Epsom Handicap
Epsom Handicap
Group One Betting Guide
| Date: | Saturday, September 28, 2024 |
| Location: | Randwick Racecourse – Sydney, New South Wales |
| Prize Money: | $1,500,000 |
| Distance: | 1600m |
THE Epsom Handicap is a handicapped group one race held at Royal Randwick in Sydney for horses aged three years and older.
Steeped in over 150 years of tradition, the Epsom Handicap is considered one of Australia’s great mile handicaps.
The history of the race is unique and unprecedented in thoroughbred racing.
The Epsom Handicap is one of only a handful of Group 1 races in the world that has had multiple dead-heat finishes in its history, in 1873, 1925 & 2022.
Alongside this, the 2007 edition of the race drew worldwide headlines after it was cancelled following fears surrounding the equine influenza.
The Epsom Handicap has a total prize pool of $1 million and draws punters in given it pits up and coming mile horses against some of the more seasoned milers in the country.
The race has been dominated in the modern era by Gai Waterhouse, who has won the Epsom Handicap seven times in the time period between 1997 and 2012.
2024 Epsom Handicap Odds
Odds for the 2024 Epsom Handicap are currently unavailable.
Best Epsom Handicap bookmakers
The Epsom Handicap is one of the key fixtures on the Australian thoroughbred racing calendar and is treated like gold by the online bookmakers.
Any bookie worth their salt will open a Epsom Handicap months in advance of the jump date, and will give the race plenty of coverage through their online channels.
The bookmakers we trust the most are listed below and we recommend anyone interested in betting on the Epsom Handicap to hit up any one of these sites:
Sport Table
Latest Epsom Handicap News
In this week’s Follow Files, we have found two horses from Moonee Valley on Friday and one from Randwick on ...
Chris Waller and Kathy O'Hara have combined with Rediener to take out the co-feature Group 1 Epsom at Randwick on ...
The Group 1 Espom Handicap (1600m) headlines the ten-race program at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Check out HorseBetting's free race-by-race ...
The time-honoured Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) is set to be decided this Saturday at Randwick. See HorseBetting's free tips ...
Sterling Alexiou believes Ellsberg has come a long way, but the good news for fans of the five-year-old is he ...
The judge at Randwick could not split Ellsberg and Top Ranked in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m), with the ...
Betting on the Epsom Handicap
When it comes to the Epsom Handicap, there are three races that punters will need to follow closely if history is any judge of who will win: Ritchie Handicap, Shannon Stakes and the George Main Stakes.
Invariably the winner or place-getter in these three races produces the Epsom Handicap winner.
In the period between 2006 and 2016 – taking into consideration that 2007 was called off due to the equine influenza scare – these three races had produced six of 10 winners, while the 2016 winner Hauraki finished second in the George Main Stakes two weeks prior to its Epsom win.
Weight handicaps are also extremely important in the race.
Only two horses – Top Ranked (56.5kg) & Ellsberg (56kg) in 2022, Hauraki (56kg) in 2016 and Winx (57kg) in 2015 – have carried more than 54kg to victory since 2006.
Unlike other big name races in the country, double-figure barriers have not been a problem in the Epsom Handicap.
Secret Admirer (16 in 2011), Boban (10 in 2013), He’s Your Man (10 in 2014), Kolding (12 in 2019) and Probabeel (15 in 2020) all overcame wider alleys to take out the race.
2024 Epsom Handicap Final Field
HorseBetting will update this page when the 2024 Epsom Handicap Final Field is released.
Previous Epsom Handicap Fields
Plenty of Group 1 superstars have won the Epsom Handicap. Check the previous fields of the Epsom here.
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 
My Oberon Annabel Neasham Chad Schofield 18 56kg 2 PericlesJames CummingsNash Rawiller1456kg3 The Inevitable John Keys David Pires 8 55.5kg 4 Going Global Chris Waller James McDonald 12 55kg 5 Converge Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Tim Clark 9 55kg 6 Golden Mile James Cummings Blake Shinn 21 55kg 7 Kirwan’s Lane John O’Shea Tom Sherry 11 54.5kg 8 Hope In Your Heart Kerry Parker Craig Williams 10 54kg 9 Diamil John O’Shea Jason Collett 5 54kg 10 Kovalica Chris Waller Joao Moreira 7 54kg 11 Nugget Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Damien Oliver 19 54kg 12 Pounding Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman Jamie Kah 13 54kg 13 Communist Michael Freedman Dylan Gibbons 6 53.5kg 14 Duke De SessaCiaron Maher & David EustaceRegan Bayliss1553.5kg15 Madame Pommery Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 16 51.5kg 16 Democracy Manifest Chris Waller Tyler Schiller 1 51.5kg 17 Rediener Chris Waller Kathy O’Hara 2 50kg 18 Barbie’s Fox Ben, Will & JD Hayes Dean Yendall 4 50kg 19 WaterfordChris WallerZac Lloyd2050kg20 OlentiaChris WallerJay Ford1750kg21 Williamsburg (1E) Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou Andrew Adkins 3 50kg 22 Political Debate (2E) Chris Waller Rachel King 22 50kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Top Ranked Annabel Neasham Hugh Bowman 4 56.5kg 2 ConvergeGai Waterhouse & Adrian BottTim Clark156.5kg3 Ellsberg Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou Brenton Avdulla 3 56kg 4 Nimalee Matthew Smith Regan Bayliss 10 55.5kg 5 Icebath Brad Widdup James McDonald 7 54.5kg 6 Fangirl Chris Waller Tommy Berry 5 54kg 7 Kiku Chris Waller Jason Collett 12 54kg 8 Hinged Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 9 51.5kg 9 Cross Talk Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Rachel King 6 51kg 10 CharacterJames CummingsReece Jones1151kg11 Pippali Jason Coyle Kathy O’Hara 8 51kg 12 War Eternal Bjorn Baker Jay Ford 2 51kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Mo’unga Annabel Neasham Tommy Berry 13 57kg 2 Cascadian James Cummings Hugh Bowman 12 56.5kg 3 Dalasan Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas James McDonald 8 55kg 4 Star Of The Seas Chris Waller Sam Clipperton 1 54kg 5 Lion’s Roar John O’Shea Jean Van Overmeire 3 52.5kg 6 Hungry Heart Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 10 52kg 7 Icebath Brad Widdup Robbie Dolan 14 52kg 8 Rock Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Brock Ryan 9 52kg 9 Riodini Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Rachel King 15 51.5kg 10 Aramayo Chris Waller Alysha Collett 5 51.5kg 11 Reloaded Chris Waller Glen Boss 6 51kg 12 Private Eye Joseph Pride Regan Bayliss 7 51kg 13 Atishu Chris Waller Kathy O’Hara 11 50.5kg 14 Discharged Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott James Innes Jnr 2 50.5kg 15 Ashman Kim Waugh Jeff Penza 17 50.5kg 16 Harmony Rose Mark Newnham Andrew Adkins 16 50.5kg 17 Sky Lab Paul Perry Tim Clark 4 50.5kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 KoldingChris WallerHugh Bowman2056.5kg2 Mister Sea Wolf Chris Waller Brenton Avdulla 4 56kg 3 Star Of The Seas Chris Waller Nash Rawiller 1 55.5kg 4 Imaging Chris Waller James McDonald 21 55.5kg 5 Nettoyer Wendy Roche James Innes Jnr 14 54kg 6 Brandenburg John Sargent Jason Collett 3 54kg 7 Yulong Prince Chris Waller Sam Clipperton 2 54kg 8 The Candy Man Peter & Paul Snowden Regan Bayliss 9 53.5kg 9 Wild Planet Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Tim Clark 6 53kg 10 Niccanova Craig Carmody Blaike McDougall 11 53kg 11 Probabeel Jamie Richards Kerrin McEvoy 18 52.5kg 12 Funstar Chris Waller Glen Boss 19 52.5kg 13 Rock Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Tommy Berry 13 52.5kg 14 Colette James Cummings Rachel King 10 52kg 15 ReloadedChris WallerKathy O’Hara751kg16 Looks Like Elvis Jarrod Austin Jess Taylor 8 50kg 17 Riodini Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Winona Costin 12 50kg 18 SavacoolChris WallerAlysha Collett1650kg19 Glenall Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Brock Ryan 5 50kg 20 Vanna Girl Toby & Trent Edmonds Robbie Dolan 15 50kg 21 Just Thinkin’Gai Waterhouse & Adrian BottN/A1750kg
2023 Epsom Handicap result
1st – Rediener (+850)
2nd – Kovalica (+230)
3rd – Golden Mile (+400)
Recent Epsom Handicap runnings
- Chris Waller has trained his fifth Epsom Handicap winner, with Rediener ($10.00) getting the better of stablemate Kovalica ($10.00) in another close photo finish in the second of three Group 1 contests at Randwick. After drawing barrier two, Kathy O’Hara was able to settle her four-year-old gelding behind the speed and steer him through a gap late to finish off strong and hold off the fast-finishing Kovalica, with Joao Moreira getting everything out of the Queensland Derby winner. Mid-race the favourite Nugget ($7.00) was stuck three-wide, so Damien Oliver elected to set him alight around the outside and join Golden Mile ($16.00) in the lead, which set the race up for something to run on from the back of the field. Although he had to absorb the pressure from Nugget and led for most of the 1600m, Golden Mile managed to hold on for third place and finished half-a-length off the Waller quinella.
- For the third time in Epsom Handicap history, a dead heat was declared in the 2022 edition of the event. The judge could not find a margin between Ellsberg from the Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou-trained Ellsberg or the Annabel Neasham-trained Top Ranked. Both winners defied history by becoming the third and fourth Epsom winner to carry more than 56kg to success in the time-honoured event.
- The Joe Pride-trained Private Eye came from the tail of the field for a richly deserved first Group 1 triumph in Saturday’s $1,500,000 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick. Ridden by Regan Bayliss, Private Eye came with a barnstorming finish down the centre of the track to defeat Aramayo by a head with a short-half-head back to Dalasan \ in third giving Regan Bayliss his first ever double Group One win for the day.
- Old sparring partners Probabeel and Funstar went stride-for-stride over the concluding stages, but it was the New Zealand mare Probabeel who claimed Epsom Handicap success. On the back of a near perfect steer from Kerrin McEvoy, the mare was settled in the first six despite jumping from barrier 15. When asked for an effort the mare quickly put a length on her rivals and in the end it was quite a soft win for a mare on the way up.
- Glen Boss and Chris Waller teamed up to take out the 2019 Epsom Handicap. The Waller trained galloper shared favouritism with the star Kiwi galloper Te Akau Shark and it was the two who fought out the finish, with Kolding holding on by the barest of margins to defy a flying Te Akau Shark in a battle for the ages. Kolding comes of age in Epsom Hcp victory
- Who would have picked long-time Winx rival Hartnell’s revival would come under the mightymare’s regular horseman Hugh Bowman? Saddling up in the Epsom after a pair of encouraging runs in Melbourne, a trip to Sydney was just the tonic for the Godolphin gun, which got a beautiful run in transit and surged to the line in the latter stages of the race to topple D’Argento in a photo finish.
- Happy Clapper justified its favouritism for the 2017 Epsom Handicap. The Patrick Webster-trained seven-year-old got quickly to the lead in the home straight while its opposition was stuck back in traffic – namely Tom Melbourne which got clear late and rattled home for second. The group one win was a long overdue victory for trainer Patrick Webster and it was one of the feel good stories of the day at Randwick. Read race report here.
- Godolphin gun Huaraki came into the Epsom of 2016 as a $6.50 shot after a strong performance in the George Main Stakes, but in a confusingly run race, James McDonald found himself at the back of the field with plenty of work to do heading into the latter stages. The Kiwi took the gun runner to the wide outside and hammered it home to win in a photo finish ahead of a dynamic Dibayani. Read a full report.
- One of the 17 straight, Winx came into the Epsom Handicap as an odds-on favourite and justified the short price in a dominating display. Despite getting tangled up coming around the Randwick bend Winx balanced up nicely and streaked away to the line.
- French import He’s Your Man’s performance in the 2014 Epsom Handicap could be the greatest victories of the modern era. Under a spectacular ride from Joao Moreira, the gelding powered to the line and got the bob of the head in at the perfect time to tip out stablemate Royal Descent.
- In its first major group 1 success in a glittering career, Waller-trained superstar Boban produced an off-the-canvas performance few had seen before in the Epsom. After rounding the corner in last, Glyn Schofield gave the gelding everything he had after taking it to the outside and the horse responded, taking the race out in the a photo to return $6 for punters.
Previous Epsom Handicap winners
| Epsom Handicap Past Winners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2023 | Rediener | Kathy O’Hara | Chris Waller |
| 2022 | Ellsberg / Top Ranked | Brenton Avdulla / Hugh Bowman | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou / Annabel Neasham |
| 2021 | Private Eye | Regan Bayliss | Joseph Pride |
| 2020 | Probabeel | Kerrin McEvoy | Jamie Richards |
| 2019 | Kolding | Glen Boss | Chris Waller |
| 2018 | Hartnell | Hugh Bowman | James Cummings |
| 2017 | Happy Clapper | Blake Shinn | Patrick Webster |
| 2016 | Hauraki | James McDonald | John O’Shea |
| 2015 | Winx | Hugh Bowman | Chris Waller |
| 2014 | He’s Your Man | Joao Moreira | Chris Waller |
| 2013 | Boban | Glyn Schofield | Guy Walter |
| 2012 | Fat Al | Tommy Berry | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2011 | Secret Admirer | Brenton Avdulla | Grahame Begg |
| 2010 | Captain Sonador | Glen Boss | Roger Milne |
| 2009 | Rock Kingdom | Blake Shinn | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2008 | Theseo | Zac Purton | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2007 | Race Not Held | ||
| 2006 | Racing To Win | Glen Boss | John O’Shea |
| 2005 | Desert War | Larry Cassidy | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2004 | Desert War | Scott Seamer | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2003 | Clangalang | Corey Brown | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou |
| 2002 | Excellerator | Jim Cassidy | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2001 | Final Fantasy | Mark de Montfort | Bruce Cross |
| 2000 | Shogun Lodge | Glen Boss | Bob Thomsen |
Epsom Handicap Past Winners Pre 2000
| Epsom Handicap Past Winners Pre 2000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | ||
| 1999 | Allez Suez | ||
| 1998 | Dodge | ||
| 1997 | Iron Horse | ||
| 1996 | Filante | ||
| 1995 | Nick’s Joy | ||
| 1994 | Navy Seal | ||
| 1993 | Golden Sword | ||
| 1992 | Kinjite | ||
| 1991 | Super Impose | ||
| 1990 | Super Impose | ||
| 1989 | From The Planet | ||
| 1988 | Regal Native | ||
| 1987 | Sound Horizon | ||
| 1986 | Chanteclair | ||
| 1985 | Magnitude | ||
| 1984 | Riverdale | ||
| 1983 | Cool River | ||
| 1982 | Dalmacia | ||
| 1981 | Gold Circle | ||
| 1980 | Bold Diplomat | ||
| 1979 | Imposing | ||
| 1978 | Leonotis | ||
| 1977 | Raffindale | ||
| 1976 | La Neige | ||
| 1975 | Authentic Heir | ||
| 1974 | Citadel | ||
| 1973 | Lord Nelson | ||
| 1972 | Triton | ||
| 1971 | Gunsynd | ||
| 1970 | Ricochet | ||
| 1969 | Broker’s Tip | ||
| 1968 | Speed Of Sound | ||
| 1967 | Cabochon | ||
| 1966 | Chantal | ||
| 1965 | Even Better | ||
| 1964 | Toi Port | ||
| 1963 | Toi Port | ||
| 1962 | Rochdale | ||
| 1961 | Sky High | ||
| 1960 | Ma Cherie | ||
| 1959 | Noholme | ||
| 1958 | Turkestan | ||
| 1957 | Timo | ||
| 1956 | Knave | ||
| 1955 | Hans | ||
| 1954 | Connaught | ||
| 1953 | Silver Phantom | ||
| 1952 | High Law | ||
| 1951 | Davey Jones | ||
| 1950 | Achilles | ||
| 1949 | Denali | ||
| 1948 | De La Salle | ||
| 1947 | Titanic | ||
| 1946 | Blue Legend | ||
| 1945 | Shannon | ||
| 1944 | Modulation | ||
| 1943 | Kiaree | ||
| 1942 | Freckles | ||
| 1941 | Rimveil | ||
| 1940 | High Caste | ||
| 1939 | Geebung | ||
| 1938 | King’s Head | ||
| 1937 | Gold Rod | ||
| 1936 | Capris | ||
| 1935 | Synagogue | ||
| 1934 | Silver Ring | ||
| 1933 | Chatham | ||
| 1932 | Chatham | ||
| 1931 | Autopay | ||
| 1930 | Cathmar | ||
| 1929 | Nightmarch | ||
| 1928 | Amounis | ||
| 1927 | Vaals | ||
| 1926 | Amounis | ||
| 1925 | Boaster / Metellus | ||
| 1924 | Blackadder | ||
| 1923 | Claro | ||
| 1922 | Rostrum | ||
| 1921 | Beauford | ||
| 1920 | Greenstead | ||
| 1919 | Wolaroi | ||
| 1918 | Rebus | ||
| 1917 | Satin Bird | ||
| 1916 | Panacre | ||
| 1915 | Woorak | ||
| 1914 | Portrush | ||
| 1913 | Aleconner | ||
| 1912 | Hartfell | ||
| 1911 | Volsloane | ||
| 1910 | Silver Hampton | ||
| 1909 | Hyman | ||
| 1908 | Melodrama | ||
| 1907 | Melodrama | ||
| 1906 | Maximize | ||
| 1905 | Sleeper | ||
| 1904 | Contest | ||
| 1903 | Famous | ||
| 1902 | Air Motor | ||
| 1901 | Sequence | ||
| 1900 | Ampier | ||
| 1899 | Djin Djin | ||
| 1898 | Alemene | ||
| 1897 | Robin Hood | ||
| 1896 | Steward | ||
| 1895 | Hopscotch | ||
| 1894 | Uabba | ||
| 1893 | Brockleigh | ||
| 1892 | Daredevil | ||
| 1891 | Marvel | ||
| 1890 | Bungebah | ||
| 1889 | Novice | ||
| 1888 | Stockwell | ||
| 1887 | Phaon | ||
| 1886 | Zeno | ||
| 1885 | Folly | ||
| 1884 | Espiegle | ||
| 1883 | Masquerade | ||
| 1882 | Masquerade | ||
| 1881 | Waxy | ||
| 1880 | Master Avenel | ||
| 1879 | Sweetmeat | ||
| 1878 | Viscount | ||
| 1877 | Eva | ||
| 1876 | Malta | ||
| 1875 | Evangeline | ||
| 1874 | Westminster | ||
| 1873 | Atalanta / Kingfisher | ||
| 1872 | The Count | ||
| 1871 | Captain Cook | ||
| 1870 | Deceptive | ||
| 1869 | Circassian | ||
| 1868 | Phoebe | ||
| 1867 | Birmingham | ||
| 1866 | Rapidan | ||
| 1865 | Dundee | ||
Comments are closed.