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The Group 2  Sunline Stakes is named in honour of the champion mare Sunline, who was the world’s highest earning female horse of her time. In a total of 48 career starts, Sunline won 32 races in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong making her total career earnings over $11 million.

Run over a 1600m distance, the weight-for-age race is held specifically for fillies and mares aged three years and over. Worth $200,000 in prize money, the Sunline Stakes is held at the same Friday night meeting as the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) during the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival at Moonee Valley Racecourse. Good lead-up races to the Sunline Stakes field include the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes and the Frances Tressady Stakes, both 1400m races for mares are held at Flemington.

The Sunline Stakes 2018 ran under the lights at The Valley on Friday March 23, 2018 and was won by the favourite Spanish Reef.

2018 Sunline Stakes Info
Date:	Friday March 23, 2018
Track:	Moonee Valley Racecourse, Melbourne
Distance:	1600m
Race Type:	Fillies & Mares 3YO&UP Weight-for-age
Status:	Group 2
Prize money:	$200,000

2018 Sunline Stakes Results

• 1st: #4 Spanish Reef
• 2nd: #3 Samovare
• 3rd: #1 Flying Jess

Check out the official Sunline Stakes 2018 Results & Finishing Order below, the William Reid Stakes Night support act won by the Ken Keys-trained favourite Spanish Reef who extended her winning streak to three straight and completed the Matron Stakes – Sunline Stakes double. It was the same quinella as Flemington’s Matron Stakes from Super Saturday with the next best in betting Samovare running second before Flying Jess added value to the trifecta in third.

Place	#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Br.	Weight	SP
1	4	SPANISH REEF	Ken Keys	Mark Zahra	–	7	57kg	$2.35F
2	3	SAMOVARE	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Damien Oliver	2.75L	5	57kg	$2.60
3	1	FLYING JESS	John Moloney	Dwayne Dunn	4.5L	6	57kg	$20
4	6	TIAMO GRACE	Darren Weir	John Allen	4.6L	4	57kg	$15
5	5	LIFE ON THE WIRE	Scott Brunton	Jamie Mott	6.85L	2	57kg	$7
6	8	ROYAL APPLAUSE	Symon Wilde	Ben Melham	8.6L	3	57kg	$26
7	9	CAVALRY GOLD	Sue Jaensch	Damien Thornton	8.7L	1	57kg	$101
–	2	ABBEY MARIE	Michael Kent	Craig Williams	–	0	–	–
–	7	EXOCET	Anthony Freedman	Damian Lane	–	0	–	–

2018 Sunline Stakes Tips

• 1st: #4 Spanish Reef
• 2nd: #3 Samovare
• 3rd: #8 Royal Applause

2018 Sunline Stakes Betting

The autumn’s Sunline Stakes 2018 betting odds and market links to Ladbrokes.com.au will be available below the week of the race.

2018 Sunline Stakes Field

The Sunline Stakes field attracts a smart line-up of middle-distance fillies and mares each autumn coming out of similar class Melbourne races. The best out of the Sunline Stakes field could then head up to Sydney for ‘The Championships’ races in autumn or return in the winter for the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) in Adelaide that the 2017 Sunline Stakes winner I Am A Star ran third in.

The official 2018 Sunline Stakes Field & Barrier Draw is released the Wednesday before William Reid Stakes Night and will be published in full below.

The Sunline Stakes 2018 Final Field drew just the nine hopefuls including the consistent Lindsay Park-trained Savabeel four-year-old Samovare coming off back-to-back Group 3 seconds this time in and her last start conqueror in the Matron Stakes over the mile at Flemington Spanish Reef who look the two to beat according to the bookies.

2018 Sunline Stakes Field Update: Abbey Marie (6) has been scratched from the Sunline Stakes leaving just eight runners in the Friday Night at The Valley feature.

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Hcp. Rating
1	202200×674	FLYING JESS	John Moloney	Dwayne Dunn	8	57kg	95
2	0x72586x65	ABBEY MARIE	Michael Kent	Craig Williams	6	57kg	102
3	x212720x22	SAMOVARE	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Damien Oliver	7	57kg	96
4	2112249×11	SPANISH REEF	Ken Keys	Mark Zahra	9	57kg	99
5	2229×11111	LIFE ON THE WIRE	Scott Brunton	Jamie Mott	2	57kg	92
6	1221x900x2	TIAMO GRACE	Darren Weir	John Allen	5	57kg	83
7	30411x087x	EXOCET	Anthony Freedman	Damian Lane	3	57kg	84
8	6151114644	ROYAL APPLAUSE	Symon Wilde	Ben Melham	4	57kg	78
9	5314414×12	CAVALRY GOLD	Sue Jaensch	Damien Thornton	1	57kg	68

2018 Sunline Stakes Nominations

The Sunline Stakes 2018 nominations will be available right here the Monday of race week and many mares in the mix may also hold a nomination for the Group 1 William Reid Stakes race on the same night.

The official 2018 Sunline Stakes Nominations attracted 15 fillies and mares including the in-form Ken Keys-trained Matron Stakes winner Spanish Reef chasing a third win on the trot and looking to add to her imposing record over the distance (4:3-1-0). The other standout entry looks to be Samovare for the Lindsay Park stable, the four-year-old runner-up in the same lead-up race and chasing her first victory since September last year when she beat Spanish Reef at this track / distance by over a length.

Sunline Stakes History

First held in 1981 and won by Epillette, the Sunline Stakes was originally named the Diamond Jubilee Stakes until 2000. Held over a 1500m distance in 2005, the Group Two event was first introduced as a Listed race until 1990 when it was changed until 1994 as a Group Three event. Since 1988 the fastest winning time recorded was 1 minute 30.3 seconds by Beautiful Gem in 2005 and the slowest time was 1 minute 40.3 seconds by Flushed in 2001.

Sunline Stakes Results

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2019 Sunline Stakes	1st	TBD	TBD
	2nd	TBD
	3rd	TBD
2018 Sunline Stakes	1st	Spanish Reef	1 minute 35.34 seconds
	2nd	Samovare
	3rd	Flying Jess
2017 Sunline Stakes	1st	I Am A Star	1 minute 36.69 seconds
	2nd	French Emotion
	3rd	First Seal
2016 Sunline Stakes	1st	Miss Rose De Lago	1 minute 35.06 seconds
	2nd	Noble Protector
	3rd	Metaphorical
2015 Sunline Stakes	1st	Noble Protector	1 minute 36.51 seconds
	2nd	Girl In Flight
	3rd	Marianne
2014 Sunline Stakes	1st	Text’n Hurley	1 minute 36.89 seconds
	2nd	Bippo No Bungus
	3rd	You’re So Good
2013 Sunline Stakes	1st	Spirit Song	1 minute 35.71 seconds
	2nd	Lights Of Heaven
	3rd	Goldslick
2012 Sunline Stakes	1st	Spirit Song	1 minute 38.5 seconds
	2nd	Lady Lynette
	3rd	Raspberries
2011 Sunline Stakes	1st	Nakaaya	1 minute 37.5 seconds
	2nd	Lady Lynette
	3rd	Platinum Passion
2010 Sunline Stakes	1st	Zarita	1 minute 39.6 seconds
	2nd	Princess Marizza
	3rd	Silvercitymiss
2009 Sunline Stakes	1st	Subtle Cove	1 minute 37.7 seconds
	2nd	Youthful High
	3rd	Fifth Avenue Lady
2008 Sunline Stakes	1st	Laura’s Charm	1 minute 37.8 seconds
	2nd	Illnois Girl
	3rd	Wayne’s Gold
2007 Sunline Stakes	1st	Like It Is	1 minute 37.4 seconds
	2nd	Laura’s Charm
	3rd	Brockman’s Lass
2006 Sunline Stakes	1st	Candy Vale	1 minute 37.6 seconds
	2nd	Plans
	3rd	Holy Bounty
2005 Sunline Stakes	1st	Beautiful Gem	1 minute 30.3 seconds
	2nd	Umber
	3rd	Charmed Lady
2004 Sunline Stakes	1st	Sylvaner	1 minute 37.9 seconds
	2nd	La Sirenuse
	3rd	Love’s Here
2003 Sunline Stakes	1st	Tickle My	1 minute 38 seconds
	2nd	Kayano
	3rd	White Mist
2002 Sunline Stakes	1st	Spurn	1 minute 37 seconds
	2nd	Tickle My
	3rd	It’s Platonic
2001 Sunline Stakes	1st	Flushed	1 minute 40.3 seconds
	2nd	Calm Smytzer
	3rd	Shelbourne Lass
2000 Sunline Stakes	1st	Rose O’War	1 minute 37.1 seconds
	2nd	Lady Elsie
	3rd	Gold Crystal