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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, 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.

The Challenge Stakes 2020 ran on Saturday March 7, 2020 and saw the favourite Nature Strip fly home for a three length win. 

2020 Challenge Stakes
Date:	Saturday March 7, 2020
Track:	Royal Randwick
Distance:	1000m
Race Type:	Weight-For-Age
Status:	Group 2
Prize Money:	$500,000

2020 Challenge Stakes Results

• 1st: #2 Nature Strip
• 2nd: #3 Redzel
• 3rd: #6 Jungle Edge

Nature Strip was a big drifter in betting, the favourite eventually out to $3.10 after starting the day odds-on, but proved far too good for his rivals in the 2020 Challenge Stakes result powering home for a three length win over the race’s 2018 winner and now three-time runner-up Redzel. Known wet tracker Jungle Edge also ran a huge race for third at $31.

Click here to read more on the impressive Challenge Stakes 2020 winner Nature Strip who is now TJ Smith Stakes-bound.

Place	#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Barrier	Weight	SP
1	2	NATURE STRIP	Chris Waller	James McDonald	–	1	58.5kg	$3.10F
2	3	REDZEL	Peter & Paul Snowden	Kerrin McEvoy	3L	2	58.5kg	$4.40
3	6	JUNGLE EDGE	Mick Bell	Ms Jade Darose	3.2L	3	58.5kg	$31
4	7	MISS LEONIDAS	Shaun Dwyer	Joe Bowditch	3.7L	4	56.5kg	$31
5	5	DEPRIVE	James Cummings	Hugh Bowman	3.9L	5	58.5kg	$3.70
6	1	SANTA ANA LANE	Anthony Freedman	Mark Zahra	4.7L	7	58.5kg	$5.50
7	4	BALL OF MUSCLE	Joseph Pride	Glyn Schofield	6.5L	6	58.5kg	$31
8	8	I AM IMMORTAL	Anthony Freedman	Tim Clark	15.6L	8	56kg	$26

2020 Challenge Stakes Odds

This autumn’s top Challenge Stakes 2020 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.

2020 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.

The 2020 Challenge Stakes field will be provided by Racing NSW  on the Wednesday of race week.

A small but class field of eight sprinters make-up the Challenge Stakes 2020 final field including the 2018 winner Redzel and the Chris Waller-trained odds-on favourite Nature Strip drawn in barriers two and one respectively. The reigning champion Ball Of Muscle also returns for his fourth Challenge Stakes assignment, the $34 outsider looking to be the first back-to-back winner since English (2016-17).

Click here to read more on the 2020 Challenge Stakes field and odds led by Nature Strip.

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Hcp. Rating
1	1x514x225x	SANTA ANA LANE	Anthony Freedman	Mark Zahra	7	58.5kg	119
2	014x4141x4	NATURE STRIP	Chris Waller	James McDonald	1	58.5kg	117
3	2862x138x2	REDZEL	Peter & Paul Snowden	Kerrin McEvoy	2	58.5kg	117
4	x19x3022x0	BALL OF MUSCLE	Joseph Pride	Glyn Schofield	6	58.5kg	108
5	x11x12714x	DEPRIVE	James Cummings	Hugh Bowman	5	58.5kg	107
6	13226x7x13	JUNGLE EDGE	Mick Bell	Ms Jade Darose	3	58.5kg	107
7	2132x721x0	MISS LEONIDAS	Shaun Dwyer	Joe Bowditch	4	56.5kg	107
8	117x7x2	I AM IMMORTAL	Anthony Freedman	Tim Clark	8	56kg	84

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.

Recent Challenge Stakes Winners

Year	Place	Horse	Time
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