Sapphire Stakes

The Sapphire Stakes is a Group 2 race held at Royal Randwick in April on Day 2 of 'The Championships' during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

2023 Sapphire Stakes Results

  • 1st: #4 Zapateo
  • 2nd: #9 Never Talk
  • 3rd: #1 Princess Grace



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.

*In 2021 the Sapphire Stakes ran on the third Saturday of April with all race meetings of the autumn in Sydney from Slipper Day onwards postponed a week due to the weather.

The autumn’s richest race – the Group 1 $5 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) and Zapateo (2023).

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 form of the 2021 Sapphire Stakes was franked with the runner-up Entriviere going on to win the Group 2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) in Sydney that spring and the New Zealand’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) the following January.

The 2022 Sapphire Stakes form was franked with the winner Bella Nipotina returning in the spring to win the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.

The ATC Sapphire Stakes 2023 ran on Saturday April 8, 2023 at Royal Randwick and saw the James Cummings-trained favourite Zapateo ($2.30F) salute for the punters with an easy victory. 

2023 Sapphire Stakes
Date: Saturday April 8, 2023
Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney
Distance: 1200m
Conditions: Fillies & Mares, Set Weights + Penalties
Status: Group 2
Prizemoney: $300,000
Inaugurated: 1998

2023 Sapphire Stakes Results

  • 1st: #4 Zapateo ($2.30F)
  • 2nd: #9 Never Talk
  • 3rd: #1 Princess Grace

James Cummings’ last start Birthday Card Stakes winner Zapateo ($2.30F) was far too good for her rivals again saluting for the punters with a dominant 2.4 length victory in the 2023 Sapphire Stakes results to close the card on Day 2 of The Championships at Randwick.

Finish No. Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Bar. Weight Penalty Starting Price
1 4 ZAPATEO James Cummings James McDonald 13 55.5kg $2.30F
2 9 NEVER TALK Kris Lees Dylan Gibbons (a) 2.4L 12 54kg $7.50
3 1 PRINCESS GRACE (USA) Chris Waller Joao Moreira 3.38L 2 56kg $9.50
4 3 EXPAT (NZ) Joseph Pride Brett Prebble 3.73L 6 56kg $11
5 6 JAL LEI John O’Shea Tom Marquand 4.54L 9 55kg $16
6 2 KIKU Chris Waller Hugh Bowman 4.76L 10 56kg $14
7 11 HYPOTHETICAL Anthony & Sam Freedman Damian Lane 5.2L 7 54kg $9
8 10 JUMP THE BROOM Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Jason Collett 5.56L 14 54kg $31
9 5 SKY COMMAND Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou Regan Bayliss 6.36L 5 55kg $19
10 13 DALCHINI Lee & Cherie Curtis Jay Ford 7.22L 4 54kg $21
11 12 NICCI’S FLING Gary Portelli Reece Jones (a) 7.27L 8 54kg $51
12 14 OAKFIELD ARROW Kristen Buchanan Ms Rachel King 7.39L 1 54kg $101
13 16 EYE SEE THINGS John Thompson Brock Ryan 11.32L 11 54kg $101
14 15 FUMIKO Kristen Buchanan Tyler Schiller (a) 23.02L 3 54kg $81
8 NIGHT OF ROMANCE (GB) Kris Lees Brenton Avdulla 0
7 JUAN DIVA Richard & Will Freedman Tim Clark 0

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Sapphire Stakes Betting Odds

The latest Sapphire Stakes 2023 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.

Zapateo ($2.30 in 2023) was the last Sapphire Stakes favourite to win.

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

2023 Sapphire Stakes Form

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 SAPPHIRE STAKES FORM GUIDE

2023 Sapphire Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Sapphire Stakes 2023 Tips on the Randwick sprint this April.

  • To Win: #6 Juan Diva ($14 at time of publish) 

Going for the value with the John O’Shea-trained Juan Diva to turn the tables on Saturday’s favourite after her last start second in the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes. Worse in the weights against her last start conqueror, but with the top elect out wide she can get a better run and finish on top third-up and fit. Won the Wenona Girl here two back and has a great 1200m record. Nice price on a nice mare.

2023 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 2023 field and barriers will be published in full below on the Wednesday of race week so stay tuned.

The 2023 Sapphire Stakes final field features a bumper line-up of female sprinters led in betting by the widely-drawn Zapateo out in gate 15 with the James Cummings-trained Brazen Beau four-year-old coming off a Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes win.

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 133x71223x PRINCESS GRACE (USA) Chris Waller Joao Moreira 3 56kg 110
2 15x179x42x KIKU Chris Waller Hugh Bowman 11 56kg 107
3 59x9707x20 EXPAT (NZ) Joseph Pride Brett Prebble 7 56kg 101
4 1x16144x01 ZAPATEO James Cummings James McDonald 15 55.5kg 106
5 x381321x78 SKY COMMAND Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou Regan Bayliss 6 55kg 101
6 x623255x12 JAL LEI John O’Shea Tom Marquand 10 55kg 97
7 1441x0228x JUAN DIVA Richard & Will Freedman Tim Clark 2 55kg 97
8 0x01102x0x NIGHT OF ROMANCE (GB) Kris Lees Brenton Avdulla 14 54kg 96
9 435x3255x8 NEVER TALK Kris Lees Dylan Gibbons (a) 13 54kg 93
10 0x0692x230 JUMP THE BROOM Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Jason Collett 16 54kg 91
11 11x131x413 HYPOTHETICAL Anthony & Sam Freedman Damian Lane 8 54kg 88
12 5×38671237 NICCI’S FLING Gary Portelli Reece Jones (a) 9 54kg 81
13 52x6440x79 DALCHINI Lee & Cherie Curtis Jay Ford 5 54kg 80
14 9x401861x5 OAKFIELD ARROW Kristen Buchanan Ms Rachel King 1 54kg 78
15 6529x19x74 FUMIKO Kristen Buchanan Tyler Schiller (a) 4 54kg 70
16 x1038545x3 EYE SEE THINGS John Thompson Brock Ryan 12 54kg 65

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Sapphire Stakes Nominations

The Sapphire Stakes 2023 nominations are taken on the Monday of race week with the full list of early entries to be published below.

Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 21938x864x CAP ESTEL M 4 Anthony Cummings 68
2 52x6440x79 DALCHINI M 4 Lee & Cherie Curtis 80
3 0x1418x280 DUCHY OF SAVOY M 4 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 75
4 59x9707x20 EXPAT (NZ) M 5 Joseph Pride 101
5 x1038545x3 EYE SEE THINGS M 6 John Thompson 65
6 6529x19x74 FUMIKO M 4 Kristen Buchanan 70
7 11x131x413 HYPOTHETICAL M 4 Anthony & Sam Freedman 88
8 x623255x12 JAL LEI M 4 John O’Shea 97
9 1441x0228x JUAN DIVA M 6 Richard & Will Freedman 97
10 0x0692x230 JUMP THE BROOM M 5 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 91
11 15x179x42x KIKU M 5 Chris Waller 107
12 435x3255x8 NEVER TALK M 5 Kris Lees 93
13 5×38671237 NICCI’S FLING M 5 Gary Portelli 81
14 0x01102x0x NIGHT OF ROMANCE (GB) M 5 Kris Lees 96
15 9x401861x5 OAKFIELD ARROW M 5 Kristen Buchanan 78
16 133x71223x PRINCESS GRACE (USA) M 6 Chris Waller 110
17 2×41 QUEEN YUNA M 4 Anthony Cummings 64
18 210x760x SEVEN VEILS F 3 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 82
19 x381321x78 SKY COMMAND M 4 Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou 101
20 x16181x822 WEE NESSY F 3 Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) 82
21 1x16144x01 ZAPATEO M 4 James Cummings 106

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

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 place-getter 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
2023
Sapphire Stakes
1st Zapateo 1 minute 11.28 seconds
2nd Never Talk
3rd Princess Grace
2022
Sapphire Stakes
1st Bella Nipotina 1 minute 14.55 seconds
2nd Tricky Gal
3rd Belluci Babe
2021
Sapphire Stakes
1st Fasika 1 minute 9.88 seconds
2nd Entriviere
3rd Wandabaa
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

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