Southern Cross Stakes

The Southern Cross Stakes is a Group 3 sprint held at Royal Randwick on Apollo Stakes Day in February during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

2023 Southern Cross Stakes Results

  • 1st: #5 Quantico
  • 2nd: #7 Titanium Power
  • 3rd: #3 Gravina



The Southern Cross Stakes is a Group 3 race run at Royal Randwick on Apollo Stakes Day in February during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

The race is open to horses aged three-years-old and over and the open quality handicap is run over a 1200m sprint distance. The event offers $200,000 in prize money as of 2023 and is run on the same day as the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m), Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m), Group 3 Triscay Stakes (1200m) and the Restricted Listed $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m).

Sprinters may come into the Southern Cross Stakes field via an earlier autumn run in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill a fortnight before. Many Southern Cross Stakes graduates will go on to run in the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Warwick Farm two weeks later.

Some of the better sprinters may head south for a shot at the Group 1 sprints of the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival such as the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Blue Diamond Stakes Day or the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington in March.

Later in Sydney the top horses could shoot for a run in April’s Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick during ‘The Championships’.

The Southern Cross Stakes also provides a nice first-up autumn run for horses eyeing a start in the following month’s Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) on Randwick Guineas Day, a double last completed by Le Romain (2017).

In 2021 Masked Crusader won the Southern Cross Stakes before a next-up third in the Canterbury Stakes. He went on to win the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) after that at Moonee Valley and place second in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) during that year’s ‘The Championships’. Masked Crusader further franked the autumn’s Southern Cross Stakes form over the spring, his campaign headlined by a second in the $15 million The Everest behind Nature Strip.

The 2022 Southern Cross Stakes form was franked with the runner-up Overpass winning the $750,000 Inglis Sprint next start (1200m).

The Southern Cross Stakes 2023 ran on Saturday February 11, 2023 and was won by John O’Shea’s Group 1 performer Quantico ($8).  

2023 Southern Cross Stakes
Date: Saturday February 11, 2023
Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
Distance: 1200m
Race Type: 3YO&Up / Open / Qlty Hcp.
Status: Group 3
Prize Money: $200,000

2023 Southern Cross Stakes Results

  • 1st: #5 Quantico ($8)
  • 2nd: #7 titanium Power
  • 3rd: #3 Gravina

The John O’Shea-trained Quantico ($8) showed plenty of tenacity first-up to fend off the challengers and hold on for a gutsy win fresh in the 2023 Southern Cross Stakes results in Sydney.

Finish No. Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Bar. Weight Penalty Starting Price
1 5 QUANTICO John O’Shea Kerrin McEvoy 2 55kg $8
2 7 TITANIUM POWER Joseph Pride Tim Clark 0.28L 7 54.5kg $4.60
3 3 GRAVINA James Cummings James McDonald 0.34L 3 56.5kg $4.60
4 2 MR MOZART Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Jason Collett 0.53L 5 59kg $7
5 1 HARD EMPIRE Toby & Trent Edmonds Ms Rachel King 0.79L 9 59kg $21
6 10 ESPIONA Chris Waller William Pike 1.19L 1 53kg $4.20F
7 11 TESTATOR SILENS Luke Clarke Tyler Schiller (a) 1.97L 4 53kg $20
8 6 STAMPE Chris Munce Brock Ryan 2.53L 8 54.5kg $31
9 8 RANCH HAND Chris Waller Regan Bayliss 3.35L 6 53kg $10
9 WRITTEN BEAUTY Chris Waller Jay Ford 0
4 SWATS THAT Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Brenton Avdulla 0

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Southern Cross Stakes Betting Odds

The latest Southern Cross Stakes 2023 odds and betting market links courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au will be available right here once announced the week of Apollo Stakes Day.

Special Reward ($3 in 2020), Masked Crusader ($2.25 in 2021) and Lost And Running ($2.20 in 2022) are the latest favourites in Southern Cross Stakes betting to salute for the punters.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2023 SOUTHERN CROSS STAKES ODDS (Final Field)

2023 Southern Cross Stakes Form Guide

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 SOUTHERN CROSS STAKES FORM GUIDE

2023 Southern Cross Stakes Field

The Southern Cross Stakes field attracts a quality line-up of usually local Sydney sprinters at the start of their autumn racing campaigns and is released by Racing NSW on the Wednesday before the race.

The official 2023 Southern Cross Stakes Field & Barriers are set for release on Wednesday February 8, 2023 and will be published in full below.

The Southern Cross Stakes 2023 final field features a quality line-up of autumn-bound sprinters led in betting by the returning Chris Waller-trained Group 1 place-getter Espiona drawn the rails.

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 4607x010x7 HARD EMPIRE Toby & Trent Edmonds Ms Rachel King 11 59kg 103
2 78111x220x MR MOZART Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Jason Collett 7 59kg 103
3 349x94153x GRAVINA James Cummings James McDonald 4 56.5kg 98
4 455x36008x SWATS THAT Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Brenton Avdulla 3 56.5kg 102
5 x0x4111x0x QUANTICO John O’Shea Kerrin McEvoy 2 55kg 95
6 52317x9x03 STAMPE Chris Munce Brock Ryan 10 54.5kg 94
7 1242×10913 TITANIUM POWER Joseph Pride Tim Clark 9 54.5kg 94
8 40914x058x RANCH HAND Chris Waller Regan Bayliss 8 53kg 91
9 71559x720x WRITTEN BEAUTY Chris Waller Jay Ford 6 53kg 95
10 x2381x640x ESPIONA Chris Waller William Pike 1 53kg 94
11 1x117x047x TESTATOR SILENS Luke Clarke Tyler Schiller (a) 5 53kg 73

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Southern Cross Stakes Nominations

The Southern Cross Stakes nominations are a first look at the possible sprinters to run in the Apollo Stakes Day support act and close on the Monday before race day.

The Southern Cross Stakes 2023 nominations close on Monday February 6, 2023 and will be released below as soon as available.

Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Ballot Weight True Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 4607x010x7 HARD EMPIRE G 9 Toby & Trent Edmonds 1= 59kg 59kg 103
2 78111x220x MR MOZART H 4 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 1= 59kg 59kg 103
3 349x94153x GRAVINA G 5 James Cummings 3 56.5kg 56.5kg 98
4 03x24880x7 JAMAEA M 4 Robert & Luke Price 4 54kg 53.5kg 96
5 x0x4111x0x QUANTICO G 6 John O’Shea 5 55kg 55kg 95
6 52317x9x03 STAMPE G 6 Chris Munce 6= 54.5kg 54.5kg 94
7 1242×10913 TITANIUM POWER G 5 Joseph Pride 6= 54.5kg 54.5kg 94
8 40914x058x RANCH HAND G 4 Chris Waller 8 54kg 53kg 91
9 x140x0692x JUMP THE BROOM M 5 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 9 54kg 53kg 85
10 455x36008x SWATS THAT M 5 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 10 56.5kg 56.5kg 102
11 71559x720x WRITTEN BEAUTY M 5 Chris Waller 11 54kg 53kg 95
12 x2381x640x ESPIONA M 4 Chris Waller 12 54kg 53kg 94
13 1x117x047x TESTATOR SILENS G 5 Luke Clarke 13 54kg 53kg 73

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Southern Cross Stakes History

The Southern Cross Stakes was first run in 1940 and won by Gold Rod. A number of genuine turf sprint stars have added their names to the Southern Cross Stakes winners’ list since then including Gunsynd (1972), Terravista (2014), the previous year’s Randwick Guineas champ Le Romain (2017) and Lost And Running (2022).

The race started out as a Principal race, gained Listed status in 1980 and has been run as a Group 3 event since 1989. It has gone by a number of different race names over the years including the Frederick Clissold Handicap, Anniversary Cup and has been known as the Southern Cross Stakes since 2009. The race has also been conducted at a number of Sydney’s racecourses including Canterbury Park and Rosehill Gardens.

Recent Southern Cross Stakes Winners

See below for a full list of Southern Cross Stakes winners and results going back to the year 2000.

Year Place Horse Time
2023
Southern Cross Stakes
1st Quantico 1 minute 9.57 seconds
2nd Titanium Power
3rd Gravina
2022
Southern Cross Stakes
1st Lost And Running 1 minute 9.54 seconds
2nd Overpass
3rd Standout
2021
Southern Cross Stakes
1st Masked Crusader 1 minute 10.62 seconds
2nd Southern Lad
3rd Victorem
2020
Southern Cross Stakes
1st Special Reward 1 minute 10.02 seconds
2nd Cascadian
3rd Jungle Edge
2019
Southern Cross Stakes
1st Eckstein 1 minute 9.16 seconds
2nd Dothraki
3rd Brutal
2018
Southern Cross Stakes
1st Kaepernick 1 minute 10.53 seconds
2nd Dothraki
3rd Boss Lane
2017
Southern Cross Stakes
1st Le Romain 1 minute 10.39 seconds
2nd Big Money
3rd Snippets Land
2016
Southern CrossStakes
1st Big Money 1 minute 9.4 seconds
2nd Decision Time
3rd Rich Enuff
2015
Southern CrossStakes
1st Heart Testa 1 minute 9.6 seconds
2nd Driefontein
3rd Territory
2014
Southern CrossStakes
1st Terravista 1 minute 8.6 seconds
2nd Albrecht
3rd My Destiny
2013
Southern CrossStakes
1st Skytrain 1 minute 13.5 seconds
2nd Streama
3rd Onthelookout
2012
Southern CrossStakes
1st No Evidence Needed 1 minute 10.0 seconds
2nd Neeson
3rd Secret Admirer
2011
Southern CrossStakes
1st Sister Madly 1 minute 8.5 seconds
2nd Pinwheel
3rd Cardinal Virtue
2010
Southern Cross Stakes
1st Kenny’s World 1 minute 11.0 seconds
2nd Dreamscape
3rd Geared Up
2009
Southern CrossStakes
1st Marchinski 1 minute 10.1 seconds
2nd Kenny’s World
3rd Raise
2008
Frederick Clissold Stakes
1st Hoystar 1 minute 10.0 seconds
2nd Friday Creek
3rd Danleigh
2007
Frederick Clissold Stakes
1st The Free Stater 1 minute 8.7 seconds
2nd The Jackal
3rd Century Serb
2006
Frederick Clissold Stakes
1st Collate 1 minute 9.5 seconds
2nd Utzon
3rd Damigos
2005
Frederick Clissold Stakes
1st Cool Front 1 minute 10.2 seconds
2nd Utzon
3rd Patezza
2004
Frederick Clissold Stakes
1st Britt’s Best 1 minute 10.0 seconds
2nd Fiery Venture
3rd Shags
2003
Premier Express Freight Stakes
1st Gordo 1 minute 10.2 seconds
2nd Presently
3rd Salgado
2002
Frederick Clissold Stakes
1st Lord Essex 1 minute 10.3 seconds
2nd Crawl
3rd Dottoressa
2001
Frederick Clissold Stakes
1st Ab Initio 1 minute 9.0 seconds
2nd Strabane
3rd Pittance
2000
Frederick Clissold Stakes
1st Pimpala Prince 1 minute 9.8 seconds
2nd Spying
3rd Iglesia

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