Flight Stakes

Raced on the same day as The Metropolitan and the Epsom Handicap in early October at Randwick, the Flight Stakes is a Group 1 race $750,000.

The 1600m race for three-year-old fillies is Sydney’s premier juvenile race for fillies and the winners list is an incredible list of champion runners.

The Flight Stakes is the fourth leg of the Princess series for fillies which includes the Silver Shadow Stakes, The Furious Stakes and the Tea Rose Stakes. Only one horse has won all four with Samantha Miss creating history in 2008.

In this year’s edition Dame Giselle will be attempting to join Samantha Miss in being only the second galloper to complete the four legs in a row and has come up a second favourite in the market.

It’s a race which is typically won by future top-liners and it continues to stand the test of time as one of Australia’s best horse races. Punters love this aspect about the Flight Stakes and the favoured runners are usually heavily-backed in the win markets.

2022 Flight Stakes betting odds

To Be Confirmed closer to racing date.

Best Flight Stakes bookmakers

One of the most popular betting races during the year, the Flight Stakes attracts big and small punters throughout Australia. The bigger punters see the race as a good opportunity to find a potential champion at a good price and the general public love seeing good thoroughbreds in action.

Due to it being the final leg of a series, it’s tough for bookmakers to open markets early. Our recommended bookmakers will open All In markets which offer nice odds, but there is the risk that your runner won’t start.

Fixed odds markets will be opened with the following bookmakers.

Sport Table

Flight Stakes betting guide

Betting in the Flight Stakes has been relatively straight forward in recent history. Apart from upset winner Secret Admirer in 2010 which paid $16, Montefilia in 2020 as a $12 chance and the blowout win by Never Been Kissed at $41 in 2021, the winners have been well-found in the market.

Seven of the last twelve favourites have won and the 2014 and 2015 winners both paid a slim price of $2.25. Guelph won in 2013 paying an extremely skinny $1.30 with bookmakers. The Darley filly had an excellent record and it was the shortest-priced winner in Flight Stakes history.

Yankee Rose ran as the $1.90 favourite in 2016, but subsequently finished second behind Global Glamour which closed at $6.50 with bookmakers.

Since 1983, there has been only six double-figure odds winners. Punters should look towards the favourites as this is a champion-making mile and the good horses are set for this.

The champions which have won the Flight Stakes include Sunline, More Joyous and Samantha Miss. All three were heavy favourites coming into the race and scored impressive wins.

There have been some well-fancied beaten runners, too. Champion mare Winx finished second in 2014 behind First Seal, More Strawberries was beaten by Secret Admirer in 2010 and a host of other horses have been placed behind the winners.

The best form guide leading into the Flight Stakes is the Tea Rose Stakes. 14 horses have come out of the Tea Rose with nine completing the double. The rise up to 1600m from the 1400m is ideal for the improving fillies so keep an eye on all of the Princess series races.

Gai Waterhouse has won the Flight Stakes on ten occasions from 31 starts. Her tenth win came in 2021 with Never Been Kissed in partnership with Regan Bayliss.

Jockey Hugh Bowman has won the Flight Stakes five times from 11 starts.

2021 Flight Stakes result

Recent Flight Stakes winners

• 2021: Never Been Kissed makes it number 10 for Gai Waterhouse
  It was a dream come true for jockey Regan Bayliss as he secures his first double Group One win on October 2nd winning the 2021 Epsom Handicap and the 2021 Flight Stakes with Never Been Kissed. When running favourite Startantes looked to be stuck at the back of the pack and no clear gap in sight eyes turned to Four Moves Ahead to claim the 2021 Flight Stakes. Although with the beautiful persistence of Never Been Kissed, the three year old filly crossed the line .29 lengths ahead of Hinged and giving Gai Waterhouse her 10th win in the race.
• 2020: Montefilia cause an upset in the Flight Stakes
  The David Payne-trained Montefilia put the writing on the wall in the Tea Rose Stakes putting in the best race sectionals, and Montefilia subsequently came out and won the Flight Stakes. The filly managed to wear down race favourite Hungry Heart in the home straight and upon doing so handed jockey Hugh Bowman his fifth Flight Stakes success.
• 2019: Funstar Takes Flight in The Flight Stakes
  The Chris Waller trained filly gave no one else a chance when absolutely dominating the Flight Stakes when leading all the way to go on to score by nearly 3.5 lengths and punters were already in the queue to collect by the 200 metre mark, when second elect Probabeel was struglging to stay in the same postcode as the Waller trained filly, which handed the star trainer his first Flight Stakes.

Previous Flight Stakes winners

Flight Stakes Past Winners Pre 2000

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