
Flight Stakes Tips, Best Bets, Field & Odds
The Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) will be held at Royal Randwick on Saturday, October 2 and Bettingpro.com.au provides you with a comprehensive guide to the race.
The Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) will be held at Royal Randwick on Saturday, October 2 and Bettingpro.com.au provides you with a comprehensive guide to the race.
Date | Saturday, October 5, 2019 |
Track | Randwick Racecourse |
Distance | 1600m |
Class | Group 1 |
Race Type | Set Weights |
Prizemoney | $500,000 |
Age | 3YO Fillies |
Our experts will have their pre-race predictions and Flight Stakes betting selections available for the Group 1 race.
Some key Flight Stakes pointers are:
Bookmakers BetEasy and Sportsbet are some of the best places to bet on the Flight Stakes and all Randwick races. They offer some of the best odds and promotions on the big race and also stream the race live online. Or take advantage of the top 5 bookmaker deals below.
The Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) is a set weights event for three-year-old fillies. It is a Group 1 feature worth $500,000 which sees runners carry 56kg.
The Flight Stakes is run during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. It is held the same day as the $1 million Epsom Handicap (1600m) and Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) on a day which is known as “Super Saturday.”
Dating back to 1947, the Flight Stakes was first won by Nizam’s Ring.
It has always been contested over the mile but was upgraded to Group 2 status in 1979 when won by Snowing before receiving Group 1 status in 1985 as Tingo Tango won the first running held at the elite level.
Royal Randwick has played host to the Flight Stakes for all bar two editions of the race with Warwick Farm hosting the 1983 and 2001 version.
Champion trainer Gai Waterhouse is the most successful trainer in the history of the feature race having saddled up the winner on nine occasions. Her winners are Assertive Lass (1996), Danglissa (1999), Ha Ha (2001), Lotteria (2004), Fashions Afield (2005), Cheeky Choice (2006), More Joyous (2009), Speak Fondly (2015) and Global Glamour (2016).
Form students will be looking at the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) held at the same venue two weeks earlier as the key lead-up race with 27 of the past 33 winners of the Flight Stakes coming through the Tea Rose Stakes. Speak Fondly bucked the trend after finishing second in the $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) held at Rosehill Gardens three weeks earlier.
In recent years favourites have had an excellent record in the Flight Stakes with six of the past eight winners starting as favourite in the event.
Notable winners of the Flight Stakes include Wenona Girl (1960), Cap D’Antibes (1974), Bounding Away (1986), Research (1988), Triscay (1990), Assertive Lass & Dashing Eagle (deadheat in 1996), Sunline (1998), Ha Ha (2001), Lotteria (2004), Samantha Miss (2008), More Joyous (2009), Streama (2011) and First Seal (2014), Global Glamour (2016) and Alizee (2017).
The Flight Stakes is named in honour of Australian Racing Hall of Fame mare Flight. She is best known for winning back-to-back Cox Plates in 1945 and 1946, along with the Champagne Stakes (1943), CF Orr Stakes (1946) and Mackinnon Stakes (1946).
2000 | Unworldly |
2001 | Ha Ha |
2002 | Royal Purler |
2003 | Unearthly |
2004 | Lotteria |
2005 | Fashions Afield |
2006 | Cheeky Choice |
2007 | Race Not Held |
2008 | Samantha Miss |
2009 | More Joyous |
2010 | Secret Admirer |
2011 | Streama |
2012 | Norzita |
2013 | Guelph |
2014 | First Seal |
2015 | Speak Fondly |
2016 | Global Glamour |
2017 | Alizee |
2018 | Oohood |
2019 | Funstar |
Randwick is the largest racetrack in New South Wales and all races are run in a clockwise direction. It is a sweeping track with a rise from the 300m mark to the winning post in the home straight.
As well as the main track, Randwick Racecourse contains a second track known as Kensington. Due to large rainfall in the area, Kensington has been reconstructed using the Strathayr racing surface which is similar to Moonee Valley.
Strathayr is a turf cover over a base of sand, this means it is a free draining track which can take a substantial amount of rain without affecting the rating.
Originally known as the ‘Sandy Course,’ Randwick Racecourse was first used in 1833 where a private match race between two horses was held.
In 1840 the track was abandoned as a racecourse and used for training purposes before the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) moved its headquarters to Randwick and held a meeting in 1860.
The Queen Elizabeth II stand was opened to the public on August 4, 1969, and in 1992, Queen Elizabeth II visited Randwick and opened the new $30 million Paddock Grandstand.
The Australian Derby (2400m) remains one of the longest standing races to be held at Randwick after its inaugural running took place in 1861.
Randwick hosts some of Australia’s most iconic Group 1 races throughout the year, during both the spring and autumn carnivals in Sydney.
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Doncaster Mile and TJ Smith Stakes are some of the elite races taking place at Randwick during the prestigious The Championships during the autumn.