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The  ATC Sapphire Stakes – not to be confused with Melbourne’s Group 3 Blue Sapphire Stakes – is a quality Group 2 race held towards the tail end of the esteemed Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival on Day 2 of ‘The Championships’ at Royal Randwick Racecourse.

Run on the second Saturday of April the Sapphire Stakes is a 1200m sprint run under set weights plus penalties by a field of fillies and mares. Offering $300,000 in prize money the race is conducted on the same day as four Group 1 autumn features.

The autumn’s richest race – the Group 1 $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) – headlines the meeting and is joined by the Sydney Cup (3200m), ATC Oaks (2400m), the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) plus a host of Group 2 and 3 status support races.

Female sprinters may come into the Sapphire Stakes field via an earlier autumn run in the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) held at Rosehill in March on Golden Slipper Stakes Day. Held on Day 1 of ‘The Championships’ just a week before the Sapphire Stakes, the Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes (1200m) is another good lead-up.

The Birthday Card Stakes – Sapphire Stakes double was most recently completed by Quilista (2018).

A nice next-up option for Sapphire Stakes graduates could be the Group 3 Hawkesbury Crown (1300m) later in the month, a race the 2016 Sapphire Stakes winner Two Blue finished runner-up in. Fillies and mares may also come back and contest a harder race like the Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m) over the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival or head to Adelaide for the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m). Secret Agenda (2017) was the last mare to do the Sapphire Stakes – Robert Sangster Stakes double.

The ATC Sapphire Stakes 2020 ran on Saturday April 11, 2020 and saw the reigning champ White Moss successfully defend her crown. 

2020 Sapphire Stakes
Date:	Saturday April 11, 2020
Track:	Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney
Distance:	1200m
Conditions:	Fillies & Mares, Set Weights + Penalties
Status:	Group 2
Prizemoney:	$300,000
Inaugurated:	1998

2020 Sapphire Stakes Results

• 1st: #4 White Moss
• 2nd: #7 Fasika
• 3rd: #14 Bangkok

The Sapphire Stakes 2020 results again went the way of the Jason Coyle-trained White Moss ($10) who, at double-figures, overcame a wide barrier 15 draw to successfully defend her title. After a third in 2018, White Moss won last year’s Sapphire Stakes and returned with a one length upset over the 2020 favourite Fasika ($3.40) to become the first back-to-back winner since Spinning Hill (2000-2001).

Place	#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Barrier	Weight	SP
1	4	WHITE MOSS	Jason Coyle	Nash Rawiller	–	15	58kg	$10
2	7	FASIKA	Joseph Pride	Brenton Avdulla	1L	14	56kg	$3.40F
3	14	BANGKOK	Allan Denham	Robbie Dolan (a)	2.5L	5	55kg	$26
4	6	WINTER BRIDE	Toby & Trent Edmonds	Glyn Schofield	3L	13	56.5kg	$14
5	1	I AM EXCITED	David Pfieffer	Tim Clark	3.1L	16	59kg	$21
6	3	SAVATIANO	James Cummings	James McDonald	3.2L	3	58kg	$3.50
7	8	MADAM ROUGE	Chris Waller	Ms Kathy O’Hara	4.5L	12	56kg	$51
8	12	SOOTHING	James Cummings	Jason Collett	4.7L	8	55kg	$21
9	10	MOSS TRIP	Peter & Paul Snowden	Joshua Parr	5.3L	1	56kg	$61
10	13	CONNEMARA	Bjorn Baker	Adam Hyeronimus	5.5L	10	55kg	$81
11	9	MANICURE	James Cummings	Kerrin McEvoy	5.7L	2	56kg	$9
12	16	NICCI’S GOLD	Gary Portelli	Jean Van Overmeire (a)	7.2L	7	55kg	$101
13	11	MISS EXFACTOR	Joseph Pride	Jay Ford	8.5L	9	56kg	$31
14	5	PRETTY IN PINK	John O’Shea	Ms Rachel King	8.8L	6	57kg	$26
15	15	GREY SHADOW	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Tom Marquand	9.1L	4	55kg	$31
16	17e	YAMAZAKI	David Pfieffer	Glen Boss	9.3L	11	55kg	$81
–	18e	JEN RULES	Peter & Paul Snowden	Jean Van Overmeire (a)	–	0	–	–
–	2	BOOKER	Gerald Ryan	Nash Rawiller	–	0	–	–

2020 Sapphire Stakes Odds

The latest Sapphire Stakes 2020 betting odds on the Randwick Group 2 for fillies and mares this autumn will be available below as soon as released by Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 Sapphire Stakes Field

The ATC Sapphire Stakes field attracts a class line-up of fillies and mares looking to see out their prep with a lucrative Group 2 win or wind-up for a Group 1 target in Brisbane over the winter.

The official Sapphire Stakes 2020 field and barriers will be published in full below on the Wednesday of race week so stay tuned.

The 2020 Sapphire Stakes final field attracted a capacity line-up of fillies and mares led in betting by the Godolphin-raced Savatiano in gate three looking to atone for her last start seventh when only 2.5 lengths off the winner in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m).

Update: The widely-drawn Booker (17) and the second emergency Jen Rules (8) have been scratched from the last on Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day

Click here for the full 2020 Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day Scratchings & Track Report.

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Hcp. Rating
1	105x77x521	I AM EXCITED	David Pfieffer	Tim Clark	18	59kg	112
2	19x0x807x8	BOOKER	Gerald Ryan	Nash Rawiller	17	59kg	106
3	3x4101x127	SAVATIANO	James Cummings	James McDonald	3	58kg	112
4	10190×3240	WHITE MOSS	Jason Coyle	Glen Boss	16	58kg	106
5	x510x060x0	PRETTY IN PINK	John O’Shea	Ms Rachel King	6	57kg	97
6	430x07x25x	WINTER BRIDE	Toby & Trent Edmonds	Glyn Schofield	14	56.5kg	105
7	111x229x18	FASIKA	Joseph Pride	Brenton Avdulla	15	56kg	106
8	22x41011x9	MADAM ROUGE	Chris Waller	Ms Kathy O’Hara	13	56kg	105
9	303x1246x2	MANICURE	James Cummings	Kerrin McEvoy	2	56kg	104
10	4009x0420x	MOSS TRIP	Peter & Paul Snowden	Joshua Parr	1	56kg	99
11	703396×261	MISS EXFACTOR	Joseph Pride	Jay Ford	10	56kg	98
12	34x02151x0	SOOTHING	James Cummings	Jason Collett	9	55kg	104
13	22133×4992	CONNEMARA	Bjorn Baker	Adam Hyeronimus	11	55kg	94
14	0211267×53	BANGKOK	Allan Denham	Robbie Dolan (a)	5	55kg	92
15	x103x10x35	GREY SHADOW	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Tom Marquand	4	55kg	92
16	x51439x59x	NICCI’S GOLD	Gary Portelli	Opie Bosson	7	55kg	89
17e	2443×21769	YAMAZAKI	David Pfieffer	Glen Boss	12	55kg	82
18e	676x46116x	JEN RULES	Peter & Paul Snowden	Jean Van Overmeire (a)	8	55kg	79

2020 Sapphire Stakes Nominations

The Sapphire Stakes 2020 nominations are taken on the Monday of race week with the full list of early entries to be published below.

The 2020 Sapphire Stakes nominations attracted 29 fillies and mares including flying four-year-old Diamond Effort chasing a fifth win on the trot, last start Group 1 The Galaxy winner I Am Excited and the defending champion White Moss who also ran third in 2018.

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp. Rating
1	0211267×53	BANGKOK	M	5	Allan Denham	92
2	19x0x807x8	BOOKER	M	5	Gerald Ryan	106
3	22133×4992	CONNEMARA	M	5	Bjorn Baker	94
4	25180×1111	DIAMOND EFFORT	M	4	Clinton McDonald	103
5	111x229x18	FASIKA	M	4	Joseph Pride	106
6	x103x10x35	GREY SHADOW	M	5	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	92
7	105x77x521	I AM EXCITED	M	5	David Pfieffer	112
8	2x16x93x68	IN HER TIME	M	7	Kris Lees	113
9	676x46116x	JEN RULES	M	4	Peter & Paul Snowden	79
10	223x32212x	L’COSMO	F	3	Peter & Paul Snowden	67
11	1x2242x225	LI’L KONTRA	F	3	Ryan Balfour	80
12	22x41011x9	MADAM ROUGE	M	4	Chris Waller	105
13	303x1246x2	MANICURE	M	5	James Cummings	104
14	1x4x3411x	MISS EINSTEIN	M	4	Bjorn Baker	72
15	703396×261	MISS EXFACTOR	M	5	Joseph Pride	98
16	540x14131x	MISS INVINCIBLE	M	4	Bjorn Baker	85
17	4009x0420x	MOSS TRIP	M	5	Peter & Paul Snowden	99
18	241949x50x	NAANTALI (NZ)	M	5	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	93
19	x51439x59x	NICCI’S GOLD	M	5	Gary Portelli	89
20	x510x060x0	PRETTY IN PINK	M	4	John O’Shea	97
21	2112×11111	RUBISAKI	F	3	Patrick Payne	–
22	3x4101x127	SAVATIANO	M	5	James Cummings	112
23	34x02151x0	SOOTHING	M	5	James Cummings	104
24	15x513x110	SYLVIA’S MOTHER	M	4	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	101
25	83x4233x16	VILLAMI	F	3	Gerald Ryan	90
26	10190×3240	WHITE MOSS	M	6	Jason Coyle	106
27	430x07x25x	WINTER BRIDE	M	5	Toby & Trent Edmonds	105
28	x53322x162	WITHERSPOON	M	4	Kris Lees	76
29	2443×21769	YAMAZAKI	M	4	David Pfieffer	82

Sapphire Stakes History

First run in 1998 the inaugural Sapphire Stakes was won by What Can I Say. It began as a Listed race run over 1200m. The event gained Group 3 status in 2002 and not long after reached Group 2 status in 2006. Up until 2016 it ran as a Group 2 race before being downgraded back to a Group 3 autumn event for 2017, and then returned to Group 2 status for 2018.

Plenty of quality mares have won the Sapphire Stakes including Court (2009), Atlantic Jewel (2012) and Cosmic Endeavour (2014).

In 2020 White Moss continued her excellent record in the race, the 2018 third placegetter and 2019 champion becoming the second two-time Sapphire Stakes winner in the race’s history.

Sapphire Stakes Records:
Race Record:	1:08.9 set by Atlantic Jewel in 2012
Most Successful Jockey:	R.S. Dye claimed three successive Sapphire Stakes with What Can I Say (1998), Little Pattie (1999) and Spinning Hill (2000).
Multiple Winners:	Spinning Hill (2000 & 2001), White Moss (2019 & 2020)

Recent Sapphire Stakes Winners

See below for a full list of Sapphire Stakes winners and results going back to 2000.

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2020 Sapphire Stakes	1st	White Moss	1 minute 11.81 seconds
	2nd	Fasika
	3rd	Bangkok
2019 Sapphire Stakes	1st	White Moss	1 minute 9.02 seconds
	2nd	Irithea
	3rd	Winter Bride
2018 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Quilista	1 minute 9.38 seconds
	2nd	Ravi
	3rd	White Moss
2017 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Secret Agenda	1 minute 13.2 seconds
	2nd	Missrock
	3rd	Artistry
2016 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Two Blue	1 minute 10.8 seconds
	2nd	Secret Agenda
	3rd	Brook Road
2015 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Avoid Lightning	1 minute 12.12 seconds
	2nd	Griante
	3rd	Fine Bubbles
2014 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Cosmic Endeavour	1 minute 10.72 seconds
	2nd	Avoid Lightning
	3rd	Belle De Coeur
2013 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Arinosa	1 minute 10.5 seconds
	2nd	Miss Stellabelle
	3rd	Forarainyday
2012 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Atlantic Jewel	1 minute 08.9 seconds
	2nd	Mid Summer Music
	3rd	Lady’s Angel
2011 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Hurtle Myrtle	1 minute 10.6 seconds
	2nd	Kimillsy
	3rd	Marquardt
2010 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Renaissance	1 minute 10.5 seconds
	2nd	Beaded
	3rd	Jersey Lily
2009 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Court	1 minute 10.84 seconds
	2nd	Belong To Many
	3rd	Cajou
2008 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Belong To Many	1 minute 11.15 seconds
	2nd	Tenant?s Tiara
	3rd	Fritz?s Princess
2007 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Fire Song	1 minute 12.98 seconds
	2nd	Whoever
	3rd	Splashing Out
2006 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Coolroom Candidate	1 minute 10.61 seconds
	2nd	Imana
	3rd	Shalimar Sky
2005 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Glamour Puss	1 minute 12.02 seconds
	2nd	With My
	3rd	Wild Queen
2004 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Recurring	1 minute 10.47 seconds
	2nd	Fair Embrace
	3rd	Cataclysm
2003 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Fatoon	1 minute 11.43 seconds
	2nd	Provokes
	3rd	Miss Helterskelter
2002 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Fair Embrace	1 minute 9.23 seconds
	2nd	Spinning Hill
	3rd	Hot Riff
2001 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Spinning Hill	1 minute 10.3 seconds
	2nd	Nanny Maroon
	3rd	Marlina
2000 Sapphire Stakes	1st	Spinning Hill	1 minute 9.79 seconds
	2nd	Snippets? Lass
	3rd	Heather