Archer Stakes

Looking to get into the Melbourne Cup? This is your absolute last chance.

The final of the four ballot exempt races for the Melbourne Cup, the Group 3 Archer Stakes may not hold much in the way of prize money, but a ticket to the race that stops a nation just three days later is enough of a draw card to entice the best stayers in the country out to play.

While backing up to win the Cup may seem like an onerous task, a total of 11 horses have completed the Melbourne Cup/Lexus Stakes double.

The last horse to do it was Shocking in 2009.

Formally known as The Hotham, the race has over 150 years of history in Australian racing and will continue to be an integral part of the Melbourne Cup Carnival in the future.

2024 Archer Stakes Betting Odds

Market for the 2024 Archer Stakes are currently unavailable.

Best Archer Stakes bookmakers

All of our recommended bookmakers have markets for the Archer Stakes.

Most of the Melbourne Cup Carnival races have markets opened well in advance and the Group 3 Archer Stakes is no exception.

Latest Archer Stakes News

How have Lexus Archer Stakes winners fared in the Melbourne Cup?

Horse Racing News

3 weeks ago

Kalapour was a dominant winner of the $300,000 Group 3 Lexus Stakes at Flemington on Saturday and it earned itself ...

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Kalapour earns final golden ticket into 2023 Melbourne Cup

Australia horse racing news

4 weeks ago

Kris Lees and Damien Oliver have combined with Kalapour to take out the Group 3 Archer Stakes on Derby Day ...

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Flemington full racing tips & quaddie | VRC Derby Day 2023

Horse Racing Tips

4 weeks ago

A stacked nine-race card awaits punters at Flemington on Saturday for VRC Derby Day. Check out HorseBetting's free race-by-race preview ...

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Archer Stakes offers final chance for Melbourne Cup hopefuls

Australia horse racing news

4 weeks ago

The Group 3 Archer Stakes on Saturday is the final chance for Melbourne Cup hopefuls to win their way into ...

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Positive reports flowing on Kiwi Melbourne Cup hope

New Zealand horse racing news

4 weeks ago

Regular updates from across the Tasman have kept a constant smile on New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock’s face since stable ...

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Ladies Man claims Group 1 Livamol Classic

New Zealand horse racing news

2 months ago

Allan Sharrock has always seen Ladies Man as a superstar in waiting, and Saturday’s Group 1 Livamol Classic marked the ...

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2024 Archer Stakes Final Field

HorseBetting will update this page when the 2024 Archer Stakes is released.

Previous Archer Stakes Field

• 2023 Archer Stakes field

  No.	Silks	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight
  1		Ladies Man	Allan Sharrock	Dean Yendall	5	59kg
  2		Kalapour	Kris Lees	Damien Oliver	1	56kg
  3		Athabascan	John O’Shea	James McDonald	3	55.5kg
  4		Mostly Cloudy	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	Tim Clark	6	54kg
  5		United Nations	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Jamie Spencer	4	54kg
  6		Gan Teorainn	Chris Waller	Jye McNeil	7	54kg
  7		Speak	Mike Moroney	Billy Egan	2	54kg

• 2023 Archer Stakes field

  No.	Silks	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight
  1		Alegron	James Cummings	William Buick	8	59kg
  2		Great House	Chris Waller	Brett Prebble	12	57kg
  3		Chapada	Mike Moroney	Jamie Mott	5	56.5kg
  4		Crystal Pegasus	Chris Waller	Mark Zahra	3	56kg
  5		Warning	Anthony & Sam Freedman	Damien Oliver	9	56kg
  6		Makram	Ben & JD Hayes	Craig Williams	4	55kg
  7		Realm Of Flowers	Anthony & Sam Freedman	N/A	13	55kg
  8		Surefire	Chris Waller	James McDonald	7	55kg
  9		Serpentine	Robert Hickmott	John Allen	10	54.5kg
  10		Interpretation	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ben Melham	11	54kg
  11		Schabau	Robert Hickmott	Craig Newitt	6	54kg
  12		Paternal	Chris Waller	Damian Lane	14	54kg
  13		King Of The Castle	Robert Hickmott	Michael Dee	1	54kg
  14		Wyclif	Danny O’Brien	Daniel Moor	15	54kg
  15		True Marvel	Matthew Smith	Blaike McDougall	2	54kg

2023 Archer Stakes result

Recent Archer Stakes results

• 2023: Kalapour leads throughout
  In what will be his final Melbourne Cup Carnival, Damien Oliver has claimed his first victory aboard Kalapour ($5.00) for great mate Kris Lees in the Group 3 Archer Stakes at Flemington. As a ballot exempt race for the 2023 Melbourne Cup, the son of War Command has now booked his spot in the 3200m classic next Tuesday after winning the Archer. Kalapour is now a ($51.00) chance in the 2023 Melbourne Cup futures market with online bookmakers. The race seemed to have no speed on paper before the jump, and that is exactly what appeared as the runners ran out of the straight for the first time, so Oliver chose to take up the lead from barrier one. Oliver allowed Kalapour to settle and run along at his own pace, clocking a few 13-second sectionals down the back straight, which indicated to spectators and punters that they weren’t breaking any records. At the top of the home straight, Oliver released the brakes on the leader and he kicked two-lengths clear of Athabascan ($2.70), and even though the race favourite chased gamely, the Kris Lees-trained stayer held him at bay in the final 100m.
• 2022: Surefire justifies short quote
  James McDonald and Chris Waller combined for their first winner of the 2022 Melbourne Cup Carnival with Surefire in the Archer Stakes, as the odds-on favourite proved to be the stronger horse at the end of 2500m. Many commentators thought that the Archer Stakes was Surefire’s to lose and the punters agreed as he was backed in to red figures, winning as the $1.85 favourite with online bookmakers. It looked as though Crystal Pegasus and the leader in the race, Serpentine, were going to fight it out down the Flemington straight but McDonald eventually got Surefire to the outside of those two and let down very nicely to take out the Group 3 event.
• 2021: Great House books his spot in the Cup
  James McDonald and Chris Waller found themselves with an early double on Derby Day 2021 as short-priced favourite Great House won the Group 3 Lexus Hotham Stakes at Flemington. The son of Galileo defied the late drift in the market and will go on to line up in the $7.75 million Melbourne Cup on the quick backup. Great House was tested after settling a long way back, a tactic that proved to be the difference as McDonald got clear out wide down the straight to eventually wear down Mankayan. The five-year-old will now test himself over two miles for the first time on Tuesday, but with only 50kg’s on his back, there’s no question he’s capable of seeing it out.
• 2020: Ashrun charges to victory
  Andreas Wohler has given himself a shot at a second Melbourne Cup triumph after Ashrun secured the final place in the field with a late-charging win in the Hotham Stakes. Wohler won the Cup with the Australian Bloodstock-owned Protectionist in 2014 and Ashrun is set to take his place on Tuesday in the same colours. The German trainer was at Flemington on Saturday after serving the mandatory quarantine period for international travellers and said he had a few anxious moments during the run. Kerrin McEvoy settled Ashrun ($5.50) towards the tail of the field and made a sweeping move down the outside to nail Sound ($7.50) in the final bounds. The judge could not separate Brimham Rocks ($6.50) and Future Score ($12) for third, the pair producing the second dead-heat of the program.
• 2019: Downdraft gives O'Brien another runner in Cup
  Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien will have four runners in his quest for a second Melbourne Cup after Downdraft booked his spot with a strong win in the Hotham Stakes at Flemington. The European import was borderline to gain a start in Tuesday’s race but his Hotham (2500m) win has sealed the deal. Downdraft joins O’Brien-trained stablemates Master Of Reality, Latrobe and Twilight Payment in Australia’s most famous race.
• 2018: Prince Of Arran stays on strongly
  Prince Of Arran was the favoured runner to secure the last place in the race that stops a nation, but he didn’t do it as easily as the market suggested. Travelling three and four wide for a lot of the race, A Prince Of Arran hit the front at the 300m and delivered a strong staying performance to hold off a flashing Brimham Rocks to book a place in the Cup.
• 2017: Cismontane stays on powerfully to book cup spot
  Gai Waterhouse had a high opinion of Kiwi import Cismontane, and the horse delivered on her promise. Cismontane lead the entire race and looked to be getting swamped in the final 200m but somehow found a way to fight back and book a spot in the Melbourne Cup just three days later.
• 2016: Oceanographer wins in spectacular fashion
  In what could be the best performance in the race’s history, Kerrin McEvoy guided the horse from last to first in a spectacular showing. In what would also become a regular occurrence for punters the luckless Tom Melbourne recorded a second placed finish, a sign of things to come.
• 2015: Excess Knowledge wins by a whisker
  In a driving finish that is the closest margin in recent memory, Excess Knowledge fought on gamely to hold off Zanteca in nail-biting finish. The horse would go on to finish seventh in the Melbourne Cup and sadly never won again.
• 2014: Moreira magic surges Signoff into the Cup
  Favourite backers were happy after Joao Moreira guided Signoff to a strong win at Racing HQ in Melbourne. Settling midfield, the Magic Man took the horse out at the optimal time and streaked away to win comfortable. The Weir runner went on to round out the first-four just three days later in the Cup.
• 2013: Irish import Ruscello upsets the applecart
  Ruscello was a double figure outsider heading into the Lexus but the Irish raider was able to hold out gun runner Let’s Make Adeal in great fashion. The horse would go on to finish a disappointing second last three days later.
• 2012: Kelinni leaves it until the last seconds
  Chris Waller runner Kelinni was somewhat of an afterthought in the market, but the Lexus win proved it had grit to couple with the talent. Kelinni was eighth at the 400m mark but hit the front in the final 100m. Despite looking the goods the horse had to fight to the line to secure the win. The Waller runner went on to finish fourth three days later.

Archer Stakes winners

Archer Stakes winners pre-2000

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