CS Hayes Stakes
CS Hayes Stakes
Group Three Betting Guide
Date: | Saturday, February 15, 2025 |
Location: | Flemington Racecourse – Melbourne, Victoria |
Prize Money: | $200,000 |
Distance: | 1400m |
The CS Hayes Stakes is a Group 3 race for three-year-old colts and geldings, run over 1400m under set weights and penalties at Flemington.
Conducted by the Victoria Racing Club, it was first held in 1986 as The Debonair, before being renamed the CS Hayes Stakes in 2008 to honour legendary trainer Colin Hayes.
A key lead-up to the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m), The CS Hayes Stakes has been a Group 3 since 2001.
The 2024 CS Hayes Stakes, worth $200,000, was won by Riff Rocket, defeating King Colorado and Verdad.
Riff Rocket became the latest Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) winner to claim the CS Hayes, following Mahogany back in 1994.
Eight horses have completed the CS Hayes/Australian Guineas double, including Zabeel (1990), Mahogany (1994), and Alligator Blood (2020).
2025 CS Hayes Stakes betting odds

Odds for the CS Hayes Stakes as of February 15, 2025 – Courtesy of Neds
- Royal Insignia Win $4.20 Place $1.85
- Sepals Win $5.50 Place $2.20
- Henlein Win $7.00 Place $2.60
- Feroce Win $8.00 Place $2.80
- Stay Focused Win $8.00 Place $2.80
- Goldrush Guru Win $12.00 Place $3.70
- Wonder Boy Win $14.00 Place $4.20
- Opening Address Win $23.00 Place $6.00
- Ndola Win $23.00 Place $6.00
- Scary Win $26.00 Place $6.50
- Red Aces Win $27.00 Place $6.50
- Railway Man Win $27.00 Place $6.50
- Storm Ahead Win $27.00 Place $6.50
- Stay Humble Win $34.00 Place $8.00
- Saint Emilion Win $46.00 Place $10.00
How to bet on the CS Hayes Stakes
All of the trusted betting sites listed offer markets on the CS Hayes Stakes, including futures, all-in and fixed-odds options.
Due to the popularity of betting on marquee races in Melbourne, horse racing bookmakers frame markets as early as possible which is often months in advance.
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CS Hayes Stakes News
2025 CS Hayes Stakes Final Field
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Previous CS Hayes Stakes Fields
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Riff Rocket Chris Waller Craig Williams 5 59.5kg 2 King Colorado Ciaron Maher Mark Zahra 9 59.5kg 3 Run Harry Run Michael Moroney Opie Bosson 13 58.5kg 4 Amur James Cummings Ms Jamie Kah 10 58.5kg 5 Tannhauser Chris Waller Blake Shinn 1 57kg 6 Ambassadorial Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Jordan Childs 12 57kg 7 Otago Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) Ben Melham 3 57kg 8 Cap Ferrat Chris Waller Michael Dee 7 56kg 9 Verdad Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock Jye McNeil 2 56kg 10 Amigo Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman Billy Egan 4 56kg 11 Hey Fat Cat Robbie Laing Craig Newitt 8 56kg 12 Et Tu Brute Anthony & Sam Freedman Damian Lane 11 56kg 13 Flying Valley Julius Sandhu Jamie Mott 6 56kg
2024 CS Hayes Stakes result
1st – Riff Rocket (+600)
2nd – King Colorado (-111.11)
3rd – Verdad (+160)
Recent runnings of the CS Hayes Stakes:
- Victoria Derby winner Riff Rocket proved his class with a strong victory in the 2024 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington. The Chris Waller-trained gelding stormed home under jockey James McDonald, defeating King Colorado and Verdad in a thrilling finish. Settling midfield, Riff Rocket unleashed a powerful late surge down the straight to notch his first win since his Derby triumph. His performance cemented him as a leading contender for the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m), where he would attempt to join an elite list of three-year-olds to complete the double.
- After a 105-day spell it was the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained colt Elliptical who proved too classy in the 2023 edition of the CS Hayes Stakes. After finishing his spring campaign in the Group 1 Champions Stakes where he wasn’t disgraced against the older horses. His form against his age group came to the fore this time as his runner-up finishes in the Spring Champions Stakes and Caulfield Guineas prior to that saw Elliptical finally get a well-deserved stakes win. Blake Shinn had no choice but to go back from the wide draw and get cover on the son of Dundeel before executing a perfectly-timed ride to secure victory in a blanket finish. He’s Heaven was the pacemaker along with Tasmanian raider Bello Beau, who set a genuine tempo throughout the 1400m contest. Gallopers made their runs from everywhere with 400m to go as Elliptical proved the best to secure the win by a head.
- The Enver Jusufovic-trained Pinstriped made it a hat-trick of wins to claim the Group 3 C.S. Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington. The unbeaten gelding started favourite for the event after pre-race favourite Lightsaber was scratched at the barriers. Jockey Michael Dee had the son of Street Boss in a midfield position early in the race. They had a lot of work to do after straightening though, as the Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained Pascero was also looking for a hat-trick of wins and looked likely to do that after kicking well clear in the early part of the straight. Pascero tired late though and Pinstriped charged home to pounce on the colt in the shadows of the post.
Previous winners of the CS Hayes Stakes
CS Hayes Stakes Past Winners | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
2024 | Riff Rocket | Craig Williams | Chris Waller |
2023 | Elliptical | Blake Shinn | Anthony & Sam Freedman |
2022 | Pinstriped | Michael Dee | Enver Jusufovic |
2021 | Tagaloa | Luke Currie | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young |
2020 | Alligator Blood | Ryan Maloney | David Vandyke |
2019 | The Inevitable | Sigrid Carr | Scott Brunton |
2018 | Grunt | Damien Oliver | Mick Price |
2017 | Hey Doc | Luke Currie | Tony McEvoy |
2016 | Tivaci | Craig Williams | Michael Moroney |
2015 | Wandjina | Damien Oliver | Gai Waterhouse |
2014 | Hucklebuck | Dom Tourneur | Phillip Stokes |
2013 | Sheer Talent | Stephen Baster | Mark Kavanagh |
2012 | That’s the One | Craig Williams | Colin & Cindy Alderson |
2011 | Bullbars | Mark Zahra | Peter Snowden |
2010 | Take the Rap | Craig Williams | Danny O’Brien |
2009 | Fair Trade | Nicholas Hall | Michael Kent |
2008 | Playwright | Sebastian Murphy | Steve Richards |
2007 | Wordsmith | Steven King | Shane Nichols |
2006 | Minson | Craig Williams | Michael Hibbs |
2005 | Lieutenant | Darren Gauci | John Hawkes |
2004 | Starcraft | Matt Pumpa | Garry Newham |
2003 | Innovation Girl | Nash Rawiller | Brian Mayfield-Smith |
2002 | Dash for Cash | Kerrin McEvoy | Rick Hore-Lacy |
2001 | Kosta Zoff | Vincent Hall | Mathew Ellerton |
2000 | Crawl | Darren Gauci | John Hawkes |
CS Hayes Stakes winners pre-2000
CS Hayes Stakes Past Winners Pre 2000 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Horse | ||
1999 | Mossman | ||
1998 | Encounter | ||
1997 | Mouawad | ||
1996 | El Qahiras Son | ||
1995 | Rullene | ||
1994 | Mahogany | ||
1993 | McBrave | ||
1992 | Coolong Road | ||
1991 | The Strategist | ||
1990 | Zabeel | ||
1989 | Tin Woodman | ||
1988 | Spacecraft | ||
1987 | Raveneaux |
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