William Reid Stakes Tips, Best Bets, Field and Odds

The Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) will be held at The Valley on Friday, March 19 and we provide you with a comprehensive guide to the weight for age sprint.

William Reid Stakes tips, best bets, field & odds. Below is our complete William Reid Stakes guide — race details, history and past winners, lead-in form, betting markets and FAQs. Check back race week for the final field, odds and our best bets.

The William Reid Stakes is Moonee Valley’s premier autumn sprint — a $500,000 Group 1 weight-for-age contest over 1200m, run under lights in late March. The William Reid’s night-time timing and tight Valley layout make it one of the most distinctive Group 1 sprints on the Australian calendar. This guide covers the William Reid Stakes dates, distance, prize money, betting markets and our full race-day tips. For the full carnival, see our Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival guide.

William Reid Stakes Race Details

Detail	Value
Distance	1200m
Class	Group 1 Weight-for-Age
Age / Conditions	Three-year-olds and upwards
Venue	Moonee Valley, Melbourne
Prize Money	$500,000
Run Date	Late March — William Reid night

 

William Reid Stakes History & Winners

Recent winners include Nature Strip, Masked Crusader, Imperatriz, Coolangatta and Jacquinot. The tight Valley 1200m trip favours horses with sharp early speed and the ability to hold position from outside barriers.

William Reid Stakes Recent Winners

Year	Winner
2025	Schwarz
2024	Imperatriz
2023	Imperatriz
2022	September Run
2021	Masked Crusader

 

Lead-In Races

The main lead-ins are the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m handicap) at Caulfield and the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington. Sprinters from The Galaxy in Sydney also target the William Reid as their final autumn objective.

William Reid Stakes Betting Markets

All major Australian bookmakers price the William Reid Stakes weeks out, with a full acceptances market released after the final field is declared. The core markets are:

• Fixed-Odds Win & Place — the bread-and-butter markets, with early speculative prices followed by final acceptances pricing.
• Each-Way — typically 1/4 the odds for a place (1-2-3).
• Exotics — quinella, exacta, trifecta and First 4. See our First 4 calculator guide.
• Same Race Multis — combine multiple runners from the same race into one bet. See our Same Race Multi guide.
• Head-to-Head & Group Markets — runner-vs-runner matchups and stable/country markets.

William Reid Stakes Betting Trends & Angles

• The autumn’s premier night sprint — 1200m weight-for-age, traditionally run under lights at Moonee Valley.
• Sharp early speed and barrier control win — the tight Valley circuit favours horses that can hold position; Imperatriz and Masked Crusader both had natural gate speed.
• Class repeats — Imperatriz won back-to-back (2023–24) and elite sprinters dominate; it pays to respect proven Group 1 speed.
• A Newmarket/Lightning form line — many runners arrive via the Black Caviar Lightning and Newmarket Handicap, the key autumn sprint lead-ups.

How to Watch the William Reid Stakes in Australia

The William Reid Stakes is a Moonee Valley Group 1, part of Victorian metropolitan racing, so it is broadcast live and free on Racing.com — on free-to-air digital TV (Channel 78 metro, 68 regional), online at racing.com and via the Racing.com app. It is also shown on Sky Racing (Foxtel Channel 522). Most licensed Australian bookmakers stream the race live to logged-in customers, letting you watch and bet in one place.

The race is run in late March on William Reid night, traditionally staged under lights at Moonee Valley — so the feature goes around in the evening (AEDT) rather than the afternoon, a point of difference from most autumn Group 1s. For more autumn sprints and features, see our Blue Diamond Stakes tips and All-Star Mile tips, plus our full horse racing tips hub.

Best Bookmakers for the William Reid Stakes

For a full comparison of the top Australian racing bookmakers, see our best horse racing betting sites in Australia guide.

William Reid Stakes FAQs

When is the William Reid Stakes?

Late March on William Reid night, run over 1200m at weight-for-age for three-year-olds and upwards at Moonee Valley.

Who won the most recent William Reid Stakes?

Schwarz (2025), after Imperatriz’s back-to-back wins (2023–24), September Run (2022) and Masked Crusader (2021).

How do I bet on the William Reid Stakes from Australia?

Every Australian bookmaker offers fixed-odds win and each-way markets; the field firms up after the Newmarket Handicap and Lightning Stakes.

How can I watch the William Reid Stakes live?

The William Reid Stakes airs free on Racing.com (Channel 78 metro, 68 regional, plus the racing.com website and app) and on Sky Racing via Foxtel Channel 522. As a night meeting it screens in the evening (AEDT), and most licensed Australian bookmakers also stream it live to logged-in account holders.