Birthday Card Stakes

The Birthday Card Stakes is a Group 3 sprint race held at Rosehill Gardens over the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival in March on Golden Slipper Day.

2023 Birthday Card Stakes Results

  • 1st: #3 Zapateo
  • 2nd: #5 Jal Lei
  • 3rd: #14 Hypothetical



The Birthday Card Stakes is a Group 3 race held at Rosehill Racecourse each March on Golden Slipper Day during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

Note: The 2021 Birthday Card Stakes was postponed until Saturday March 27th, 2021 due to heavy rainfall and unsafe track conditions at Rosehill Gardens. 

The meeting is headlined by five Group 1 races including the $5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) for two-year-olds and is also supported by a number of Group 3 events including the Birthday Card Stakes.

Run over 1200m by a field of fillies and mares under quality handicap conditions, it offers $200,000 in total prize money as of 2023 and is often contested by graduates from the previous month’s Group 3 Triscay Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.

The Group 3 Wenona Girl Handicap (1200m) run in early March is another good lead-up into the Birthday Card Stakes. Sultry Feeling (2016) was the last to do the Triscay Stakes – Birthday Card Stakes double, while Arinosa (2013) was the last Birthday Card Stakes winner to come off a lead-up win in the Wenona Girl Handicap.

The best out of the Birthday Card Stakes field may back-up during April’s ‘The Championships’ in a race like the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) or for the three-year-old fillies the Group 2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m) at the same meeting is a lucrative option.

In 2018 Quilista completed the Birthday Card – Sapphire Stakes double. The following year, Group 1 winning Kiwi-trained filly Avantage backed up from her Birthday Card Stakes win to finish third behind Classique Legend in the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint results.

The 2022 Birthday Card Stakes form was franked with the third placed Steinem going on to run top three in a host of other Group status events that year including a third Perth’s Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) that summer. She also returned in 2023 to win the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) first-up in Melbourne.

The Birthday Card Stakes 2023 ran on Saturday March 18, 2023 as part of Golden Slipper Stakes Day in Sydney and saw the James Cummings-trained favourite Zapateo ($4F) salute for the punters in the last. 

2023 Birthday Card Stakes
Date: Saturday March 18, 2023
Track: Rosehill Racecourse
Distance: 1200m
Race Type: Fillies & Mares | Qlty Hcp.
Status: Group 3
Prize Money: $200,000

2023 Birthday Card Stakes Results

  • 1st: #3 Zapateo ($4F)
  • 2nd: #5 Jal Lei
  • 3rd: #14 Hypothetical

Godolphin trainer James Cummings capped off an exciting Golden Slipper Day with his mare Zapateo ($4F) enjoying a step back in grade off an unplaced Group 1 Oakleigh Plate run in Melbourne to salute for the punters in the 2023 Birthday Card Stakes results.

Finish No. Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Bar. Weight Penalty Starting Price
1 3 ZAPATEO James Cummings James McDonald 7 57.5kg $4F
2 5 JAL LEI John O’Shea Reece Jones (a) 1.24L 2 55kg $14
3 14 HYPOTHETICAL Anthony & Sam Freedman Tyler Schiller (a) 1.25L 11 53kg $5.50
4 1 PALAISIPAN Chris Munce Hugh Bowman 1.51L 4 58.5kg $4.20
5 7 WRITTEN BEAUTY Chris Waller Jye McNeil 3.42L 3 54kg $11
6 10 AUSBRED FLIRT Brad Widdup Brett Prebble 3.5L 1 54kg $14
7 9 NICCI’S FLING Gary Portelli Brock Ryan 4.67L 9 54kg $26
8 2 SKY COMMAND Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou Tim Clark 4.74L 6 57.5kg $11
9 8 BAROSSA ROSA Tracey Bartley Regan Bayliss 4.86L 5 54kg $21
10 16 DUCHY OF SAVOY Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Michael Dee 5.14L 12 53kg $101
11 13 MEG Matthew Dale Dylan Gibbons (a) 6.75L 8 53kg $31
12 6 JUMP THE BROOM Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Brenton Avdulla 9.42L 10 54kg $13
15 BELSIELLE David & Coral Feek Ms Rachel King 0
12 KATALIN James Cummings Kerrin McEvoy 0
11 MIDNIGHT IN TOKYO Kacy Fogden 0
4 LARKSPUR RUN James Cummings Damian Lane 0

2023 Birthday Card Stakes Betting Odds

The latest Birthday Card Stakes 2023 odds are provided below sees the betting market link to Ladbrokes.com.au on the hopeful fillies & mares in the mix.

Zapateo ($4 in 2023) was the last favourite in Birthday Card Stakes betting to salute for the punters.

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

2023 Birthday Card Stakes Form

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 BIRTHDAY CARD STAKES FORM GUIDE

2023 Birthday Card Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Birthday Card Stakes 2023 Tips on the Golden Slipper Day support act this autumn.

  • To Win: #6 Jump The Broom ($9.50 at time of publish)

Team Hawkes’ Sebring five-year-old is fit third-up and ready to fire at a very attractive price. She’s had a dozen starts to date so remains lightly-raced and is a four-time winner. It’s been a while between wins with her last victory coming 12 months ago, but this looks the ideal race for her to break the drought. Her latest three have her finishing in the money in similar or tougher grade events including a Group 2 Triscay Stakes second and a last start third in the Group 3 Wenona Girl. She was under a length beaten there and is improving. Great 1200m record (9:4-2-1). Can win.

2023 Birthday Card Stakes Field

The Birthday Card Stakes field attracts a quality line-up of fillies and mares coming to the end of their autumn campaigns and is released by Racing NSW on the Wednesday before Golden Slipper Day.

The official 2023 Birthday Card Stakes field & barrier draw will be published below when released the Wednesday of race week.

The Birthday Card Stakes 2023 final field features a strong line-up of 16 fillies and mares in the last on Golden Slipper Day led in betting by the James Cummings-trained Zapateo

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 5513x3220x PALAISIPAN Chris Munce Hugh Bowman 5 58.5kg 104
2 0x381321x7 SKY COMMAND Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou Tim Clark 7 57.5kg 102
3 21x16144x0 ZAPATEO James Cummings James McDonald 8 57.5kg 102
4 x332631x02 LARKSPUR RUN James Cummings Damian Lane 14 56.5kg 100
5 8x623255x1 JAL LEI John O’Shea Reece Jones (a) 3 55kg 97
6 40x0692x23 JUMP THE BROOM Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Brenton Avdulla 11 54kg 95
7 559x720x74 WRITTEN BEAUTY Chris Waller Jye McNeil 4 54kg 95
8 x1020x1148 BAROSSA ROSA Tracey Bartley Regan Bayliss 6 54kg 93
9 35×3867123 NICCI’S FLING Gary Portelli Brock Ryan 10 54kg 81
10 x46x53112x AUSBRED FLIRT Brad Widdup Brett Prebble 2 54kg 73
11 1x2610x7 MIDNIGHT IN TOKYO Kacy Fogden 1 54kg 71
12 3x323640x7 KATALIN James Cummings Kerrin McEvoy 16 53kg 87
13 1059x1100x MEG Matthew Dale Dylan Gibbons (a) 9 53kg 86
14 211x131x41 HYPOTHETICAL Anthony & Sam Freedman Tyler Schiller (a) 12 53kg 83
15 03470×9631 BELSIELLE David & Coral Feek Ms Rachel King 15 53kg 80
16 70x1418x28 DUCHY OF SAVOY Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Michael Dee 13 53kg 75

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Birthday Card Stakes Nominations

Early nominations for the Birthday Card Stakes in 2023 close the Monday of race week and will be available here once confirmed.

Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 4x7675123x ATISHU (NZ) M 5 Chris Waller 105
2 1113x711x AUDETTE M 4 Kylie Gavenlock 75
3 x46x53112x AUSBRED FLIRT M 4 Brad Widdup 73
4 x1020x1148 BAROSSA ROSA M 5 Tracey Bartley 93
5 03470×9631 BELSIELLE M 5 David & Coral Feek 80
6 1450x100x5 BRING THE RANSOM M 6 Bjorn Baker 95
7 70x1418x28 DUCHY OF SAVOY M 4 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 75
8 6529x19x74 FUMIKO M 4 Kristen Buchanan 70
9 211x131x41 HYPOTHETICAL M 4 Anthony & Sam Freedman 83
10 x0794x696x ISOTOPE M 5 Tony Gollan 101
11 0x317560x5 ITA M 5 Bjorn Baker 81
12 8x623255x1 JAL LEI M 4 John O’Shea 97
13 40x0692x23 JUMP THE BROOM M 5 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 95
14 3x323640x7 KATALIN M 6 James Cummings 87
15 x332631x02 LARKSPUR RUN M 4 James Cummings 100
16 1059x1100x MEG M 5 Matthew Dale 86
17 1x2610x7 MIDNIGHT IN TOKYO F 3 Kacy Fogden 71
18 435x3255x8 NEVER TALK M 5 Kris Lees 93
19 35×3867123 NICCI’S FLING M 5 Gary Portelli 81
20 0x01102x0x NIGHT OF ROMANCE (GB) M 5 Kris Lees 96
21 5513x3220x PALAISIPAN M 5 Chris Munce 104
22 13x08230x1 RUBY KISSES M 4 Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou 73
23 9x2726305x SHE’S ALL CLASS M 4 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 89
24 0x381321x7 SKY COMMAND M 4 Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou 102
25 12x52535x5 WILLINGA BEAST F 3 Kris Lees 84
26 559x720x74 WRITTEN BEAUTY M 5 Chris Waller 95
27 21x16144x0 ZAPATEO M 4 James Cummings 102

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Birthday Card Stakes History

The Birthday Card Stakes has been run and won since 1986 and the inaugural winner was Kisim Hiat. Since then some nice types have won the event including Toorak (1999), Spinning Hill (2001), Avoid Lightning (2014), Sultry Feeling (2016) and multiple Group 1 winning Kiwi visitor Avantage (2019).

The race started out as a Listed event before gaining its Group 3 status from 2006 onwards. It ran at Canterbury from 1986-1996 and again from 2000-2002 and has gone via a number of different race names including the Clyde Kennedy Quality (1992) and the Allied Express Stakes (2006).

In 2021 the original Golden Slipper Stakes race day including the Birthday Card Stakes was abandoned due to heavy rainfall and unsafe track conditions and postponed to the following Saturday.

Recent Birthday Card Stakes Winners

See below for a complete listing of the Birthday Card Stakes results & winners going back to 2000.

Year Place Horse Time
2023
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Zapateo 1 minute 09.54 seconds
2nd Jal Lei
3rd Hypothetical
2022
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Emanate 1 minute 12.99 seconds
2nd Marboosha
3rd Steinem
2021
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Seasons 1 minute 10.63 seconds
2nd Tricky Gal
3rd Wandabaa
2020
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Miss Exfactor 1 minute 10.11 seconds
2nd Connemara
3rd Bangkok
2019
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Avantage 1 minute 13.50 seconds
2nd Resin
3rd Star Reflection
2018
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Quilista 1 minute 12.24 seconds
2nd Sugar Bella
3rd Hetty Heights
2017
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Raiment 1 minute 14.12 seconds
2nd Samantha
3rd Nancy
2016
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Sultry Feeling 1 minute 10.9 seconds
2nd Lucky Can Be
3rd Perignon
2015
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Shamalia 1 minute 9.7 seconds
2nd Mossfun
3rd Ygritte
2014
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Avoid Lightning 1 minute 11.8 seconds
2nd Plucky Belle
3rd Aerobatics
2013
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Arinosa 1 minute 9.6 seconds
2nd Shamal Wind
3rd Miss Stellabelle
2012
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Celts 1 minute 10.6 seconds
2nd Next The Universe
3rd Divorces
2011
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Zingaling 1 minute 10.6 seconds
2nd Ladys Angel
3rd Flying Success
2010
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Patronyme 1 minute 10.3 seconds
2nd Beaded
3rd Melito
2009
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Gamble Me 1 minute 10.4 seconds
2nd Belong To Many
3rd Court
2008
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Throne Inn 1 minute 10.9 seconds
2nd Karalee
3rd Allaboutus
2007
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Aunty Betty 1 minute 11.1 seconds
2nd Absolutelyfabulous
3rd Martiniforus
2006
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Imana 1 minute 10.5 seconds
2nd Freeroller
3rd Tactfully
2005
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Tui Song 1 minute 9.0 seconds
2nd World Peace
3rd Shannon Bank
2004
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Paraca 1 minute 9.5 seconds
2nd Cataclysm
3rd Recurring
2003
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Toast Of The Coast 1 minute 9.1 seconds
2nd Fatoon
3rd Blue Suttarb
2002
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Hot Riff 1 minute 9.8 seconds
2nd Omens
3rd Palais
2001
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Spinning Hill 1 minute 10.2 seconds
2nd Call Me Lily
3rd Crestfallen
2000
Birthday Card Stakes
1st Verdict Declared 1 minute 11.4 seconds
2nd Another Misty
3rd Flickering Fire

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