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The Shannon Stakes is a Group 2 thoroughbred race held during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival on Golden Rose Stakes Day in late September. Conducted at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, there are five Group status races on the program including the Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) for three-year-olds and the Group 2 $400,000 Golden Pendant (1400m) for fillies and mares.

The Shannon Stakes is a middle-distance event raced over 1500m. A quality handicap for three-year-olds and up, it offers $300,000 in stakes. There are a number of earlier races held at the carnival that Shannon Stakes contenders may have previously run in including the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) a fortnight before.

The Shannon Stakes is the ideal lead-up race to the prestigious Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) in two weeks’ time at Randwick with the winner exempt from both ballot and penalty for the $1.5 million Randwick race run the following Saturday. Some quality runners have claimed victory in the Shannon Stakes including Al Mansour (2000), Armed For Action (1998), and Juggler (1996).

In 2019 the Shannon Stakes winner Mister Sea Wolf went on to win the inaugural edition of the $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange that November.

The 2022 Shannon Stakes form was franked with the third place-getter Ellsberg going on to win that year’s Epsom Handicap as well as the Five Diamond Prelude – Five Diamonds double.

The latest edition of the Shannon Stakes 2023 ran on Saturday September 23, 2023 as part of Sydney’s popular Golden Rose Day program and was won by Matthew Dunn’s $3 million The Big Dance-bound Cepheus ($4.20). 

Shannon Stakes
Date:	Saturday September 23, 2023
Track:	Rosehill Gardens Racecourse
Distance:	1500m
Conditions:	3YO & Up – Quality Handicap
Status:	Group 2
Prize Money:	$300,000
Inaugurated:	1978

2023 Shannon Stakes Results

• 1st: #3 Cepheus ($4.20)
• 2nd: #10 Williamsburg
• 3rd: #7 Waterford

Matthew Dunn’s South Grafton Cup winner from the winter, Cepheus ($4.20), came home strong late down the rails for a stylish win in the Shannon Stakes 2023 results ahead of his $3 million The Big Dance target on Melbourne Cup Day in Sydney.

	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	3	CEPHEUS (GB)	Matthew Dunn	Nash Rawiller		2	57.5kg		$4.20
	2	10	WILLIAMSBURG	Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou	Dylan Gibbons (a)	1.38L	7	53kg		$9.50
	3	7	WATERFORD (IRE)	Chris Waller	Tyler Schiller	1.39L	8	54.5kg		$3.40F
	4	9	FLYING CRAZY	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Zac Lloyd (a)	1.62L	3	53kg		$17
	5	6	LION’S ROAR (NZ)	John O’Shea	Damian Lane	2.33L	9	55.5kg		$7.50
	6	1	KIRWAN’S LANE (NZ)	John O’Shea	Tom Sherry	3.11L	4	59kg		$17
	7	2	NEW MANDATE (IRE)	Chris Waller	Joao Moreira	3.52L	1	58kg		$8.50
	8	5	CROSS TALK (NZ)	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Ms Rachel King	4.38L	6	56kg		$8.50
	9	4	MAGICAL LAGOON (IRE)	Chris Waller	Kerrin McEvoy	4.7L	5	56kg		$61
	10	8	COMMANDO HUNT	Cameron Crockett	Reece Jones	6.94L	11	53.5kg		$51
	11	11	BYRON BELLE	John Sargent	Ms Kathy O’Hara	11.16L	10	53kg		$101

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2023 Shannon Stakes Betting Odds

Stay tuned for the top Shannon Stakes 2023 betting odds and Group 2 market links to Ladbrokes.com.au made available right here the week of the race.

I Am Superman ($4.60 in 2020) was the latest Shannon Stakes favourite to win.

There was a notable upset in 2021 with Yonkers winning at Shannon Stakes odds of $41.

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

2023 Shannon Stakes Form

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 SHANNON STAKES FORM GUIDE

2023 Shannon Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Shannon Stakes 2023 Tips on the Epsom Handicap lead-up this spring.

• To Win: #10 Williamsburg ($9.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Some good spring hopefuls in the Shannon and like the price on offer for Williamsburg second-up here. The progressive four-year-old son of Snitzel was eye-catching fresh running fourth with more weight over 1400m at Eagle Farm in a Listed clash on September 2. He gets a little more distance here which he’ll enjoy having run third in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at the track in the autumn. Starting to put it together and is very well weighted here with 53kg. Previous second-up winning form and can surprise a few.

2023 Shannon Stakes Field

The Shannon Stakes 2023 field of final acceptances and barrier draw are released by Racing NSW on the Wednesday leading up to Golden Rose Day and traditionally feature Epsom Handicap-bound milers out of lead-up races like the Theo Marks Stakes.

The 2023 Shannon Stakes final field features a quality line-up of potential Group 1-bound spring gallopers led in betting by the Chris Waller-trained Rosehill specialist Waterford coming off a nice third first-up in the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes behind Golden Mile. 

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Probable Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	31x69x04x7	KIRWAN’S LANE (NZ)	John O’Shea	Tom Sherry	4	59kg			106
2	x79x9187x0	NEW MANDATE (IRE)	Chris Waller	Joao Moreira	1	58kg			104
3	2310234215	CEPHEUS (GB)	Matthew Dunn	Nash Rawiller	2	57.5kg			103
4	2115x0x06x	MAGICAL LAGOON (IRE)	Chris Waller	Kerrin McEvoy	5	56kg			104
5	338x2140x0	CROSS TALK (NZ)	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Ms Rachel King	6	56kg			100
6	025x80020x	LION’S ROAR (NZ)	John O’Shea	Damian Lane	9	55.5kg			99
7	1191x520x3	WATERFORD (IRE)	Chris Waller	Tyler Schiller	8	54.5kg			97
8	30x54131x0	COMMANDO HUNT	Cameron Crockett	Reece Jones	11	53.5kg			95
9	03x54038x0	FLYING CRAZY	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Zac Lloyd (a)	3	53kg			90
10	5x745303x4	WILLIAMSBURG	Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou	Dylan Gibbons (a)	7	53kg			90
11	x10250x503	BYRON BELLE	John Sargent	Ms Kathy O’Hara	10	53kg			69

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Shannon Stakes Nominations

Early nominations on the Shannon Stakes in 2023 are taken the Monday of race week.

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Ballot	Weight	True Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	31x69x04x7	KIRWAN’S LANE (NZ)	G	7	John O’Shea	1	59kg	59kg		106
2	111x419x64	ZOUGOTCHA	M	4	Chris Waller	2	56.5kg	56.5kg		105
3	x79x9187x0	NEW MANDATE (IRE)	G	6	Chris Waller	3=	58kg	58kg		104
4	2115x0x06x	MAGICAL LAGOON (IRE)	M	5	Chris Waller	3=	56kg	56kg		104
5	2310234215	CEPHEUS (GB)	G	7	Matthew Dunn	5	57.5kg	57.5kg		103
6	338x2140x0	CROSS TALK (NZ)	G	6	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	6	56kg	56kg		100
7	025x80020x	LION’S ROAR (NZ)	G	6	John O’Shea	7	55.5kg	55.5kg		99
8	1111432×14	SAVANNAH CLOUD (NZ)	G	6	Phillip Stokes	8	55kg	55kg		98
9	1191x520x3	WATERFORD (IRE)	G	5	Chris Waller	9	54.5kg	54.5kg		97
10	30x54131x0	COMMANDO HUNT	G	6	Cameron Crockett	10	54kg	53.5kg		95
11	03x54038x0	FLYING CRAZY	G	5	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	11=	54kg	53kg		90
12	30x820200x	SO DAZZLING (NZ)	M	4	John Sargent	11=	54kg	53kg		90
13	5x745303x4	WILLIAMSBURG	H	4	Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou	11=	54kg	53kg		90
14	1125×48314	DIAMOND DEALER	M	5	Bjorn Baker	14	54kg	53kg		80
15	x10250x503	BYRON BELLE	M	4	John Sargent	15	54kg	53kg		69
16	30942110×0	SPECIAL SWEY (NZ)	G	4	Chris Waller	16	54kg	53kg		81

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Shannon Stakes History

Named in honour of the brilliant Hollywood Gold Cup victor and Hall of Fame inductee Shannon, the Shannon Stakes was first run in 1978 as a Principal race run over 1500m and For All Season was the inaugural winner.

The following year in 1979 the race status was increased to a Listed event and the distance was decreased to 1400m. In 1985 it was installed as a Group 3 race and the length was increased back to the original distance of 1500m. Finally in 2001 the Shannon Stakes was elevated to its current Group 2 status and for one year was run over 1400m. The next year in 2002 the distance reverted back to 1500m again.

The race was not held in 2007 due to an outbreak of the equine influenza.

Shannon Stakes Records
Race Record (1500m):	1:28.0 set by Moral Victory in 2016
Heaviest Weight Carried to Victory:	60kg by Juggler in 1996
Lightest Weight Carried to Victory:	48.5kg For All Seasons in 1978
Most Successful Jockeys:	Two jockeys have won the Shannon Stakes four times. R. Quinton with For All Seasons (1978), Dalmacia (1982), Eastern Bay (1984) and Never Quit ( 1987). L. Beasley with Quick Flick (1997), Al Mansour (2000), On Type (2001) and Lotteria (2005).

Recent Shannon Stakes Winners

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2023 Shannon Stakes	1st	Cepheus	1 minute 28.51 seconds
	2nd	Williamsburg
	3rd	Waterford
2022 Shannon Stakes	1st	Surf Dancer	1 minute 29.77 seconds
	2nd	Old Flame
	3rd	Ellsberg
2021 Shannon Stakes	1st	Yonkers	1 minute 28.21 seconds
	2nd	Discharged
	3rd	Reloaded
2020 Shannon Stakes	1st	I Am Superman	1 minute 29.10 seconds
	2nd	Riodini
	3rd	Looks Like Elvis
2019 Shannon Stakes	1st	Mister Sea Wolf	1 minute 29.11 seconds
	2nd	Gem Song
	3rd	Tom Melbourne
2018 Shannon Stakes	1st	Noire	1 minute 29.62 seconds
	2nd	Kingsguard
	3rd	Youngstar
2017 Shannon Stakes	1st	Washington Heights	1 minute 28.80 seconds
	2nd	Mighty Lucky
	3rd	Imposing Lass
2016 Shannon Stakes	1st	Moral Victory	1 minute 28 seconds
	2nd	Caped Crusader
	3rd	Cosmic Cube
2015 Shannon Stakes	1st	Vashka	1 minute 29.2 seconds
	2nd	God’s In Him
	3rd	Messene
2014 Shannon Stakes	1st	Rock Sturdy	1 minute 28.8 seconds
	2nd	Liberty’s Choice
	3rd	Ninth Legion
2013 Shannon Stakes	1st	Rain Drum	1 minute 29.3 seconds
	2nd	Centennial Park
	3rd	Our Desert Warrior
2012 Shannon Stakes	1st	Rolling Pin	1 minute 31.18 seconds
	2nd	Offenders
	3rd	Fat Al
2011 Shannon Stakes	1st	King Lionheart	1 minute 28.56 seconds
	2nd	Fast Clip
	3rd	Lone Command
2010 Shannon Stakes	1st	Firebolt	1 minute 28.54 seconds
	2nd	Centennial Park
	3rd	Sacred Choice
2009 Shannon Stakes	1st	Drumbeats	1 minute 30.1 seconds
	2nd	Rangirangdoo
	3rd	Strat’s Flyer
2008 Shannon Stakes	1st	Musket	1 minute 30.56 seconds
	2nd	Black Piranha
	3rd	Ice Chariot
2007 Shannon Stakes	Race Not Held
2006 Shannon Stakes	1st	Stormhill	1 minute 28.43 seconds
	2nd	Temple Hills
	3rd	Newton’s Rings
2005 Shannon Stakes	1st	Lotteria	1 minute 30.21 seconds
	2nd	Studebaker
	3rd	Swick
2004 Shannon Stakes	1st	Nips	1 minute 28.27 seconds
	2nd	Whoc
	3rd	Irongail
2003 Shannon Stakes	1st	Sportsman	1 minute 28.09 seconds
	2nd	Amex
	3rd	Nips
2002 Shannon Stakes	1st	Gordo	1 minute 29.7 seconds
	2nd	Shot Of Thunder
	3rd	Evander
2001 Shannon Stakes	1st	On Type	1 minute 22.42 seconds
	2nd	Century Kid
	3rd	Diamond Dane
2000 Shannon Stakes	1st	Al Mansour	1 minute 29.5 seconds
	2nd	Chinhoyi
	3rd	Varicool