The Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) takes place at Adelaide’s Morphettville Racecourse annually in April or early May during the Adelaide Racing Carnival.
The race was held in February prior to 2006 and is a weight-for-age sprint race for fillies and mares aged three years and upward.
With $1 million in prizemoney, the Robert Sangster Stakes has traditionally been targeted by the best local fillies and mares but since the race took on Group 1 status in 2005, it has attracted a classier field.
The race is held alongside the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) on what is known as South Australia’s richest day of racing.
Other races on the day include the Group 2 Queen of the South Stakes (1600m), Group 3 SA Chairmans Stakes (2000m) and the Group 3 DC McKay Stakes (1100m).
There is no consistent lead-up race to the Robert Sangster and only two horses in recent years (Platelet 2013 & Universal Queen 2007) have had lead-up Stakes runs in Adelaide before winning the Group 1 event.
First run in 1983, the race was won by Ranee’s Palace when it was named the Swettenham Stud Stakes and was run as a Special race.
High-quality mares that have won the Robert Sangster, such as Platelet 2013 and Black Caviar 2012, have the option of backing up two weeks later in the Group 1 Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville.
Other famous horses to win the race include: Dantelah (1999), Our Egyptian Raine (2003), Alinghi (2005), Bel Mer (2009) and Rostova (2010).