Canterbury Stakes
Canterbury Stakes
Group One Betting Guide
| Date: | Saturday, March 4, 2023 |
| Location: | Royal Randwick |
| Prize Money: | $500,000 |
| Distance: | 1300m |
The Group 1 Canterbury Stakes is a weight-for-age sprint over 1300m at Randwick and boasts a prize purse of $500,000.
The race is run at the beginning of March as part of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and routinely draws the best sprinters from around the nation, with recent winners including Pierro and dual champion More Joyous.
Three different Australian racetracks have hosted the Canterbury Stakes down the years. The race was run at Canterbury from 1929 until 1997, when it was moved to Rosehill Gardens. From 2014 onwards, the race has been run at Royal Randwick.
The Canterbury Stakes gained Group 1 status back in 2013 and is an important event in Sydney given the winner gets an exemption for the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes, which is run just two weeks later as part of Golden Slipper Day.
Fields are invariably small for the Canterbury Stakes and the winners often come from the head of the market.
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2023 Canterbury Stakes odds
Markets for the 2023 Canterbury Stakes are currently unavailable.
Best Canterbury Stakes bookmakers
Online bookmakers will open all-in betting in February for the March feature and fixed odds betting will be available during the week of the race.
All of our bookmakers offer markets on the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes so follow these links and keep an eye out as the race draws closer.
Sport Table
Canterbury Stakes betting guide
Make no mistake – the Canterbury Stakes is a favourites’ race, and the class more often than not prevails over the sprint distance at Royal Randwick.
Since 1983 the Canterbury Stakes favourite has won 20 times and been placed six times, but peculiarly, only four last-start winners in the race’s history – Forbidden Love (2022), Appearance (2014), Pierro (2013) and More Joyous (2011) – have gone on to take out the Canterbury Stakes.
Given it is one of the first Group races of the Sydney Autumn Carnival, there are no specific races that punters can look at as an indicator heading into the Canterbury Stakes, but Group success in the past and market support are two great signs of a strong upcoming performance.
In 2021 Savatiano was the first past the post, but 12-months later was stripped of the victory following a prohibited substance verdict. Mizzy was promoted to a Group 1 winner in the process following her narrow defeat in the race.
2022 Canterbury Stakes result
1st – Forbidden Love ($2.20)
2nd – Lighthouse ($1.60)
3rd – Private Eye ($2.10)
Recent Canterbury Stakes winners
- Coming off a dominant win in the Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes the week prior, the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Forbidden Love was too good for her rivals in the Canterbury Stakes. Having waltzed in on a Heavy 10 the week prior, the wet track was never going to be an issue for the mare and considering Hugh Bowman was cuddling the mare 300m out from home, she was always going to take some running down. The official margin was 1.75 lengths on the ever-improving Lighthouse, but the result felt much more comfortable than that for favourite punters. The win handed Hugh Bowman his 100th Group 1 winner, having been stripped of the 2021 Canterbury Stakes during the lead-up to the 2022 edition.
- Having had six runs in Group 1 company, it was seventh time lucky for the Godolphin-trained Savatiano who gripped on and held out the fast finishing Mizzy to claim the Canterbury Stakes.Having sat just off the leaders heels on the rails, Savatiano had no excuses when cornering and got the job done by the barest of margins. Surprisingly the win in the Canterbury Stakes aboard Savatiano was the first time superstar jockey Hugh Bowman had tasted success in the race. Savatiano was stripped of the race win 12 months later following a positive substance result. Mizzy is now the 2021 winner of the Canterbury Stakes.
- The heat was on early in the 2020 Canterbury Stakes when Begood Toya Mother took on Savatiano for the early lead with the pair scorching the turf early on. It set up perfectly for The Bostonian to take a sit off the leaders and was in the slipstream of Savatiano up until the 250m mark when asked for an effort. Nash Rawiller eased the Tony Pike-trained gelding off the fence and managed to find his way past the Godolphin runner to as The Bostonian went on to take out the 2021 Canterbury Stakes.
- Trapeze Artist was disappointing in a resuming run in the Expressway Stakes on February 2 as a favourite but the champ didn’t make the same mistake at G1 level. Spearing out to an early lead the Gerald Ryan runner was never headed, pinching a lengthy margin at the turn that Shoals ate into late but never threatened.
- It didn’t take long for Happy Clapper to add another Group 1 title to his trophy cabinet in 2018, winning the Canterbury Stakes first-up following a second placing in the Mackinnon Stakes. Settling towards the back of the field Happy Clapper looked to be hard pressed to win after Global Glamour pinched a break on the field. Despite entering a bumping duel at the 400m mark Happy Clapper eventually found clean air and stormed home to beat the long-time leader in the shadows of the post.
- In a fantastic contest, Le Romain edged out popular elect Chautauqua to win the 2017 Canterbury Stakes. The Kris Lees-trained fought off the challenge in the rain-soaked conditions at Randwick and score its biggest career win. It was first thought that Chautauqua had edged past it on the line, but Le Romain got the chocolates. Read the full report here.
- Godolphin star Holler was a $7.50 outsider behind First Seal in the market, but after getting the jump and surging to the front of the field it looked like James McDonald had gotten to the perfect position on his galloper. First Seal got pocked in the latter stages of the race and could only manage second as J-Mac recorded back-to-back group Canterbury Stakes wins.
- James McDonald had the ride on the $2.70 elect Cosmic Endeavour, and the Kiwi looked to have the race at his mercy as the horse booted up along the rails to take the lead in the early stages of the race. The horse was rated beautifully in front and handed Gai Waterhouse yet another group one win in Sydney.
- Multiple group race winning horse Appearance was one of the main chances in the 2014 Canterbury Stakes market, but the bookies would have been licking their lips mid-race as the horse settled last. Kerrin McEvoy was patient at the back of the field however, and unleashed the mare at the perfect moment to take out the race.
- Godolphin star Holler was a $7.50 outsider behind First Seal in the market, but after getting the jump and surging to the front of the field it looked like James McDonald had gotten to the perfect position on his galloper. First Seal got pocked in the latter stages of the race and could only manage second as J-Mac recorded back-to-back group Canterbury Stakes wins.
- The first time a race is upgraded to a group one event it always draws out the cream of the crop and that was no truer than in 2013 when Pierro won the race as an even money favourite.
Previous winners of the Canterbury Stakes
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Forbidden Love | Forbidden Love | Richard & Michael Freedman |
| 2021 | Mizzy | Regan Bayliss | Anthony Cummings |
| 2020 | The Bostonian | Nash Rawiller | Tony Pike |
| 2019 | Trapeze Artist | Blake Shinn | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou |
| 2018 | Happy Clapper | Blake Shinn | Patrick Webster |
| 2017 | Le Romain | Glyn Schofield | Kris Lees |
| 2016 | Holler | James McDonald | John O’Shea |
| 2015 | Cosmic Endeavour | James McDonald | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2014 | Appearance | Kerrin McEvoy | Guy Walter |
| 2013 | Pierro | Jim Cassidy | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2012 | More Joyous | Nash Rawiller | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2011 | More Joyous | Nash Rawiller | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2010 | Hot Danish | Tim Clark | Les Bridge |
| 2009 | All Silent | Damien Oliver | Grahame Begg |
| 2008 | Mentality | Darren Beadman | John Hawkes |
| 2007 | Malcolm | Darren Beadman | John Hawkes |
| 2006 | Paratroopers | Darren Beadman | John Hawkes |
| 2005 | Dance Hero | Chris Munce | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2004 | Yell | Darren Beadman | John Hawkes |
| 2003 | Defier | Chris Munce | Guy Walter |
| 2002 | Empire | Jim Cassidy | Max Lees |
| 2001 | Shogun Lodge | Glen Boss | Bob Thomsen |
| 2000 | Easy Rocking | Darren Beadman | Ron Quinton |
Canterbury Stakes Past Winners Pre 2000
| Year | Horse |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Kidman’s Cove |
| 1998 | Quick Flick |
| 1997 | All Our Mob |
| 1996 | Sprint By |
| 1995 | Miss Kariba |
| 1994 | Al Akbar |
| 1993 | Big Dreams |
| 1992 | Alishan |
| 1991 | Show County |
| 1990 | Straussbrook |
| 1989 | At Sea |
| 1988 | At Sea |
| 1987 | Placid Ark |
| 1986 | Avon Angel |
| 1985 | Chimes Square |
| 1984 | Sir Dapper |
| 1983 | Emancipation |
| 1982 | Manikato |
| 1981 | Turf Ruler |
| 1980 | Stage Hit |
| 1979 | Bernard |
| 1978 | Race Not Held |
| 1977 | Romantic Dream |
| 1976 | Hartshill |
| 1975 | Leica Show |
| 1974 | Favoured |
| 1973 | I’m Scarlet |
| 1972 | Playbill |
| 1971 | Baguette |
| 1970 | Broker’s Tip |
| 1969 | Fair Law |
| 1968 | Cabochon |
| 1967 | Prince Max |
| 1966 | Academy Star |
| 1965 | Aureo |
| 1964 | Eskimo Prince |
| 1963 | Kevejon |
| 1962 | Sky High |
| 1961 | Sky High |
| 1960 | Wanton Lass |
| 1959 | Up and Coming |
| 1958 | Race Not Held |
| 1957 | Prince Jambo |
| 1956 | Starover |
| 1955 | Star Realm |
| 1954 | Iroquois |
| 1953 | Regoli |
| 1952 | Joy Lad |
| 1951 | San Domenico |
| 1950 | San Domenico |
| 1949 | Bernbrook |
| 1948 | Gay Monarch |
| 1947 | Shannon |
| 1946 | Good Idea |
| 1945 | Sleepy Fox |
| 1944 | Tea Rose |
| 1943 | Katanga |
| 1942 | Yaralla |
| 1941 | Reading |
| 1940 | Beaulivre |
| 1939 | Beau Vite |
| 1938 | Gold Rod |
| 1937 | The Marne |
| 1936 | Arachne |
| 1935 | Bulldozer |
| 1934 | Lough Neagh |
| 1933 | Chatham |
| 1932 | Holdfast |
| 1931 | Holdfast |
| 1930 | Holdfast |
| 1929 | Amounis |
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