CS Hayes Stakes News

Australian Guineas 2025 Winner Feroce Fierce in Upset Result

The CS Hayes Stakes is a Group 3 race held in mid-late February annually at the esteemed Flemington Racecourse in Victoria during the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival.

2025 CS Hayes Stakes Results

• 1st: #14 Sepals
• 2nd: #8 Ndola
• 3rd: #6 Feroce

Cliff Brown’s in-form Calyx gelding, Sepals ($7.50), was enormous making it a hat-trick of wins when up in grade to demolish his rivals with a 3.25 length demolition job impressing jockey Blake Shinn in the CS Hayes Stakes 2025 results at Flemington. 

One of the feature Group races held on Black Caviar Lightning Stakes Day, the event takes place along with the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) and the Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m). Run over the middle-sprint distance of 1400m, the CS Hayes Stakes is an event for three-year-old colts and geldings at set weights plus penalties and is worth $200,000 in total prize money.

The handy runners that contest the CS Hayes Stakes will often progress on to the Group 2 Alister Clarke Stakes (1600m) a fortnight later or the prestigious Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) in early March.

The CS Hayes – Australian Guineas double has recently been completed by Wandjina (2015), Hey Doc (2017), Grunt (2018), and Alligator Blood (2020) making it a popular autumn punt.

In 2024 Riff Rocket became the first galloper in 30 years, since Mahogany (1993/94), to win the Victoria Derby and back-up to win the CS Hayes the following season. 

Riff Rocket franked the 2024 CS Hayes form going on to run third in the Australian Guineas trifecta before Group 1 wins in Sydney’s Rosehill Guineas & ATC Derby. 

The 2025 CS Hayes Stakes took place at Flemington on Saturday February 15, 2025 as part of Black Caviar Lightning Day and saw Sepals ($7.50) destroy the competition with Cliff Brown’s Mornington based galloper winning by over three lengths. 

2025 CS Hayes Stakes Finishing Order

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2025 CS Hayes Stakes Betting

The latest CS Hayes Stakes 2025 betting odds will be available at Ladbrokes.com.au and also published here at Races.com.au the week of the race.

Alligator Blood ($1.80 in 2020) and Pinstriped ($5.50EF in 2022*) are the last favourites in CS Hayes Stakes betting to salute for the punters.

*Note: In 2022 the pre-race favourite Lightsaber was scratched at the barriers.

2025 CS Hayes Stakes Form Guide

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 CS HAYES STAKES FORM GUIDE

2025 CS Hayes Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider CS Hayes Stakes 2025 Tips on the autumn lead-up this season.

• To Win: #12 Railway Man ($19 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Going for an upset in the CS Hayes this year with an underrated but consistent three-year-old from the top Maher stable. Railway Man is a well-bred I Am Invincible colt that is putting a nice record together ahead of this step up in grade. He broke his maiden status at his sixth start last time out and is so brings confidence to Flemington on Saturday. Up to Group 3 grade looks right within his reach after he won narrowly at Warwick Farm over this 1400m distance on January 27. Needs to handle the other way of going heading south but will get the run of the race from barrier one. Michael Dee comes aboard for the ride with the double figure hopeful dropping back from 57.5kg to 56kg. Needs to go to another level but is at a juicy price and has the fitness edge. Can surprise.

CS Hayes Stakes Field

The CS Hayes Stakes field attracts a smart line-up of three-year-old colts and geldings each autumn, many eyeing a return to the track the next month for a shot at the Group 1 Australian Guineas over a mile.

Recent Australian Guineas winners to come off a run in the CS Hayes Stakes field include Wandjina (2015) who completed the double, Palentino (2nd in 2016), Hey Doc (1st in 2017), Grunt (1st in 2018), Alligator Blood (2020) who was the last CS Hayes winner to also win the Australian Guineas, and Lunar Fox (12th in 2021).

The CS Hayes Stakes 2025 field and barriers will be released the Wednesday before the race runs on Black Caviar Lightning Day and will be published below.

The 2025 CS Hayes Stakes final field features a smart line-up of potential Australian Guineas bound three-year-olds led in betting by the ultra-consistent Group 3 Manfred Stakes winner Royal Insignia. 

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2025 CS Hayes Stakes Nominations

The 2025 CS Hayes Stakes race nominations close the Monday of race week and will be listed in full below as soon as released by Racing Victoria.

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

CS Hayes Stakes History

The CS Hayes Stakes was inaugurated in 1987, and the first race was won by Raveneaux.

It began as a Listed race run over 1400m and was originally known as The Debonair. For one year in 1990 the race distance was decreased to 1200m before reverting back to 1400m.

In 1994 the race was called the Vanuatu stakes and was run over 1420m. The following year in 1995 the race name went back to The Debonair, but the race distance was 1432m.

In 1996 the race distance was 1433m and then in 1997 went back to the original 1400m length. In 2001 the race reached Group 3 status. A couple of years later in 2003 the distance was 1420m and the next year the length was 1410m. In 2006 the distance went back to 1400m but in 2007 a shorter race was held over 1200m. In 2008 the distance was again 1400m.

CS Hayes Stakes Winners

CS Hayes Stakes results and winning times since 2000 are provided below.

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