racecourse, but in 2021 will ran at Ladbrokes Park Hillside (Sandown) bringing Group 1 racing to the Sandown track for the first time in 25 years.

Key lead-up races to this event that Underwood Stakes runners may come via include the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley, the  Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington a fortnight before and the Memsie Stakes (1400m) in August.

So You Think (2010) was the last horse to complete the Memsie Stakes – Underwood Stakes double without a run in between. In 2017 the Kiwi-trained mare Bonneval completed the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes – Underwood Stakes double. All of these quality weight-for-age Group races may be used as preparation for the Underwood and then the more lucrative and prestigious races held later in the carnival.

The Underwood Stakes is the first weight-for-age race run over a distance greater than 1400m and provides horses with an excellent opportunity to step up their race distance in preparation for the 2000m and 2400m events to follow. This race is definitely worth keeping an eye on as it has been a solid guide to the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate in recent years.

In 2020 the Underwood Stakes winner Russian Camelot went on to run third in that year’s Cox Plate trifecta.

This season the Underwood Stakes 2021 took place on Saturday September 25th, 2021 and was won by the $1.18 favourite Zaaki. 

Underwood Stakes
Date:	Saturday September 25th, 2021
Track:	Caulfield Racecourse (Ladbrokes Park Hillside, Sandown in 2021)
Distance:	1800m
Conditions:	Weight-for-age
Status:	Group 1
Prize Money:	$1,000,000
Inaugurated:	1924

2021 Underwood Stakes Results

• 1st: #2 Zaaki
• 2nd: #5 Probabeel
• 3rd: #4 Superstorm

The Annabel Neasham-trained superstar Zaaki ($1.18F) kept the wins coming on way to his grand final in the $5 million Cox Plate scoring an easy second-up win over Probabeel (2nd) and Superstorm (3rd) in the 2021 Underwood Stakes results.

Click here to read more on the easy 2021 Underwood Stakes win by Cox Plate-bound Zaaki.

	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	2	ZAAKI (GB)	Annabel Neasham	Craig Williams		3	59kg		$1.18F
	2	5	PROBABEEL (NZ)	Jamie Richards	Brett Prebble	2L	2	57kg		$7.50
	3	4	SUPERSTORM	Danny O’Brien	Damien Oliver	3.75L	4	59kg		$21
	4	3	THE CHOSEN ONE (NZ)	Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman	Damian Lane	6.25L	5	59kg		$26
	5	1	FIFTY STARS (IRE)	Tom Dabernig	John Allen	18.25L	1	59kg		$31

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2021 Underwood Stakes Betting

Horses that ran well in lead-up races like Moonee Valley’s Feehan Stakes and the Memsie Stakes dominate the Underwood Stakes betting markets each spring.

Favourites at the top of the Underwood Stakes odds on race day however have a poor recent record with the only ones to salute for the punters since So You Think (2010) being Black Heart Bart (2016), Russian Camelot ($1.55 in 2020) and most recent Zaaki ($1.18 in 2021).

Black Heart Bart meanwhile incredibly won the race again three years later as a $101 roughie in 2019.

The season’s top Underwood Stakes 2021 odds and betting market links to Ladbrokes.com.au will be provided below as soon as released.

2021 Underwood Stakes Field

Each season the Underwood Stakes field attracts a gun line-up of potential Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup horses coming off lead-up runs in races including the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (now known as the Feehan Stakes) or Flemington’s Makybe Diva Stakes. In 2016 Black Heart Bart improved on a lead-up second in the Makybe Diva Stakes over the mile to win the Underwood Stakes, while Bonneval (2017) completed the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam – Underwood Stakes double.

The official 2021 Underwood Stakes field of final acceptances will be released on the Wednesday leading up to Underwood Stakes Day and listed in full below along with the Underwood Stakes barrier draw.

The Underwood Stakes 2021 final field features just five runners with Annabel Neasham’s Cox Plate favourite Zaaki the red hot favourite in gate three with Craig Williams to ride.

Click here to read more on the key horses in the 2021 Underwood Stakes field and betting markets.

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	x720872x00	FIFTY STARS (IRE)	Tom Dabernig	John Allen	1	59kg		110
2	47x6D111x1	ZAAKI (GB)	Annabel Neasham	Craig Williams	3	59kg		114
3	734x2606x3	THE CHOSEN ONE (NZ)	Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman	Damian Lane	5	59kg		107
4	2x90736x41	SUPERSTORM	Danny O’Brien	Damien Oliver	4	59kg		108
5	17x1102x15	PROBABEEL (NZ)	Jamie Richards	Brett Prebble	2	57kg		115

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2021 Underwood Stakes Nominations

The 2021 Underwood Stakes nominations are released by Racing Victoria on the Monday of race week and will be published in full below once announced.

The Underwood Stakes 2021 nominations have been extended until Tuesday morning after drawing a dozen early entries dominated by Annabel Neasham’s Cox Plate favourite and last start Tramway Stakes winner first-up Zaaki.

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	212×8	BUTTER CHICKEN (NZ)	M	4	Grahame Begg	78
2	313616x2x0	DAWN PATROL (IRE)	G	5	Robert Hickmott	103
3	035×528253	DR DRILL (GB)	G	7	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	99
4	1x111x12	ELEPHANT (NZ)	G	5	Emma-Lee & David Browne
5	51132113×9	EXPLOSIVE JACK (NZ)	H	4	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	108
6	x720872x00	FIFTY STARS (IRE)	H	7	Tom Dabernig	110
7	73x31x932x	HOMESMAN (USA)	G	8	Anthony & Sam Freedman	110
8	17x1102x15	PROBABEEL (NZ)	M	5	Jamie Richards	115
9	6x794159x3	SIR DRAGONET (IRE)	H	6	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	116
10	2x90736x41	SUPERSTORM	G	5	Danny O’Brien	109
11	734x2606x3	THE CHOSEN ONE (NZ)	H	6	Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman	107
12	47x6D111x1	ZAAKI (GB)	G	7	Annabel Neasham	114

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Underwood Stakes History

Whittier was the inaugural Underwood Stakes winner in 1924 and followed up this success claiming victory the next year as well. The event began as a principal race run over eight furlongs. For one year in 1943 the distance was decreased to seven furlongs, but went back to the original length the next year. That year, in 1944, there was two runnings of the race, with both Amana and Tea Cake seeing victory. In 1949 the length was increased to nine furlongs and then a few years later in 1954 another distance jump saw the event raced over 10 furlongs. With Australia’s adoption of the metric system, the race was converted to 2000m in 1972 and not long after in 1979 the event was elevated to Group 1 status. In 1994, the distance was cut to 1800m and has remained the same through until today.

The Underwood Stakes has had a number of elite horses claim victory including Phar Lap (1931), Rain Lover (1969), Bonecrusher (1986), Octagonal (1996), Tie The Knot (1998), Northerly (2001 & 2002), Weekend Hussler (2008), So You Think (2010), Russian Camelot (2020) and one of the race’s shortest-ever favourites Zaaki (2021). Underwood Stakes results play a major role in form understanding for punters who follow the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

Underwood Stakes results and winning times since 2000 are provided below.

Underwood Stakes Results

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2021 Underwood Stakes	1st	Zaaki	1 minute 49.20 seconds
	2nd	Probabeel
	3rd	Superstorm
2020 Underwood Stakes	1st	Russian Camelot	1 minute 50.85 seconds
	2nd	Humidor
	3rd	Arcadia Queen
2019 Underwood Stakes	1st	Black Heart Bart	1 minute 49.27 seconds
	2nd	Homesman
	3rd	Gailo Chop
2018 Underwood Stakes	1st	Homesman	1 minute 48.70 seconds
	2nd	Tosen Basil
	3rd	Humidor
2017 Underwood Stakes	1st	Bonneval	1 minute 48.41 seconds
	2nd	Hartnell
	3rd	Gailo Chop
2016 Underwood Stakes	1st	Black Heart Bart	1 minute 50.64 seconds
	2nd	He Or She
	3rd	Lucia Valentina
2015 Underwood Stakes	1st	Mourinho	1 minute 48.83 seconds
	2nd	Fawkner
	3rd	The Cleaner
2014 Underwood Stakes	1st	Foreteller	1 minute 50.25 seconds
	2nd	Happy Trails
	3rd	Crackerjack King
2013 Underwood Stakes	1st	It’s A Dundeel	1 minute 54.70 seconds
	2nd	Atlantic Jewel
	3rd	Dear Demi
2012 Underwood Stakes	1st	Ocean Park	1 minute 51.40 seconds
	2nd	Voila Ici
	3rd	December Draw
2011 Underwood Stakes	1st	Lion Tamer	1 minute 50.03 seconds
	2nd	Southern Speed
	3rd	Midas Touch
2010 Underwood Stakes	1st	So You Think	1 minute 49.54 seconds
	2nd	Dariana
	3rd	Metal Bender
2009 Underwood Stakes	1st	Heart Of Dreams	1 minute 49.5 seconds
	2nd	Whobegotyou
	3rd	Predatory Pricer
2008 Underwood Stakes	1st	Weekend Hussler	1 minute 49.8 seconds
	2nd	Pompeii Ruler
	3rd	Littorio
2007 Underwood Stakes	1st	Rubiscent	1 minute 49 seconds
	2nd	Miss Finland
	3rd	Marasco
2006 Underwood Stakes	1st	El Segundo	1 minute 49.5 seconds
	2nd	Polar Bear
	3rd	Molotov
2005 Underwood Stakes	1st	Perlin	1 minute 52.7 seconds
	2nd	Our Smoking Joe
	3rd	She’s Justa Tad
2004 Underwood Stakes	1st	Elvstroem	1 minute 50 seconds
	2nd	She’s Archie
	3rd	Delzao
2003 Underwood Stakes	1st	Mummify	1 minute 49.5 seconds
	2nd	Grey Song
	3rd	Aint Seen Nothing
2002 Underwood Stakes	1st	Northerly	1 minute 48.9 seconds
	2nd	Magical Miss
	3rd	Don Eduardo
2001 Underwood Stakes	1st	Northerly	1 minute 50.2 seconds
	2nd	Universal Prince
	3rd	Kaapstad Way
2000 Underwood Stakes	1st	Oliver Twist	1 minute 47.6 seconds
	2nd	Shoozi Please
	3rd	Kaapstad Way