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The 2020 Australia Stakes is a Group 2 race held each year in late January at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne. Run over 1200m under weight-for-age conditions on one of Moonee Valley’s night race meetings, this sprint race is worth $200,000 in prize money.

It is one of only a couple of Group races held in January anywhere in the country and signals the return of regular black type racing to Melbourne.

The Australia Stakes serves as a nice campaign kick-off for sprinters heading towards tougher races during the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival.

It is a key lead-up race into the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) run at Caulfield in February and Black Caviar (2012) was the last to do the double.

The Australia Stakes 2020 ran on Friday January 24, 2020 and was won by the Lindsay Smith-trained The Everest hopeful Scales Of Justice. 

2020 Australia Stakes
Date:	Friday January 24, 2020
Track:	Moonee Valley Racecourse
Distance:	1200m
Race Type:	Weight-for-age
Status:	Group 2
Prize Money:	$200,000

2020 Australia Stakes Results

• 1st: #2 Scales Of Justice
• 2nd: #1 Hey Doc
• 3rd: #8 Embrace Me

The Australia Stakes 2020 results saw two-time Group 1 winner Scales Of Justice charge home late ahead of the beaten favourite Hey Doc with roughie mare Embrace Me rounding out the trifecta in third. The weight-for-age feature was marred by the fall of Manuel on the home straight, last year’s CF Orr Stakes winner sadly euthanised after breaking a shoulder. This autumn’s CF Orr Stakes, The All-Star Mile in March and The Everest in October are all targets for the Australia Stakes winner Scales Of Justice.

Read more on the well-timed 2020 Australia Stakes win by Scales Of Justice.

Place	#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Barrier	Weight	SP
1	2	SCALES OF JUSTICE	Lindsey Smith	Dean Yendall	–	2	58.5kg	$3.70
2	1	HEY DOC	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Luke Currie	0.75L	1	58.5kg	$2.50F
3	8	EMBRACE ME (NZ)	Danny O’Brien	Damien Oliver	0.95L	7	56.5kg	$18
4	6	RINGERDINGDING	Anthony Freedman	John Allen	1.25L	3	58.5kg	$21
5	5	ASHLOR	Dan McCarthy	Daniel Stackhouse	2.5L	6	58.5kg	$91
6	9	MICROPHONE	James Cummings	Damian Lane	2.7L	5	55kg	$4.80
7	4	BEGOOD TOYA MOTHER	Daniel Bowman	James Winks	4.45L	8	58.5kg	$6
FF	3	MANUEL	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Barend Vorster	–	4	58.5kg	$31
–	7	CRADLE MOUNTAIN	Clare Cunningham	Jason Collett	–	0	–	–

2020 Australia Stakes Betting & Odds

The latest Australia Stakes 2020 odds and betting markets provided by Ladbrokes.com.au will be published below as soon as available for you to back your Australia Stakes betting tips at the best prices.

2020 Australia Stakes Field

The Australia Stakes field attracts a quality line-up of middle-distance sprinters that are usually kicking off their Melbourne Festival of Racing campaigns. The Australia Stakes field features top gallopers that are more often than not Group 1 performed.

The 2020 Australia Stakes field is due for release on January 22, 2020 and will be published in full below.

After attracting just nine final acceptors the Australia Stakes 2020 field is down to only eight runners after the scratching of Cradle Mountain with three-time Group 1 winner Hey Doc heading the markets after a gun barrier one draw.

Read more on the Hey Doc-led Australia Stakes field and betting markets for 2020. 

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Hcp. Rating
1	01x7x58x31	HEY DOC	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Luke Currie	1	58.5kg	113
2	0x53x1215x	SCALES OF JUSTICE	Lindsey Smith	Dean Yendall	2	58.5kg	113
3	1x7158250x	MANUEL	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Barend Vorster	4	58.5kg	109
4	11111x161x	BEGOOD TOYA MOTHER	Daniel Bowman	James Winks	9	58.5kg	107
5	174x4560x6	ASHLOR	Dan McCarthy	Daniel Stackhouse	6	58.5kg	94
6	3047100x6x	RINGERDINGDING	Anthony Freedman	John Allen	3	58.5kg	98
7	12x85403x7	CRADLE MOUNTAIN	Clare Cunningham	Jason Collett	8	58.5kg	90
8	317x4498x3	EMBRACE ME (NZ)	Danny O’Brien	Damien Oliver	7	56.5kg	88
9	121121x3x	MICROPHONE	James Cummings	Damian Lane	5	55kg	105

Australia Stakes History

Formerly called the Carlyon Stakes until 2010, the Moonee Valley Racing Club changed the race name to the Australia Stakes to celebrate Australia Day. This race is not to be confused with the Group 1 William Reid Stakes, which was previously called the Australia Stakes, and is now once again called the William Reid Stakes and runs in March.

Originally a Listed race and known as the Carlyon Stakes, this race earned Group 3 status in 1990 until 1994 when it was again elevated to Group 2 status. The Australia Stakes has been won by plenty of outstanding horses over the years including recent champions such as Black Caviar (2010 & 2012) and Malaguerra (2017).

Recent Australia Stakes Winners

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2020 Australia Stakes	1st	Scales Of Justice	1 minute 9.77 seconds
	2nd	Hey Doc
	3rd	Embrace Me
2019 Australia Stakes	1st	Whispering Brook	1 minute 9.84 seconds
	2nd	Fell Swoop
	3rd	Land of Plenty
2018 Australia Stakes	1st	Thronum	1 minute 10.48 seconds
	2nd	Mr Sneaky
	3rd	Stellar Collision
2017 Australia Stakes	1st	Malaguerra	1 minute 9.29 seconds (Equal Track Record)
	2nd	Black Heart Bart
	3rd	Sirbible
2016 Australia Stakes	1st	Holler	1 minute 10.96 seconds
	2nd	Churchill Dancer
	3rd	Rebel Dane
2015 Australia Stakes	1st	Mourinho	1 minute 9.9 seconds
	2nd	It Is Written
	3rd	Dissident
2014 Australia Stakes	1st	Richie’s Vibe	1 minute 10.96 seconds
	2nd	Moment Of Change
	3rd	It Is Written
2013 Australia Stakes	1st	Sea Lord	1 minute 10.5 seconds
	2nd	Pinwheel
	3rd	Outlandish Lad
2012 Australia Stakes	1st	Black Caviar	1 minute 09.4 seconds
	2nd	Zedi Knight
	3rd	Doubtful Jack
2011 Australia Stakes	1st	Whitefriars	1 minute 09.6 seconds
	2nd	Undeniably
	3rd	Typhoon Tracy
2010 Australia Stakes	1st	Black Caviar	1 minute 10.1 seconds
	2nd	Here De Angels
	3rd	La Rocket
2009 Carlyon Stakes	1st	Lucky Secret	1 minute 11.2 seconds
	2nd	Light Fantastic
	3rd	Von Costa De Hero
2008 Carlyon Stakes	1st	Let Go Thommo	1 minute 10.8 seconds
	2nd	Maldivian
	3rd	Casino Prince
2007 Carlyon Stakes	1st	El Segundo	1 minute 11.2 seconds
	2nd	Cocinero
	3rd	Super Elegant
2006 Carlyon Stakes	1st	California Dane	1 minute 9.8 seconds
	2nd	Virage De Fortune
	3rd	Casual Pass
2005 Carlyon Stakes	1st	Super Elegant	1 minute 10.5 seconds
	2nd	Strikeline
	3rd	Ruben
2004 Carlyon Stakes	1st	Vocabulary	1 minute 11.5 seconds
	2nd	Super Elegant
	3rd	Confederate Kid
2003 Carlyon Stakes	1st	Yell	1 minute 10.3 seconds
	2nd	Libidinious
	3rd	Pernod
2002 Carlyon Stakes	1st	Royal Code	1 minute 11 seconds
	2nd	Intelligent Star
	3rd	Ustinov
2001 Carlyon Stakes	1st	Piavonic	1 minute 11.8 seconds
	2nd	Ateates
	3rd	Le Zagaletta
2000 Carlyon Stakes	1st	Slavonic	1 minute 12.1 seconds
	2nd	Sports
	3rd	Le Zagaletta