---

---

The Sweet Embrace Stakes is a Group 2 sprint for two-year-old fillies run over 1200m at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Chipping Norton Stakes Day in late February or early March during the autumn.

The Sydney meeting is headlined by the weight-for-age Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) and the recently upgraded Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) for three-year-old fillies. Chipping Norton Stakes Day also features a number of other Group status support races including the Sweet Embrace Stakes and the colts & geldings equivalent – the Group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m).

Both the Skyline Stakes and the Sweet Embrace Stakes offer $250,000 in prize money as of 2023 and a ballot exemption to the winner into the Group 1 $5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m).

The last fillies to win the Sweet Embrace Stakes – Golden Slipper double were Crystal Lily (2010) and Fireburn (2022).

Fillies may come into the Sweet Embrace Stakes field via other two-year-old autumn races including the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) run at Rosehill the Saturday before or the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) also held at Rosehill but in late January.

After the Sweet Embrace Stakes Stakes the two-year-old fillies may have another Golden Slipper Stakes lead-up in the following Saturday’s Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) run at Royal Randwick.

The $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m) held at the track a fortnight earlier also serves as a potential lead-up for Inglis graduates. In 2023 Lazzago improved on a fourth in the Inglis Millennium to win the Sweet Embrace Stakes.

In 2018 the Sweet Embrace Stakes winner Seabrook went on to win the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) later that autumn.

The 2022 Sweet Embrace Stakes form was franked with the winner Fireburn going on to win both the Golden Slipper as well as the Group 1 Inglis Sires’ (1400m) that autumn before a second in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m). The Sweet Embrace runner-up She’s Extreme finished second in the Sires’ before turning the tables to win the Champagne Stakes. She’s Extreme further franked the form that spring with a host of top three runs in Group 1 company before her win in the VRC Oaks at Flemington.

The 2023 Sweet Embrace Stakes ran on Saturday February 25, 2023 as a key Golden Slipper lead-up and was won by Chris Waller’s smart Capitalist filly Lazzago ($9.50). 

Sweet Embrace Stakes 2023
Date:	Saturday February 25, 2023
Track:	Royal Randwick Racecourse
Distance:	1200m
Race Type:	Set Weights / 2YO Fillies
Status:	Group 2
Prize Money:	$250,000

2023 Sweet Embrace Stakes Results

• 1st: #5 Lazzago ($9.50)
• 2nd: #6 Facile
• 3rd: #2 Blanc De Blanc

Chris Waller’s progressive daughter of Capitalist, Lazzago ($9.50), continued to frank the form out of the $2 million Inglis Millennium improving on her first-up fourth behind Learning To Fly to head the 2023 Sweet Embrace Stakes results on Chipping Norton Stakes Day.

	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	5	LAZZAGO	Chris Waller	Hugh Bowman		7	55.5kg (cd 56kg)		$9.50
	2	6	FACILE	Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou	Tim Clark	0.22L	9	55.5kg		$11
	3	2	BLANC DE BLANC	Michael Freedman	James McDonald	0.53L	10	55.5kg		$4.60
	4	12	AUGUST BLOOM	Peter & Paul Snowden	Tom Sherry	0.94L	5	55.5kg		$101
	5	7	EMPRESS OF WONDER	Annabel Neasham	Chad Schofield	2.22L	11	55.5kg		$21
	6	3	SALTAIRE	John O’Shea	Kerrin McEvoy	2.55L	2	55.5kg		$15
	7	1	SKIRT THE LAW	Tony Gollan	Ryan Maloney	2.62L	8	55.5kg		$2.05F
	8	8	DIVINE GLORY	Peter & Paul Snowden	Tyler Schiller (a)	3.21L	3	55.5kg		$61
	9	9	PORTOROSA	Annabel Neasham	Regan Bayliss	3.45L	1	55.5kg		$31
	10	4	SUMMER LOVING	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Brenton Avdulla	4.96L	4	55.5kg		$10
	11	10	ONE KIND	Allan Kehoe	Koby Jennings	10.79L	6	55.5kg		$101
		11	SMASHING DANCER	Kim Waugh	Jay Ford		0

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2023 Sweet Embrace Stakes Betting Odds

The current season’s Sweet Embrace Stakes 2023 betting odds on the fillies heading towards the Golden Slipper Stakes field will be available below as soon as released.

Four Moves Ahead ($2.70 in 2021) is the last favourite in Sweet Embrace Stakes betting to win.

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

2023 Sweet Embrace Stakes Form Guide

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 SWEET EMBRACE STAKES FORM GUIDE

2023 Sweet Embrace Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Sweet Embrace Stakes 2023 Tips on the autumn showdown for fillies this February.

• To Win: #1 Skirt The Law ($2.60 at time of publish) 

Hard to bet against this filly who comes into the Sweet Embrace boasting a flawless three-from-three record. Tony Gollan’s daughter of Better Than Ready races fresh having last been seen winning the $2 million Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast in mid-January. She’s had a subsequent winning trial at Doomben to keep her fit, which she blitzed by six lengths suggesting she is ready to go again. Two-from-two at the distance, so has that advantage over a number of her rivals here. Gate nine gives her options in the run and Ryan Maloney retains the ride. Should be able to get the job done again.

2023 Sweet Embrace Stakes Field

Each autumn the Sweet Embrace Stakes field attracts a line-up of promising two-year-old fillies eyeing a run in the Golden Slipper Stakes field in a fortnight’s time.

The official 2023 Sweet Embrace Stakes field and barriers are set for release by Racing NSW on Wednesday February 22, 2023 and will be published in full below.

The Sweet Embrace Stakes 2023 final field features a quality line-up of Golden Slipper-bound fillies led in betting by Tony Gollan’s undefeated daughter of Better Than Ready, Skirt The Law, chasing a fourth win from as many starts after her $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic win at the Gold Coast last time out.

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Probable Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	111	SKIRT THE LAW	Tony Gollan	Ryan Maloney	9	55.5kg
2	13×2	BLANC DE BLANC	Michael Freedman	James McDonald	11	55.5kg
3	21×9	SALTAIRE	John O’Shea	Kerrin McEvoy	2	55.5kg
4	333	SUMMER LOVING	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Brenton Avdulla	4	55.5kg
5	14	LAZZAGO	Chris Waller	Hugh Bowman	7	55.5kg
6	2×5	FACILE	Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou	Tim Clark	10	55.5kg
7	2273	EMPRESS OF WONDER	Annabel Neasham	Chad Schofield	12	55.5kg
8	31×5	DIVINE GLORY	Peter & Paul Snowden	Tyler Schiller (a)	3	55.5kg
9	3	PORTOROSA	Annabel Neasham	Regan Bayliss	1	55.5kg
10	1	ONE KIND	Allan Kehoe	Koby Jennings	6	55.5kg
11	3	SMASHING DANCER	Kim Waugh	Jay Ford	8	55.5kg
12	4	AUGUST BLOOM	Peter & Paul Snowden	Tom Sherry	5	55.5kg

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2023 Sweet Embrace Stakes Nominations

Early nominations for the Sweet Embrace Stakes in 2023 close the Monday of race week and will be updated here once announced.

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	4	AUGUST BLOOM	F	2	Peter & Paul Snowden
2	13×2	BLANC DE BLANC	F	2	Michael Freedman
3	31×5	DIVINE GLORY	F	2	Peter & Paul Snowden
4	2273	EMPRESS OF WONDER	F	2	Annabel Neasham
5	3	EXTREME THREAT	F	2	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
6	2×5	FACILE	F	2	Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou
7		KIMMELA	F	2	Edward O’Rourke
8	23	KUNDALINI	F	2	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
9	14	LAZZAGO	F	2	Chris Waller
10	1	ONE KIND	F	2	Allan Kehoe
11	3	PORTOROSA	F	2	Annabel Neasham
12	14×2	REMEDIES	F	2	James Cummings
13	21×9	SALTAIRE	F	2	John O’Shea
14	34	SENSICAL	F	2	Peter G Moody
15	111	SKIRT THE LAW	F	2	Tony Gollan
16	3	SMASHING DANCER	F	2	Kim Waugh
17	333	SUMMER LOVING	F	2	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
18		UNTOUCHABLE LEGEND	F	2	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Sweet Embrace Stakes History

The Sweet Embrace Stakes is named in honour of the 1967 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Sweet Embrace who scored an upset breaking her maiden status in the classic at odds of 40/1. The race was first run in 1979 as a Listed event. It gained Group 3 status in 1987 before being elevated to its current Group 2 status from 2013 onwards.

The event has taken place at a number of different race tracks around Sydney including Canterbury Park, Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick.

Notable Sweet Embrace Stakes winners include subsequent Golden Slipper winners Dark Eclipse (1980), Ha Ha (2001), Crystal Lily (2010) and Seabrook (2018).

Recent Sweet Embrace Stakes Winners

See below for a list of Sweet Embrace Stakes winners and place-getters dating back to 2000.

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2023 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Lazzago	1 minute 10.76 seconds
	2nd	Facile
	3rd	Blanc De Blanc
2022 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Fireburn	1 minute 15.18 seconds
	2nd	She’s Extreme
	3rd	Lady Laguna
2021 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Four Moves Ahead	1 minute 10.50 seconds
	2nd	She’s All Class
	3rd	Mallory
2020  Sweet Embrace Stakes		Hungry Heart	1 minute 9.64 seconds
	2nd	Stellar Pauline
	3rd	Dismissal
2019 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Anaheed	1 minute 9.72 seconds
	2nd	Still Single
	3rd	Let It Pour
2018 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Seabrook	1 minute 10.96 seconds
	2nd	Fiesta
	3rd	Into The Abyss
2017 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	One More Honey	1 minute 12.28 seconds
	2nd	Arctic Angel
	3rd	Teaspoon
2016 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Scarlet Rain	1 minute 9.5 seconds
	2nd	In The Vanguard
	3rd	Tale Of Choice
2015 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Always Allison	1 minute 10.7 seconds
	2nd	Speak Fondly
	3rd	Tibrogargan Miss
2014 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Believe Yourself	1 minute 11.2 seconds
	2nd	Twirl
	3rd	Tetsuko
2013 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Romantic Moon	1 minute 10.0 seconds
	2nd	Thump
	3rd	Greytfilly
2012 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Jade Marauder	1 minute 11.2 seconds
	2nd	Valerio
	3rd	Kyria
2011 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Shared Reflections	1 minute 9.5 seconds
	2nd	Streama
	3rd	Pane In The Glass
2010 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Crystal Lily	1 minute 9.0 seconds
	2nd	Ambers Waltz
	3rd	Zutara
2009 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Headway	1 minute 11.1 seconds
	2nd	Lovemelikearock
	3rd	Horizons
2008 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Stripper	1 minute 11.0 seconds
	2nd	Glowlamp
	3rd	Samantha Miss
2007 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Chinchilla Rose	1 minute 10.1 seconds
	2nd	Vecchia Roma
	3rd	Moonboat
2006 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Universal Queen	1 minute 11.4 seconds
	2nd	Tuesday Joy
	3rd	Pure Energy
2005 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Carry On Cutie	1 minute 10.5 seconds
	2nd	Media
	3rd	Flion Fenea
2004 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Burning Sands	1 minute 11.9 seconds
	2nd	All Knowledge
	3rd	Written By Xaar
2003 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Legally Bay	1 minute 10.0 seconds
	2nd	How Funny
	3rd	Bella Corona
2002 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Victory Vein	1 minute 9.9 seconds
	2nd	Chuckle
	3rd	Calaway Gal
2001 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Ha Ha	1 minute 11.0 seconds
	2nd	Moonflute
	3rd	Palais
2000 Sweet Embrace Stakes	1st	Dynamic Love	1 minute 11.7 seconds
	2nd	Tyrolean
	3rd	Ateates