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The Group 3 Red Anchor Stakes is a 1200m sprint held at Moonee Valley Racecourse during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival in late October.

Held under set weights with penalties conditions, the Red Anchor Stakes is restricted to three-year-old sprinters and is currently known as the Telstra Phonewords Stakes for sponsorship purposes.

The Red Anchor Stakes is held on Cox Plate Day alongside a host of other Group status spring features. These include the renowned Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m), the Group 2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic (1600m), Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m), Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m), Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) and Group 3 Tesio Stakes (1600m).

Classier types tend to perform well under the set weights plus penalties conditions of the Red Anchor Stakes. Some fairly decent young horses have gotten up over Group 1 types in recent years, so when punting don’t be too quick to immediately jump on the well known horses.

Horses tend to target the Red Anchor Stakes following runs in races with similar conditions and similar distances. There are no clear patterns in regards to lead up races, but as a general rule it pays to keep an eye on the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes, the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes and any non black type sprints restricted to three year olds.

Following the Red Anchor Stakes, some runners may go on to the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m), run a week later at Flemington Racecourse on VRC Derby Day.

The 2017 Red Anchor Stakes – Telstra Phonewords Stakes – was  held on Saturday October 28, 2017 .

Red Anchor Stakes 2017
Date:	Saturday October 28, 2017
Track:	Moonee Valley Racecourse
Distance:	1200m
Race Type:	3YO SW+P
Status:	Group 3
Prize Money:	$150,000

2017 Red Anchor Stakes Results

• 1st: #9 Eptimum
• 2nd: #1 Single Bullet
• 3rd: #4 Trekking

Check out the full Red Anchor Stakes 2017 results below, following the link to read more on the impressive upset by the Toby Edmonds-trained Eptimum who did it easy with a soft three length success having led all-the-way from the better-fancied Single Bullet. Race favourite Trekking was wide throughout and rounded out the trifecta in third, nearly six lengths beaten by the runaway winner.

Place	#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Br.	Weight	SP
1	9	EPTIMUM	Toby Edmonds	Ryan Maloney	–	9	56kg	$11
2	1	SINGLE BULLET	Gary Portelli	Tim Clark	3L	6	57.5kg	$5.50
3	4	TREKKING	James Cummings	Hugh Bowman	5.75L	3	56kg	$3.30F
4	2	DUCIMUS	Mick Price	Mark Zahra	6.05L	4	57kg	$6
5	6	ECLAIR SUNSHINE	Phillip Stokes	Regan Bayliss	6.8L	2	56kg	$10
6	3	INDIAN THUNDER	Darren Weir	Dean Yendall	8.55L	7	57kg	$21
7	5	SEIZED John Sadler	Kerrin McEvoy	9.3L	5	56kg	$11
8	11	SURJIN	Paul Perry	Stephen Baster	11.55L	1	56kg	$41
9	8	EXPERIMENTATION	Robert Smerdon	Craig Williams	12.05L	8	56kg	$7
–	7	EASY BEAST (NZ)	Richard Laming	Jamie Mott	–	0	–	–
–	10	SAM’S IMAGE	Peter Morgan	Luke Nolen	–	0	–	–

2017 Red Anchor Stakes Tips

• 1st: #4 Trekking
• 2nd: #1 Single Bullet
• 3rd: #9 Eptimum

Hard to bet against the favourite TREKKING ($3.60) who has been heavily-backed in from $6. Third-up off a little break presents rock hard fit, good early warm-up for Hugh Bowman before Winx in the Cox Plate and has form around good types. Menari Rosebud third first-up and Merchant Navy fourth only 1.55 L beaten in the Group 3 at Caulfield in early September. Freshened-up since and gets a gun run from barrier four. SINGLE BULLET ($5.50) a genuine danger third-up after back-to-back seconds in Sydney. Roman Consul Stakes run was brave when outclassed, this is easier. EPTIMUM ($14) the value, coming off back-to-back wins the Toby Edmonds-trained Queensland raider was flying home at Bendigo over 1100m and can feature at a price.

Red Anchor Stakes Betting Odds

The latest Telstra Phonewords Red Anchor Stakes betting odds will be listed below with links to the full markets at Ladbrokes.com.au to lock in your tips on the three-years-old sprint on Cox Plate Day at the best price.

2017 Red Anchor Stakes Field

The Red Anchor Stakes field tends to attract three year olds who have had fairly extensive preparations already that season. Horses that run in the Red Anchor Stakes field usually do so following several black type races already that season including Sydney’s Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) or Caulfield’s Group 3 HDF McNeil Stakes (1200m) in September. It’s worth keeping an eye on the Red Anchor Stakes field, because you’ll often see some of the three year olds that run in it pop up later in black type races.

The 2017 Red Anchor Stakes field and barriers are released on the Wednesday leading-up to Cox Plate Day and will be published in full below.

The 2017 Telstra Phonewords Stakes Field – registered as the Red Anchor Stakes – attracted 11 three-year-old sprinters including the consistent Gary Portelli-trained Single Bullet coming off a Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes second in Sydney, the returning Mick Price-trained Ducimus who was runner-up to Single Bullet in March’s Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) and the Richard Laming-trained Easy Beast chasing a third win on the trot.

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Hcp. Rating
1	223100×22	SINGLE BULLET	Gary Portelli	Tim Clark	7	57.5kg	82
2	112x54x	DUCIMUS	Mick Price	Mark Zahra	5	57kg	74
3	21×67357	INDIAN THUNDER	Darren Weir	Dean Yendall	8	57kg	67
4	1x20x34	TREKKING	James Cummings	Hugh Bowman	4	56kg	72
5	2425×2	SEIZED	John Sadler	Kerrin McEvoy	6	56kg	63
6	x26x1x2254	ECLAIR SUNSHINE	Phillip Stokes	Regan Bayliss	3	56kg	67
7	322×11	EASY BEAST (NZ)	Richard Laming	Jamie Mott	9	56kg	70
8	212	EXPERIMENTATION	Robert Smerdon	Craig Williams	10	56kg	67
9	5×11	EPTIMUM	Toby Edmonds	Ryan Maloney	11	56kg	67
10	136x8x2	SAM’S IMAGE	Peter Morgan	Luke Nolen	2	56kg	64
11	313	SURJIN	Paul Perry	Stephen Baster	1	56kg	62

2017 Red Anchor Stakes Nominations

The 2017 Red Anchor Stakes nominations are taken on the Monday of race week with the complete list of early entries for the race now known as the Telstra Phonewords Stakes to be published below once released.

The Telstra Phonewords Stakes 2017 Nominations attracted 19 three-year-olds including the James Cummings-trained Group 1 performer Trekking and the in-form Single Bullet last seen running second in the Roman Consul Stakes on October 7 at Randwick in Sydney.

Red Anchor Stakes History

The Red Anchor Stakes was inaugurated in 1985, with Seiger taking out the first edition. Since then, the Red Anchor Stakes has provided classy three year olds with an opportunity to showcase their skills against other horses of similar levels of skill.

The Red Anchor Stakes has always been held over 1200m. Between the years of 1990 and 2005 the race ran as the CS Hayes Stakes. Between 2006 and 2011 it was referred to as the City Pacific Finance Stakes. Following that, it adopted the name Telstra Phonewords Stakes.

Notable Red Anchor Stakes winners include Rubiton (1986), Sequalo (1993), Yell (2002), Royal Asscher (2007) and Karuta Queen (2011). Red Anchor Stakes results and winning times are listed below.

Red Anchor Stakes History

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2018 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	TBD	TBD
	2nd	TBD
	3rd	TBD
2017 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Eptimum	1 minute 09.98 seconds
	2nd	Single Bullet
	3rd	Trekking
2016 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Archives	1 minute 12.14 seconds
	2nd	Crafted
	3rd	Big John Cannon
2015 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Holler	1 minute 9.8 seconds
	2nd	Brockhoff
	3rd	Demonstrate
2014 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Galaxy Pegasus	1 minute 9.9 seconds
	2nd	Law
	3rd	Nicoscene
2013 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Thermal Current	1 minute 11.3 seconds
	2nd	Not Listenin’tome
	3rd	Selectify
2012 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Hidden Warrior	1 minute 11.2 seconds
	2nd	Haussmann
	3rd	Chosen Moment
2011 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Karuta Queen	1 minute 10.6 seconds
	2nd	Miss Stellabelle
	3rd	Amah Rock
2010 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	That’s Not It	1 minute 11.6 seconds
	2nd	Happy Trails
	3rd	Lone Rock
2009 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Avenue	1 minute 10.0 seconds
	2nd	Governance
	3rd	Broken
2008 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Millbank	1 minute 11.1 seconds
	2nd	Gold In Dubai
	3rd	Montana Flyer
2007 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Royal Asscher	1 minute 11.2 seconds
	2nd	El Mandon
	3rd	Wilsons Promontory
2006 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Corton Charlemagne	1 minute 11.6 seconds
	2nd	Fair Horizons
	3rd	Evacuate
2005 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Coronga	1 minute 12.6 seconds
	2nd	Facing The Breeze
	3rd	Angkhasa
2004 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Oratorio	1 minute 14.8 seconds
	2nd	Kingify
	3rd	World Peace
2003 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Youth	1 minute 11.3 seconds
	2nd	Flagmentation
	3rd	Happy Strike
2002 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Yell	1 minute 10.9 seconds
	2nd	Tycoon Ruler
	3rd	Before Too Long
2001 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Deprave	1 minute 12.5 seconds
	2nd	Firm
	3rd	La Lagune
2000 Red Anchor Stakes	1st	Sound The Alarm	1 minute 12.1 seconds
	2nd	Wurabinda
	3rd	Senet Pete