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The Moonga Stakes is a Group 3 race contested in October on Caulfield Cup Day over the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
Moonga Stakes News
The Group 3 Moonga Stakes is a 1400m sprint held at Caulfield Racecourse during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
2025 Moonga Stakes Results
Stay tuned for the official 2025 Moonga Stakes results and finishing order this Caulfield Cup Day.
- 1st: No. 2 Private Eye ($2.05F)
- 2nd: No. 11 Warnie
- 3rd: No. 8 Steparty
Winning Margin: 1.5 lengths
Winning Time: 1:24.15
Joe Pride’s veteran eight-year-old Private Eye ($2.05) stormed home to salute in the 2025 Moonga Stakes results, reaffirming his class and adding another feature race to his glittering résumé. Ridden by Nash Rawiller, the former two-time The Everest placed Al Maher gelding proved too strong in the Group 3 event after settling just off the speed before cruising past the leaders and kicking clear to win by 1.5 lengths over Warnie and Steparty.
Moonga Stakes 2025 Results
|
1st
2. Private Eye (8)
J: Nash Rawiller 59kg
T: Joseph Pride |
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|
2nd
11. Warnie (2)
J: Ben Allen 57kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
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3rd
8. Steparty (9)
J: John Allen 57kg
T: Paul Preusker |
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4th
9. Payline (6)
J: Blake Shinn 57kg
T: Chris & Corey Munce |
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5th
6. Media World (5)
J: Mark Zahra 58.5kg
T: Peter Snowden |
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6th
1. Here To Shock (1)
J: Daniel Stackhouse 60kg
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
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7th
3. Willaidow (3)
J: Jordan Childs 58.5kg
T: Marc & Mitchell Conners |
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8th
7. Royal Insignia (7)
J: Andrea Atzeni 58.5kg
T: Grahame Begg |
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9th
5. West Star (4)
J: Harry Coffey 58.5kg
T: Simon A Miller |
Held under set weights plus penalties conditions, the Moonga Stakes is a race for horses aged four years and older.
The Moonga Stakes is held on one of the biggest race days of the year, Caulfield Cup Day.
Sharing the race schedule with the Moonga Stakes are a host of other Black-Type features. These include the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1000m), Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m), and the Group 3 Caulfield Classic.
Horses contesting the Moonga Stakes field may come off a lead-up run in a race like the Group 2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m) for mares at Flemington a fortnight earlier.
The Moonga Stakes serves as a nice lead-up into the Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) over the Flemington mile during the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Boban (2013) was the last horse to complete the double when the Group 1 was known as the Kennedy Cantala Stakes.
The 2021 Moonga Stakes form was franked with the third placegetter Justacanta winning the Group 2 Linlithgow Stakes (1200m) next start.
The 2023 Moonga Stakes winner Buffalo River returned the following autumn and franked the form with back-to-back Group 1 thirds in the 2024 CF Orr and Futurity Stakes. That year’s Moonga Stakes runner-up Climbing Star further franked the form with a subsequent Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes win in Adelaide.
The Moonga Stakes 2025 ran on Saturday October 18, 2025 as part of Caulfield Cup Day and was won in a brilliant performance by the Joe Pride trained favourite Private Eye ($2.05F) who easily accounted for his rivals in the Group 3 with a 1.5 length romp home.Â
| Moonga Stakes | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday October 18, 2025 |
| Track: | Caulfield Racecourse |
| Distance: | 1400m |
| Race Type: | 4YO&UP SW+P |
| Status: | Group 3 |
| Prize Money: | $240,000 |
2025 Moonga Stakes Betting Odds
The latest Moonga Stakes 2025 betting markets provided by Ladbrokes.com.au will be listed here at Races.com.au complete with links for you to back your Moonga Stakes Tips in at the right price as soon as released the week of the race.
Buffalo River ($2.70 in 2021) and Private Eye ($2.05 in 2025) are the latest favourites in Moonga Stakes betting to win.
2025 Moonga Stakes Form Guide
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 MOONGA STAKES FORM GUIDE
2025 Moonga Stakes Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Moonga Stakes 2025 Betting Tip on the Caulfield Cup Day support act this spring.
To Win: No. 2 Private Eye
PRIVATE EYE (9) is favourite for the Moonga Stakes and I’m happy to follow the money and am sticking with the punters’ pick. Joe Pride’s two-time The Everest placegetter may be an eight-year-old having his 47th career start, but he’s shown plenty again this campaign to suggest he’s not done just yet. Fresh he won the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes at this track and trip in a huge two-length winning return. From there he was runner-up with excuses from a wide barrier behind Pericles in the Group 2 Tramway in Sydney, while his latest saw him far from disgraced under three lengths off Waller’s wonder mare Fangirl in the $1 million 7 Stakes. He stuck to the task there, and I like him back in trip and back south having shown he could handle the Melbourne way of racing very well. Comes up against easier rivals now, Nash Rawiller is back in the saddle, he should land in front and I think he can go all-the-way. Private Eye might be getting on in age, but he’s still got the sharpest turn of foot in the race. Wins.
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1st
2. Private Eye (8)
J: Nash Rawiller 59kg
T: Joseph Pride |
2025 Moonga Stakes Field
The 2025 Moonga Stakes field and barriers are released by Racing Victoria (RV) on the Wednesday leading-up to Caulfield Cup Day and will be provided in full below once announced.
The Moonga Stakes 2025 final field has attracted a strong line-up of gallopers potentially heading towards a Group 1 target over the upcoming Melbourne Cup Carnival with markets led by Joe Pride’s last start $1 million 7 Stakes fourth placegetter in Sydney – Private Eye.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 110112×379 | HERE TO SHOCK (NZ) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Daniel Stackhouse | 1 | 60kg | 111 | ||
| 2 | 5814x3x124 | PRIVATE EYE | Joseph Pride | Nash Rawiller | 9 | 59kg | 114 | ||
| 3 | 1x152048x5 | WILLAIDOW | Marc & Mitchell Conners | Jordan Childs | 3 | 58.5kg | 102 | ||
| 4 | 740x59400x | MIGHTY ULYSSES (GB) | Annabel & Rob Archibald | Jamie Mott | 4 | 58.5kg | 99 | ||
| 5 | x21x1713x0 | WEST STAR | Simon A Miller | Harry Coffey | 5 | 58.5kg | 102 | ||
| 6 | 536x112x31 | MEDIA WORLD | Peter Snowden | Mark Zahra | 6 | 58.5kg | 101 | ||
| 7 | 11x170x340 | ROYAL INSIGNIA | Grahame Begg | Andrea Atenzi | 8 | 58.5kg | 88 | ||
| 8 | 3332235×88 | STEPARTY | Paul Preusker | John Allen | 11 | 57kg | 104 | ||
| 9 | x69398x566 | PAYLINE | Chris & Corey Munce | Blake Shinn | 7 | 57kg | 103 | ||
| 10 | x110x90x23 | STAR PATROL | Clinton McDonald | Ms Jamie Melham | 10 | 57kg | 103 | ||
| 11 | 32×4354574 | WARNIE (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Ben Allen | 2 | 57kg | 97 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2025 Moonga Stakes Nominations
Early nominations for the Moonga Stakes in 2025 close the Monday of race week.
Moonga Stakes History
The Moonga Stakes was inaugurated in 1982 and has since undergone a huge amount of name changes. Initially a Principal race, the Moonga Stakes was granted Group 3 status in 1994.
The Moonga Stakes is one of those races that receives sponsorship for its name in most years. During its short history, the Moonga Stakes has been named in honour of two different racehorses, Vo Rogue and Northerly. Listed below are the various name changes the Moonga Stakes has undergone over the years.
| Period | Race Name |
|---|---|
| 2012 onwards | Moonga Stakes |
| 2009-11 | Betfair Stakes |
| 2007-08 | Jayco Cup |
| 2005-06 | Harrolds 101 Stakes |
| 2004 | Melbourne Racing Club Stakes |
| 2003 | Farewell To Northerly Stakes |
| 2001-02 | Melbourne Racing Club Stakes |
| 2000 | Ansett Australia Stakes |
| 1998-99 | IGA Supermarkets Stakes |
| 1997 | Tablerite Stakes |
| 1996 | Vo Rogue Stakes |
| 1995 | Richard Ellis Plate |
| 1993-94 | The Myer Stakes |
| 1987-92 | Richard Ellis Plate |
Notable Moonga Stakes winners include Vo Rogue (1988), Rough Habit (1992), Assertive Lad (2002), Boban (2013), dual champ on non-successive years Buffalo River (2021 & 2023), and Private Eye (2025).
Buffalo River also ran a brave second at big odds in 2024 behind Mighty Ulysses.
Moonga Stakes results since 2000 are listed below.
Moonga Stakes Results
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Private Eye | 1 minute 24.15 seconds |
| 2nd | Warnie | ||
| 3rd | Steparty | ||
| 2024 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Mighty Ulysses | 1 minute 26.17 seconds |
| 2nd | Buffalo River | ||
| 3rd | Pinstriped | ||
| 2023 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Buffalo River | 1 minute 23.41 seconds |
| 2nd | Climbing Star | ||
| 3rd | Cause For Concern | ||
| 2022 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Aegon | 1 minute 25.19 seconds |
| 2nd | Bandersnatch | ||
| 3rd | Lady Of Honour | ||
| 2021 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Buffalo River | 1 minute 24.43 seconds |
| 2nd | King Magnus | ||
| 3rd | Justacanta | ||
| 2020 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Wild Planet | 1 minute 24.83 seconds |
| 2nd | Morrissy | ||
| 3rd | Fifty Stars | ||
| 2019 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Streets Of Avalon | 1 minute 23.94 seconds |
| 2nd | Variation | ||
| 3rd | Royal Meeting | ||
| 2018 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Sircconi | 1 minute 24.97 seconds |
| 2nd | Dreamforce | ||
| 3rd | Perast | ||
| 2017 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Ulmann | 1 minute 23.44 seconds |
| 2nd | Burning Front | ||
| 3rd | Echo Effect | ||
| 2016 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Voodoo Lad | 1 minute 25.54 seconds |
| 2nd | Under The Louvre | ||
| 3rd | Coronation Shallan | ||
| 2015 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Vashka | 1 minute 23.27 seconds |
| 2nd | Under The Louvre | ||
| 3rd | Coronation Shallan | ||
| 2014 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Lucky Hussler | 1 minute 23.5 seconds |
| 2nd | Under The Louvre | ||
| 3rd | Generalife | ||
| 2013 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Boban | 1 minute 23.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Strawberry Boy | ||
| 3rd | Galah | ||
| 2012 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Whateverwhenever | 1 minute 23.7 seconds |
| 2nd | King’s Rose | ||
| 3rd | McClintock | ||
| 2011 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Love Conquers All | 1 minute 21.9 seconds |
| 2nd | Albert The Fat | ||
| 3rd | Pinwheel | ||
| 2010 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Rothera | 1 minute 25.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Sniper’s Bullet | ||
| 3rd | Jungle Ruler | ||
| 2009 Moonga Stakes | 1st | McClintock | 1 minute 22.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Rightfully Yours | ||
| 3rd | Kiloton | ||
| 2008 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Royal Discretion | 1 minute 23.6 seconds |
| 2nd | Turffontein | ||
| 3rd | Stickpin | ||
| 2007 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Lord Of The Dance | 1 minute 22.6 seconds |
| 2nd | Polish Clown | ||
| 3rd | Solar Secret | ||
| 2006 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Perfectly Ready | 1 minute 22.3 seconds |
| 2nd | Live In Vain | ||
| 3rd | Caprizzi Strip | ||
| 2005 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Volitant | 1 minute 21.3 seconds |
| 2nd | Yell | ||
| 3rd | Shadow | ||
| 2004 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Amtrak | 1 minute 24.6 seconds |
| 2nd | Pink Fit | ||
| 3rd | Monahan Tweed | ||
| 2003 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Thorn Park | 1 minute 22.5 seconds |
| 2nd | Lord Volksraad | ||
| 3rd | Regal Roller | ||
| 2002 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Assertive Lad | 1 minute 22.9 seconds |
| 2nd | El Nino | ||
| 3rd | Prince Rubiton | ||
| 2001 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Flavour | 1 minute 24.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Inspire | ||
| 3rd | Make Mine Magic | ||
| 2000 Moonga Stakes | 1st | Cellar | 1 minute 21.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Hire | ||
| 3rd | Weasel Will | ||
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