Challenge Stakes

The Challenge Stakes is a Group 2 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival sprint run on Randwick Guineas Day offering $500,000 in prize money.

2023 Challenge Stakes Results

  • 1st: #7 Passive Aggressive
  • 2nd: #1 Eduardo
  • 3rd: #8 Giga Kick



The Challenge Stakes is a Group 2 weight-for-age race held at Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse in early March as a part of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. A 1000m open sprint the Challenge Stakes has increased notably in prize money in recent years and is now worth a lucrative $500,000.

The Challenge Stakes is one of the key support races on Randwick Guineas Day and accompanies the Group 1 $1 million Randwick Guineas (1600m) and $600,000 Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m).

A possible lead-up race into the Challenge Stakes field is the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) held at Randwick in February, but many of the horses race first-up in the half-a-million-dollar showdown.

The likely next-up autumn targets for horses out of the Challenge Stakes include the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) and April’s Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) held as part of ‘The Championships’.

In 2016 the Challenge Stakes winner English ran third in the TJ Smith Stakes two starts later before success in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) to round-out her autumn. English also returned to take out the 2017 Challenge Stakes results going back-to-back in the race for the first time since Star Of Florida (2003-04). In 2017, Redzel ran second in both the Challenge Stakes and The Galaxy results before returning to win the following year’s Challenge Stakes (2018) ahead of a second in the TJ Smith Stakes. Redzel also ran in the 2019 Challenge Stakes crossing second to Ball Of Muscle and placed second again in 2020 adding to his incredible record when beaten home by Nature Strip.

Nature Strip (2020) is the latest horse to have completed the Challenge Stakes – TJ Smith Stakes double.

In 2021 Nature Strip returned to run second as the beaten odds-on favourite in the Challenge Stakes won by Eduardo in a new record time of 55.2 seconds.

That form was franked with Eduardo (2021) going on to complete the Challenge Stakes – The Galaxy double before a TJ Smith Stakes third behind Nature Strip.

Nature Strip went on to win the $15 million The Everest (1200m) that spring, with Eduardo third in the world’s richest turf race.

The 2022 Challenge Stakes saw great guns Nature Strip and Eduardo clash for the ninth time in their careers. Eduardo managed to go back-to-back and successfully defend his Challenge Stakes title, while Nature Strip was forced to settle for third after a shock late run by $61 roughie Shelby Sixtysix who finished second.

The Challenge Stakes 2022 form was franked with the third placed Nature Strip winning that year’s TJ Smith Stakes where Eduardo finished second. Nature Strip then headed overseas and was enormous at Royal Ascot in the UK winning the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes by over four lengths. Upset Challenge Stakes runner-up that year Shelby Sixtysix meanwhile went on to win the Group 1 The Galaxy that autumn.

Dual defending champion Eduardo returned in the 2023 Challenge Stakes but was denied a third success beaten by a nose on the line by the mare Passive Aggressive in an upset.

The Challenge Stakes 2023 ran on Saturday March 4, 2023 as a lead-up to the TJ Smith Stakes and saw Grahame Begg’s returning mare Passive Aggressive ($7.50) win by a nose. 

2023 Challenge Stakes
Date: Saturday March 4, 2023
Track: Royal Randwick
Distance: 1000m
Race Type: Weight-For-Age
Status: Group 2
Prize Money: $500,000

2023 Challenge Stakes Results

  • 1st: #7 Passive Aggressive ($7.50)
  • 2nd: #1 Eduardo
  • 3rd: #8 Giga Kick

Passive Aggressive ($7.50) was brave late lunging right on the line in her first start since August last year to beat home dual defending champion Eduardo ($3.30F) in an upset 2023 Challenge Stakes result. In third was the resuming The Everest champion from the spring Giga Kick ($4.60).

Click here to read more on the photo-finish win by Passive Aggressive in a thrilling edition of the Challenge Stakes 2023.

Finish No. Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Bar. Weight Penalty Starting Price
1 7 PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE Grahame Begg Jordan Childs 9 56.5kg $7.50
2 1 EDUARDO Joseph Pride Nash Rawiller 0.01L 8 58.5kg $3.30F
3 8 GIGA KICK Clayton Douglas Craig Williams 1.16L 4 56kg $4.60
4 3 REMARQUE Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Brenton Avdulla 1.58L 6 58.5kg $4
5 5 THE BOPPER Kris Lees Zac Purton 2.56L 1 58.5kg $19
6 6 KEY LARGO Bryce Heys Tyler Schiller (a) 2.79L 2 58.5kg $51
7 9 SACRED SATONO (NZ) Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley Chad Schofield 4.09L 3 56kg $61
8 2 PAULELE James Cummings James McDonald 4.6L 5 58.5kg $5.50
9 4 SHELBY SIXTYSIX Danny Williams Robbie Dolan 5.67L 7 58.5kg $71

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2023 Challenge Stakes Betting Odds

This autumn’s top Challenge Stakes 2023 betting odds will be available below complete with pricing from Ladbrokes.com.au as soon as betting on the TJ Smith Stakes lead-up opens.

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

2023 Challenge Stakes Form Guide

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 CHALLENGE STAKES FORM GUIDE

2023 Challenge Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Challenge Stakes 2023 Tips on the important Group 2 autumn sprint this season.

  • To Win: #8 Giga Kick ($2.60 at time of publish) 

Sticking with the favourite Giga Kick who returns to racing and is undefeated first-up. This gun Clayton Douglas-trained son of Scissor Kick was enormous last prep winning his opening five career starts. That was highlighted by his upset at 20/1 in the $15 million The Everest here at Randwick. Far from disgraced when faced with the Flemington straight after that to cross under a length fifth behind Roch ‘N’ Horse in the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic. Drawn well in a small field fresh. Looked good in a recent trial behind Coolangatta and Craig Williams continues associations.

2023 Challenge Stakes Field

The Challenge Stakes field attracts a class line-up of short-distance sprinters chasing the lucrative prize money on offer in the Group 2 including runners down in grade off a Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) start over the same metres at Flemington earlier in the autumn.

The 2018 Challenge Stakes winner Redzel was the last to come off the Black Caviar Lightning improving on his second to salute for the punters as the odds-on favourite. In 2020 Nature Strip ran fourth in the Black Caviar Lightning before atoning to win the Challenge Stakes, Redzel placing second in both races.

In 2022 Eduardo improved on a lead-up Black Caviar Lightning third to successfully defend his Challenge Stakes title.

The 2023 Challenge Stakes field will be provided by Racing NSW  on the Wednesday of race week.

The Challenge Stakes 2023 final field features a star line-up of sprinters including dual defending champion Eduardo and resuming The Everest hero Giga Kick.

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

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 x312x1406x EDUARDO Joseph Pride Nash Rawiller 8 58.5kg 117
2 322x61801x PAULELE James Cummings James McDonald 5 58.5kg 112
3 0x55x118x1 REMARQUE Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Brenton Avdulla 6 58.5kg 102
4 0x709702x8 SHELBY SIXTYSIX Danny Williams Robbie Dolan 7 58.5kg 95
5 8073×45121 THE BOPPER Kris Lees Zac Purton 1 58.5kg 93
6 2424x126x7 KEY LARGO Bryce Heys Tyler Schiller (a) 2 58.5kg 82
7 1111x4x PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE Grahame Begg Jordan Childs 9 56.5kg 90
8 1x11115x GIGA KICK Clayton Douglas Craig Williams 4 56kg 110
9 475×112125 SACRED SATONO (NZ) Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley Chad Schofield 3 56kg 88

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Challenge Stakes Nominations

Early nominations for the Challenge Stakes in 2023 close the Monday of race week and will be updated below once confirmed.

Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Ballot Weight True Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 x312x1406x EDUARDO G 9 Joseph Pride 1 58.5kg 117
2 322x61801x PAULELE H 4 James Cummings 2 58.5kg 112
3 1x11115x GIGA KICK G 3 Clayton Douglas 3 56kg 110
4 x329x6272x IN THE CONGO H 4 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 4 58.5kg 107
5 0x55x118x1 REMARQUE G 4 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 5 58.5kg 102
6 0x709702x8 SHELBY SIXTYSIX G 6 Danny Williams 6 58.5kg 95
7 8073×45121 THE BOPPER G 5 Kris Lees 7 58.5kg 93
8 1111x4x PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE M 4 Grahame Begg 8 56.5kg 90
9 475×112125 SACRED SATONO (NZ) C 3 Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley 9 56kg 88
10 428x12316x EASY SINGLE G 5 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 10 58.5kg 86
11 2424x126x7 KEY LARGO G 6 Bryce Heys 11 58.5kg 82
12 038×342512 ON THE LEAD G 5 Richard & Will Freedman 12 58.5kg 90

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Challenge Stakes History

The first recorded winning of the AJC Challenge Stakes took place in 1966 when Tar Girl won with a finishing time of 58.5 seconds. Since then, the race has recorded a number of triple and double winners including English (2016-17), Star Of Florida in 2003-04, Cangronde in 1997-98, At Sea from 1985 to 1987 and Razor Sharp from 1982 to 1984.

See below for the full Challenge Stakes results dating back to 2000.

In 2018 Redzel set a Challenge Stakes winning record saluting in a time of 55.73 seconds. Redzel also ran third in the Challenge Stakes three times (2017, 2019, 2020).

Ball Of Muscle won the 2019 Challenge Stakes at his third attempt in the race.

The 2021 Challenge Stakes winner Eduardo set a new record time saluting in a slick 55.2 seconds when defeating the previous year’s champion and subsequent 2021 The Everest hero Nature Strip.

The Challenge Stakes result in 2022 nearly saw one of the biggest upsets in Australian sprinting history with Shelby Sixtysix ($61) running into second behind the back-to-back winner Eduardo and forcing the beaten odds-on favourite Nature Strip to finish third.

Recent Challenge Stakes Winners

Year Place Horse Time
2023
Challenge Stakes
1st Passive Aggressive 57. 19 seconds
2nd Eduardo
3rd Giga Kick
2022
Challenge Stakes
1st Eduardo 59.06 seconds
2nd Shelby Sixtysix
3rd Nature Strip
2021
Challenge Stakes
1st Eduardo 55.2 seconds (R)
2nd Nature Strip
3rd Bella Vella
2020
Challenge Stakes
1st Nature Strip 56.87 seconds
2nd Redzel
3rd Jungle Edge
2019
Challenge Stakes
1st Ball Of Muscle 55.78 seconds
2nd Redzel
3rd Viridine
2018
Challenge Stakes
1st Redzel 55.73 seconds
2nd Jungle Edge
3rd Super Too
2017
Challenge Stakes
1st English 59.99 seconds
2nd Redzel
3rd Supido
2016
Challenge Stakes
1st English 56.5 seconds
2nd Kinglike
3rd Boss Lane
2015
Challenge Stakes
1st Miracles Of Life 56.7 seconds
2nd Va Pensiero
3rd Rubick
2014
Challenge Stakes
1st Villa Verde 57.30 seconds
2nd Snitzerland
3rd Famous Seamus
2013
Challenge Stakes
1st Snitzerland 56.16 seconds
2nd Decision Time
3rd Howmuchdoyouloveme
2012
Challenge Stakes
1st Rain Affair 1:03.7 seconds
2nd Satin Shoes
3rd Neeson
2011
Challenge Stakes
1st Hay List 56.8 seconds
2nd Keen Commander
3rd Solar Charged
2010
Challenge Stakes
1st De Lightning Ridge 55.92 seconds
2nd Dorf Command
3rd Stryker
2009
Challenge Stakes
1st Olonana 56.92 seconds
2nd Hoystar
3rd Fantene
2008
Challenge Stakes
1st Hurried Choice 57.35 seconds
2nd Keen Commander
3rd German Chocolate
2007
Challenge Stakes
1st Spark Of Life 56.89 seconds
2nd Whoever
3rd Biscayne Bay
2006
Challenge Stakes
1st Snitzel 56.8 seconds
2nd Spark Of Life
3rd Media
2005
Challenge Stakes
1st Impaler 56.25 seconds
2nd Snippetson
3rd Charge Forward
2004
Challenge Stakes
1st Star Of Florida 56.39 seconds
2nd Mistegic
3rd Majestic Fiesta
2003
Challenge Stakes
1st Star Of Florida 56.58 seconds
2nd Snowland
3rd Fair Embrace
2002
Challenge Stakes
1st Bomber Bill 56.54 seconds
2nd Mistegic
3rd Ateates
2001
Challenge Stakes
1st Pimpala Prince 59.24 seconds
2nd Ateates
3rd Notoire
2000
Challenge Stakes
1st Easy Rocking 56.90 seconds
2nd Ab Initio
3rd Adam

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