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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 $500,000 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, a double last completed by Le Romain (2017), 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).

The Challenge Stakes 2019 runs on Saturday March 9, 2019.

2019 Challenge Stakes
Date:	Saturday March 9, 2019
Track:	Royal Randwick
Distance:	1000m
Race Type:	Weight-For-Age
Status:	Group 2
Prize Money:	$500,000

2019 Challenge Stakes Results

• 1st: TBD
• 2nd: TBD
• 3rd: TBD

2019 Challenge Stakes Tips

• 1st: #1 Redzel
• 2nd: #2 Ball Of Muscle
• 3rd: #7 Estijaab

2019 Challenge Stakes Odds

This autumn’s top Challenge Stakes 2019 betting odds is now available below complete with pricing from Ladbrokes.com.au.

2019 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.

The 2019 Challenge Stakes field will be provided by Racing NSW  on the Wednesday of race week.

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Hcp Rating
1	2124x1515x	REDZEL	Peter & Paul Snowden	Kerrin McEvoy	5	58.5kg	120
2	1x66x1101x	BALL OF MUSCLE	Joseph Pride	Glyn Schofield	1	58.5kg	111
3	4369720122	JUNGLE EDGE	Mick Bell	Tim Clark	7	58.5kg	108
4	416x2x2x44	KAEPERNICK	John O’Shea	Tommy Berry	4	58.5kg	106
5	43830x4x0x	VIRIDINE	James Cummings	James McDonald	6	58.5kg	98
6	110x434x	JONKER	David Atkins	Sam Clipperton	2	56kg	82
7	1211×2	ESTIJAAB	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Brenton Avdulla	3	54kg	103

2019 Challenge Stakes Nominations

Released on the Monday prior to the race, the Challenge Stakes nominations attract top sprinters from both local and interstate stables after a share in the generous prize money on offer in the lucrative Group 2 sprint.

The 2019 Challenge Stakes nominations will be published here as soon as released on March 4, 2019.

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 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.

Recent Challenge Stakes Winners

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2019 Challenge Stakes	1st	TBD	TBD
	2nd	TBD
	3rd	TBD
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