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The 2020 Standish Handicap is a 1200m sprint that takes place at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on New Year’s Day each summer.

It is held under handicap conditions and pays $160,000 in prize money. As a Group 3 event, it attracts some fairly decent talent looking for an off-season Black-Type to either round out their summer or kick off their autumn.

While only a Group 3 event, occupying the New Year’s Day slot adds a certain level of prestige to the race. It also makes it important event for some horses who are gearing up for some of the few January races or the early Autumn Racing Carnival. However, many of the top sprinters in Melbourne are usually in the paddock around this time.

In 2019 the Standish Handicap winner Whispering Brook franked the form winning the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) next start at The Valley.

The Standish Handicap is held down the “straight six”, which is the Flemington straight (six furlongs long).

The 2020 Standish Handicap ran on Wednesday January 1, 2020 and was won by the in-form Halvorsen. 

Standish Handicap 2020
Date:	Wednesday January 1, 2020
Track:	Flemington Racecourse
Distance:	1200m
Race Type:	Open Handicap
Status:	Group 3
Prize Money:	$160,000

2019 Standish Handicap Results

• 1st: #4 Halvorsen
• 2nd: #7 Bold Star
• 3rd: #6 Superhard

It was the battle of the favourites in the Standish Handicap 2020 results with the Robbie Griffiths-trained four-year-old Halvorsen ($3.30) making it three wins on the trot with his commanding 1.25 length success over the $3 top elect Bold Star in the New Year’s Day feature.

Place	#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Barrier	Weight	SP
1	4	HALVORSEN	Robbie Griffiths	Andrew Mallyon	–	1	54kg	$3.30
2	7	BOLD STAR	Gordon Richards	Dwayne Dunn	1.25L	7	54kg	$3F
3	6	SUPERHARD	John Sadler	Jye McNeil	2L	2	54kg	$10
4	2	SNITZKRAFT	Phillip Stokes	John Allen	2.2L	5	56.5kg	$7
5	3	GUIZOT (IRE)	Aaron Purcell	Ms Linda Meech	2.95L	3	55kg	$41
6	5	SMART COUPE	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra	Damien Thornton	6.2L	4	54kg	$21
7	8	CHOISBORDER	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Dean Yendall	6.95L	8	54kg	$31
8	1	SPIRIT OF VALOR (USA)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Mark Zahra	31.95L	6	59kg	$5.50

2020 Standish Handicap Betting Odds

The latest available Standish Handicap 2020 odds will be listed below, pricing open at Ladbrokes.com.au where you can lock in your Standish Handicap betting tips on New Year’s Day at the hottest summer racing prices.

2020 Standish Handicap Field

The Standish Handicap field attracts a quality line-up of summer sprinters each January, many coming off a lead-up run at the Flemington track and the bulk of which progress onto the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival sprint races later in the year.

The 2020 Standish Handicap field and barriers are set for release the week before the race and will be provided in full below  as soon as made available by Racing Victoria. The announcement date for the Standish Handicap final acceptances changes from year to year, due to the fact that the race runs on New Years Day rather than a specific week day.

Standish Handicap History

The Standish Handicap was inaugurated in 1884. This makes it one of the older races in Australia.

It is named after Captain Frederick Standish. He was a former VRC Chairman and also held the position of Victorian Chief Commissioner of police during the period that Ned Kelly was galloping around the scrub bushrangering. Fred Standish passed away in 1883.

Between 1884 and 1972 the Standish Handicap was held over six furlongs. Following the conversion to metric, it was held over 1200m, right up until 2006. In that year it was held over 1100m. Since 2007 it has been raced over 1200m.

In 1997 for a year the race was held at Moonee Valley. Caulfield Racecourse hosted it in 2006.

Prior to 1979, it was a Principal race, and since then it has held Group 3 status.

Notable Standish Handicap winners include Barefoot (1892), Miss Bobby (1907, 08), Press Gang (1935), Ungar (1950, 51), Scarborough Fair (1972), Redelva (1988), Iglesia (2001), Super Impressive (2003, 05) and Flamberge (2014). Standish Handicap results, place getters and winning times since 2000 are provided below.

Standish Handicap Winners

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2020 Standish Handicap	1st	Halvorsen	1 minute 10.24 seconds
	2nd	Bold Star
	3rd	Superhard
2019 Standish Handicap	1st	Whispering Brook	1 minute 9.18 seconds
	2nd	Smart Coupe
	3rd	True Excelsior
2018 Standish Handicap	1st	Lord Of The Sky	1 minute 8.98 seconds
	2nd	Flippant
	3rd	Chamois Road
2017 Standish Handicap	1st	Odyssey Moon	1 minute 10.54 seconds
	2nd	Cavaloce
	3rd	Inspector
2016 Standish Handicap	1st	Durendal	1 minute 9.4 seconds
	2nd	Zupacharged
	3rd	Churchill Dancer
2015 Standish Handicap	1st	Decircles	1 minute 9.1 seconds
	2nd	Lord Of The Sky
	3rd	Reparations
2014 Standish Handicap	1st	Flamberge	1 minute 9.9 seconds
	2nd	Essay Raider
	3rd	Decircles
2013 Standish Handicap	1st	Adamantium	1 minute 8.2 seconds
	2nd	Catapulted
	3rd	Goldstone
2012 Standish Handicap	1st	Catapulted	1 minute 7.6 seconds
	=2nd	Rocking Force
	=2nd	Cascabel
2011 Standish Handicap	1st	Ahdashim	1 minute 9.1 seconds
	2nd	Chasm
	3rd	Eclair Mystic
2010 Standish Handicap	1st	Royal Ida	1 minute 11.1 seconds
	2nd	Beltrois
	3rd	Juggle The Books
2009 Standish Handicap	1st	King Hoaks	1 minute 10.3 seconds
	2nd	Bowhunter
	3rd	Orbit Express
2008 Standish Handicap	1st	Publishing	1 minute 9.3 seconds
	2nd	Eskaw
	3rd	Pencelaron
2007 Standish Handicap	1st	Watchyerback	1 minute 9.0 seconds
	2nd	Murray Downs
	3rd	Cocinero
2006 Standish Handicap	1st	Honalee	1 minute 3.4 seconds
	2nd	Gold Wells
	3rd	Starhere
2005 Standish Handicap	1st	Super Impressive	1 minute 9.8 seconds
	2nd	Blessum
	3rd	Savage Attack
2004 Standish Handicap	1st	Blessum	1 minute 9.2 seconds
	2nd	Monahan Tweed
	3rd	Super Impressive
2003 Standish Handicap	1st	Super Impressive	1 minute 10.3 seconds
	2nd	Confederate Kid
	3rd	The Expat
2002 Standish Handicap	1st	Lets Planet	1 minute 9.7 seconds
	2nd	Chattanooga
	3rd	Generalissimo
2001 Standish Handicap	1st	Iglesia	1 minute 7.1 seconds
	2nd	Sedation
	3rd	Major
2000 Standish Handicap	1st	Upright	1 minute 9.6 seconds
	2nd	Rain Dance Lady
	3rd	Bush Outlaw