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The Ajax Stakes is a Group 2 race run over 1500m at Rosehill Gardens on Coolmore Classic Day as a lead-up to the Doncaster Mile.
2023 Ajax Stakes Results
- 1st: #8 Cepheus
- 2nd: #12 Waterford
- 3rd: #11 Caesars Palace
Ajax Stakes News
The Ajax Stakes is a 1500m quality handicap clash run during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. The minimum weight is 52kg, while some horses may have to carry up to 61kg. Held at Sydney’s Rosehill Racecourse in March on Coolmore Classic Day the Ajax Stakes offers $250,000 in prize money as of 2023.
The Group 2 Ajax Stakes is considered a lead-up event to the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) held on the first Saturday in April on Day 1 of Royal Randwick’s ‘The Championships’. The last horse to win the Ajax Stakes – Doncaster Mile double was It’s Somewhat (2017).
Horses may come into the Ajax Stakes field via a number of different lead-up runs including the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) in late February or the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at the same meeting.
As well as the Doncaster Mile another Group 1 autumn target for horses out of the Ajax Stakes is the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) held a week earlier.
The form of the 2021 Ajax Stakes was franked with the runner-up Think It Over winning the George Ryder Stakes next-up before a fourth in that autumn’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes results and outstanding spring campaign in Sydney.
The 2022 Ajax Stakes form held when the runner-up Ellsberg went on to run third in that autumn’s Group 1 All Aged Stakes results before a spring return where he won the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) as well as the Five Diamond Prelude – Five Diamonds double.
The Ajax Stakes 2023 ran on Saturday March 11, 2023 at Rosehill Gardens and was won in an upset by the bold front-runner Cepheus ($15).
| 2023 Ajax Stakes | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday March 11, 2023 |
| Track: | Rosehill Racecourse |
| Distance: | 1500m |
| Race Type: | Quality Handicap (Low: 52kg – High: 61kg) |
| Status: | Group 2 |
| Prize Money: | $250,000 |
2023 Ajax Stakes Results
- 1st: #8 Cepheus ($15)
- 2nd: #12 Waterford
- 3rd: #11 Caesars Palace
Matthew Dunn’s progressive Sea The Stars six-year-old Cepheus ($15) enjoyed a career best performance with jockey Nash Rawiller putting in a brave front-running ride to score an upset in Sydney’s 2023 Ajax Stakes results ahead of a potential Group 1 target this autumn.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | CEPHEUS (GB) | Matthew Dunn | Nash Rawiller | 6 | 55kg (cd 56kg) | $15 | |||
| 2 | 12 | WATERFORD (IRE) | Chris Waller | Brett Prebble | 1.47L | 4 | 55kg | $4.40F | ||
| 3 | 11 | CAESARS PALACE | Anthony Cummings | Jay Ford | 1.81L | 3 | 55kg | $31 | ||
| 4 | 1 | BANDERSNATCH | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Ryan Maloney | 2.33L | 2 | 58kg | $5.50 | ||
| 5 | 6 | WELWAL (GB) | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 2.6L | 9 | 55kg | $41 | ||
| 6 | 4 | SIBAAQ (GB) | Annabel Neasham | Chad Schofield | 2.77L | 7 | 57.5kg | $4.60 | ||
| 7 | 3 | RIODINI (NZ) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 3L | 10 | 58kg | $10 | ||
| 8 | 9 | SUPERIUM | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tyler Schiller (a) | 3.87L | 8 | 55kg | $51 | ||
| 9 | 2 | DIAMIL (IRE) | John O’Shea | James McDonald | 4.61L | 11 | 58kg | $12 | ||
| 10 | 10 | LAURE ME IN | David Pfieffer | Ms Rachel King | 4.82L | 1 | 55kg | $91 | ||
| 11 | 7 | ASCENSION (GB) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | William Pike | 5.89L | 5 | 55kg | $4.60 | ||
| 5 | BOIS D’ARGENT (GB) | Annabel Neasham | Michael Dee | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2023 Ajax Stakes Betting Odds
The latest Ajax Stakes 2023 odds and betting market links to Ladbrokes.com.au on the Group 2 will be available below the week of the race.
There was a notable upset in 2023 with Cepheus winning at Ajax Stakes of $15.
CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2023 AJAX STAKES ODDS (Final Field)
2023 Ajax Stakes Form
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 AJAX STAKES FORM GUIDE
2023 Ajax Stakes Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Ajax Stakes 2023 Tips on the Group 2 in Sydney this autumn.
- To Win: #12 Waterford ($3.70 at time of publish)
Hard to knock the Waller-trained favourite Waterford racing second-up off a credible fifth behind Think About It over 1300m at Randwick. Carted 58.5kg there and was under three lengths beaten. Fitter for the run and drops to 55kg. Waller has a strong record in the Ajax over the past half a decade or so, and this horse will relish getting up in distance. He is three-from-three at 1500m and is proven at the Rosehill track. Won at this track and distance with 60kg back in October and can repeat the feat up in grade with far less weight.
2023 Ajax Stakes Field
Each autumn the Ajax Stakes field attracts a quality line-up of middle-distance gallopers eyeing a Group 1 run later in the autumn and is released by Racing NSW on the Wednesday before Coolmore Classic Day.
The 2023 Ajax Stakes field and barriers are due for release on Wednesday March 8, 2023 and will be published in full below.
The Ajax Stakes 2023 final field features a quality line-up of potential Doncaster Mile-bound runners led in betting by the Chris Waller-trained Waterford.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100x3200x3 | BANDERSNATCH | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Ryan Maloney | 2 | 58kg | 102 | ||
| 2 | 71x881401x | DIAMIL (IRE) | John O’Shea | James McDonald | 12 | 58kg | 102 | ||
| 3 | 790x0816x5 | RIODINI (NZ) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 11 | 58kg | 102 | ||
| 4 | 219x2232x4 | SIBAAQ (GB) | Annabel Neasham | Chad Schofield | 7 | 57.5kg | 101 | ||
| 5 | 311x332x3x | BOIS D’ARGENT (GB) | Annabel Neasham | Michael Dee | 9 | 55kg | 96 | ||
| 6 | 1x2160x0x9 | WELWAL (GB) | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 10 | 55kg | 95 | ||
| 7 | x0x0166131 | ASCENSION (GB) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | William Pike | 5 | 55kg | 94 | ||
| 8 | 1x40030x23 | CEPHEUS (GB) | Matthew Dunn | Nash Rawiller | 6 | 55kg | 56kg | 93 | |
| 9 | 66×0051050 | SUPERIUM | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tyler Schiller (a) | 8 | 55kg | 93 | ||
| 10 | 0x005739x8 | LAURE ME IN | David Pfieffer | Ms Rachel King | 1 | 55kg | 92 | ||
| 11 | 176010×241 | CAESARS PALACE | Anthony Cummings | Jay Ford | 3 | 55kg | 85 | ||
| 12 | 3x1x1191x5 | WATERFORD (IRE) | Chris Waller | Brett Prebble | 4 | 55kg | 85 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2023 Ajax Stakes Nominations
Early nominations for the Ajax Stakes in 2023 close the Monday of race week and will be made available below once confirmed.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | True Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 61x13x16x6 | MY OBERON (IRE) | G | 6 | Annabel Neasham | 1 | 59kg | 59kg | 108 | |
| 2 | x275251x31 | SCALLOPINI | G | 8 | Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted | 2 | 58kg | 58kg | 106 | |
| 3 | x3552x131x | DUKE DE SESSA (IRE) | H | 4 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 3= | 57kg | 57kg | 104 | |
| 4 | 0x6202220x | JUST FOLK | G | 6 | Josh Julius | 3= | 57kg | 57kg | 104 | |
| 5 | 100x3200x3 | BANDERSNATCH | G | 6 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 5= | 56kg | 56kg | 102 | |
| 6 | 71x881401x | DIAMIL (IRE) | G | 5 | John O’Shea | 5= | 56kg | 56kg | 102 | |
| 7 | 790x0816x5 | RIODINI (NZ) | G | 6 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 5= | 56kg | 56kg | 102 | |
| 8 | 219x2232x4 | SIBAAQ (GB) | G | 5 | Annabel Neasham | 8 | 55.5kg | 55.5kg | 101 | |
| 9 | 311x332x3x | BOIS D’ARGENT (GB) | G | 6 | Annabel Neasham | 9 | 54kg | 53kg | 96 | |
| 10 | 1x2160x0x9 | WELWAL (GB) | H | 4 | Chris Waller | 10 | 54kg | 53kg | 95 | |
| 11 | x0x0166131 | ASCENSION (GB) | G | 6 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 11 | 54kg | 53kg | 94 | |
| 12 | 1x40030x23 | CEPHEUS (GB) | G | 6 | Matthew Dunn | 12= | 54kg | 53kg | 93 | |
| 13 | 66×0051050 | SUPERIUM | G | 6 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 12= | 54kg | 53kg | 93 | |
| 14 | 0x005739x8 | LAURE ME IN | G | 8 | David Pfieffer | 14= | 54kg | 53kg | 92 | |
| 15 | 55115322×5 | PAVITRA | F | 3 | Richard & Will Freedman | 14= | 54kg | 53kg | 92 | |
| 16 | 176010×241 | CAESARS PALACE | G | 5 | Anthony Cummings | 16= | 54kg | 53kg | 85 | |
| 17 | 3x1x1191x5 | WATERFORD (IRE) | H | 4 | Chris Waller | 16= | 54kg | 53kg | 85 | |
| 18 | 34x18414x7 | SAINT BATHANS | G | 4 | Andrew Forsman | 18 | 54kg | 53kg | 79 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Ajax Stakes History
The first recorded running of the Ajax Stakes took place in 1976 and was won by Count Rajan. Since then, there have only been two horses to win the event twice, Confiscate in 1998-99 and Catalan Opening in 1996-97. The fastest recorded winning time since 1990 was 1 minute 27.38 seconds by Soho Square in 1993. The slowest winning time was recorded by Windsor’s Pal in 1990.
The Ajax Stakes is named in honour of the Australian Hall of Fame horse Ajax. Ajax was a champion chestnut colt who won 18 races in succession and had a career of 43 starts for 36 wins, 7 seconds and 2 thirds with total prize money of £40,250. His major wins include the 1938 Cox Plate as well as the All Aged Stakes (1938, 1939, 1940), Memsie Stakes (1938, 1939, 1940), Futurity Stakes (1938, 1939, 1940) and Underwood Stakes (1938, 1939, 1940).
Recent Ajax Stakes Results
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Cepheus | 1 minute 28.96 seconds |
| 2nd | Waterford | ||
| 3rd | Caesars Palace | ||
| 2022 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Just Folk | 1 minute 31.52 seconds |
| 2nd | Ellsberg | ||
| 3rd | Kiku | ||
| 2021 Ajax Stakes |
1st | I Am Superman | 1 minute 27.91 seconds |
| 2nd | Think It Over | ||
| 3rd | Rock | ||
| 2020 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Imaging | 1 minute 35.60 seconds |
| 2nd | Yulong Prince | ||
| 3rd | Cascadian | ||
| 2019 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Fifty Stars | 1 minute 32.63 seconds |
| 2nd | Mask Of Time | ||
| 3rd | Dyslexic | ||
| 2018 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Comin’ Through | 1 minute 28.52 seconds |
| 2nd | Tom Melbourne | ||
| 3rd | Radipole | ||
| 2017 Ajax Stakes |
1st | It’s Somewhat | 1 minute 31.0 seconds |
| 2nd | New Tipperary | ||
| 3rd | Testashadow | ||
| 2016 Ajax Stakes |
1st | It’s Somewhat | 1 minute 28.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Excess Knowledge | ||
| 3rd | Dances On Stars | ||
| 2015 Ajax Stakes |
1st | First Seal | 1 minute 22.9 seconds |
| 2nd | Supara | ||
| 3rd | Slightly Sweet | ||
| 2014 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Messene | 1 minutes 28.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Weary | ||
| 3rd | Malavio | ||
| 2013 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Havana Rey | 1 minutes 29.6 seconds |
| 2nd | Riva De Lago | ||
| 3rd | Monton | ||
| 2012 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Niagara | 1 minutes 28.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Star of Octagonal | ||
| 3rd | Alma’s Fury | ||
| 2011 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Pureness | 1 minutes 30.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Mentality | ||
| 3rd | Lebrechaun | ||
| 2010 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Brilliant Light | 1 minute 28.53 seconds |
| 2nd | Centennial Park | ||
| 3rd | Mentality | ||
| 2009 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Zavite | 1 minute 28.75 seconds |
| 2nd | Kerdem | ||
| 3rd | Banana Man | ||
| 2008 Ajax Stakes |
1st | All Silent | 1 minute 29.17 seconds |
| 2nd | Friday Creek | ||
| 3rd | Bobadah | ||
| 2007 Ajax Stakes |
1st | High Cee | 1 minute 29.73 seconds |
| 2nd | Danleigh | ||
| 3rd | The Free Stater | ||
| 2006 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Malcolm | 1 minute 28.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Lantwin | ||
| 3rd | Utzon | ||
| 2005 Ajax Stakes |
1st | River To The Sea | 1 minute 27.75 seconds |
| 2nd | Daniel’s The Man | ||
| 3rd | This Manshood | ||
| 2004 Ajax Stakes |
1st | True Glo | 1 minute 28.74 seconds |
| 2nd | Gordo | ||
| 3rd | So Assertive | ||
| 2003 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Grand Armee | 1 minute 28.42 seconds |
| 2nd | Lord Essex | ||
| 3rd | Carael Boy | ||
| 2002 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Mowerman | 1 minute 27.91 seconds |
| 2nd | Make Me A Miracle | ||
| 3rd | Gordo | ||
| 2001 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Galiano | 1 minute 27.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Palladium Star | ||
| 3rd | Emission | ||
| 2000 Ajax Stakes |
1st | Normal Practice | 1 minute 28.43 seconds |
| 2nd | Beauchamp | ||
| 3rd | Old Man | ||
