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HDF McNeil Stakes News

Tycoon Star Wins 2025 McNeil Stakes, Firms in Coolmore Stud Stakes Betting

• Vinrock Returning Favourite in 2025 McNeil Stakes Field & Odds

The HDF McNeil Stakes is a Group 3 1200m sprint for three-year-old horses. Run under set weights with penalties conditions the HDF McNeil Stakes is worth a total of $200,000 prize money.

2025 McNeil Stakes Results

• 1st: #3 Tycoon Star ($4.80)
• 2nd: #6 McGaw
• 3rd: #4 Jimmy Recard

Tycoon Star ($4.80) was huge at Caulfield on Memsie Stakes Day bolting home for a dominant 1.75 length win in the 2025 McNeil Stakes results to earn a likely Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes target on November 1.

Click here for the full story.

Hosted at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne the HDF McNeil Stakes forms an important part of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Held on Memsie Stakes Day the McNeil Stakes shares its race program with a number of other black-type events. Other races held on the same day include:

• Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m),
• Group 3 The Heath 1100 (1100m), and the
• Group 3 WW Cockram Stakes (1200m).

Scheduled at the outset of the Spring Racing Carnival the McNeil Stakes play an important role in guiding form understanding for the remainder of the year.

Quite a few handy three years olds run in the McNeil Stakes. It’s a very competitive race and is well worth watching as it could lead to a run in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Merchant Navy (2017) was the last horse to do the HDF McNeil Stakes – Coolmore Stud Stakes double. The HDF McNeil Stakes also serves as a good lead-up race for three-year-olds looking to step-up in distance to a mile for the Thousand Guineas and Caulfield Guineas races at Caulfield later in the spring.

Super Seth (2019) was the last horse to complete the HDF McNeil Stakes – Caulfield Guineas double.

The form out of the 2021 HDF McNeil Stakes was franked with the winner Bruckner going on to run second in that year’s Coolmore Stud Stakes.

The 2021 runner-up Artorious meanwhile ran fourth in Sydney’s Golden Rose, and third in both the Caulfield Guineas and Coolmore Stud Stakes.

Artorious would further frank the form with a brilliant third overseas at Royal Ascot in 2022’s Group 1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes (1207m).

The HDF McNeil Stakes winner Jacquinot franked the form winning Sydney’s Golden Rose Stakes next start before a fifth in that year’s The Everest results. He also returned in the autumn to win the 2023 CF Orr Stakes.

In 2023 the HDF McNeil Stakes winner Veight went on to run second in the Caulfield Guineas quinella that spring before an autumn return to further frank the form with a Group 1 Australian Guineas second and then Group 1 George Ryder Stakes win in 2024 over the older horses.

The 2024 McNeil Stakes form was firmly franked by the winner Growing Empire who went on to place in a host of Group 1 spring majors including the Manikato Stakes (2nd), The Everest (3rd) and Coolmore Stud Stakes (3rd).

The HDF McNeil Stakes 2025 ran on Saturday, August 30, 2025 as part of Caulfield’s Memsie Stakes Day card and was won in emphatic fashion second-up by Lindsay Park’s Tycoon Star ($4.80).  

2025 McNeil Stakes Finishing Order

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2025 McNeil Stakes Betting

The best HDF McNeil Stakes 2025 betting odds will be provided at Races.com.au with market links to Ladbrokes.com.au.

Growing Empire ($2.50 in 2024) was the last favourite in McNeil Stakes betting to salute.

2025 McNeil Stakes Form

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 HDF MCNEIL STAKES FORM GUIDE

2025 McNeil Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider HDF McNeil Stakes 2025 Tips on the spring lead-up for 3YOs.

• To Win: #4 Jimmy Recard ($6 at time of publish) – BET NOW

No doubting returning Group 1 winner VINROCK is a hard to beat favourite, but for value with the fitness edge JIMMY RECARD (8) appeals. Ciaron Maher’s talented and consistent I Am Invincible colt hasn’t put a step wrong all prep and comes into Saturday’s Group 3 riding an impressive three-straight winning streak. He went up in grade last start to claim the Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) win here defeating Tycoon Star and, while the margin was narrow, he did enough to suggest he can go on with it and continue his hot form. Already proven at the six-furlongs having carted 58kg to victory down the famous straight at HQ two starts back, the step up in distance suits and Jamie Melham retains the ride. Think he’ll be making up ground late and can win.

2025 McNeil Stakes Field

The 2025 McNeil Stakes field of final acceptances will be published in full below once announced by Racing Victoria on the Wednesday leading up to Memsie Stakes Day.

The HDF McNeil Stakes 2025 final field features 10 spring hopefuls including Matt Laurie’s returning Group 1 Inglis Sires’ champ Vinrock in gate three with Mark Zahra to ride and Ciaron Maher’s in-form Jimmy Recard chasing a fourth win on the trot after a last start Vain Stakes victory at the track.

Click here to read more on the key runners in the 2025 McNeil Stakes field and betting markets.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2025 HDF McNeil Stakes Nominations

Nominations for the HDF McNeil Stakes 2025 close the Monday of race week and will be published in full below.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

HDF McNeil Stakes History

The HDF McNeil Stakes was inaugurated in 1989 and has continued to provide excellent racing action ever since.

Good Old Ted took out the first edition of the McNeil Stakes, and since then several renowned horses have seen success.

Originally called the HDF McNeil Quality, the race name was changed for the 2005 edition to its current form.

Up to and including 2005 the McNeil Stakes was raced over 1100 metres. Since 2006 it has remained at its current distance of 1200 metres. The McNeil Stakes was granted listed status in 1991, which it held until being upgraded to Group 3 in 1999. The race has remained a Group 2 event since then.

Notable McNeil Stakes winners include Danzero (1994), Miss Finland (2006), Scenic Blast (2007), Starspangledbanner (2009), Merchant Navy (2017), that year’s Caulfield Guineas champion Super Seth (2019), and Growing Empire (2024).

McNeil Stakes results since 2000 are listed below.

HDF McNeil Stakes Results