H.D.F. McNeil Stakes
H.D.F. McNeil Stakes
Group Three Betting Guide
| Date: | Saturday, August 30, 2025 |
| Location: | Caulfield Racecourse – Melbourne, Victoria |
| Prize Money: | $200,000 |
| Distance: | 1200m |
The H.D.F McNeil Stakes is a Group 3 race held at Caulfield racecourse on Memsie Stakes Day worth $200,000.
The H.D.F McNeil Stakes was originally run over 1100m from 1989 to 2006; however, since 2007 the race has been run over 1200m.
The McNeil Stakes was only a Listed race until 1999, before it was upgraded to Group 3 status.
In recent times, colts and geldings have dominated the McNeil Stakes, with Lady Of Harrods being the last filly to win the race back in 2012.
Plenty of well known sprinters have won the McNeil Stakes, with notable winners such as Merchant Navy (2017), Scenic Blast (2007), Miss Finland (2006) and Bel Esprit (2002), going onto become top tier sprinters later in their career.
Winners of the McNeil Stakes traditionally go one of two ways. After winning at 1200m, some runners will push onto the 1400m Caulfield Guineas Prelude and 1600m Caulfield Guineas later in the spring carnival, or they will stay at 1200m at race in the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day.
HDF McNeil Stakes odds 2025
McNeil Stakes betting odds are currently unavailable.
Best H.D.F. McNeil Stakes bookmakers
All of our recommended bookmakers have markets for the H.D.F. McNeil Stakes, with this group three feature attracting plenty of betting interest.
Bookmakers with McNeil Stakes odds generally launch them in the week leading up to the race, although we have seen several with futures markets in the past.
McNeil Stakes bookies can usually be accessed via several methods, with these including via their websites, via horse betting apps and even via telephone. Australians can also place bets on the McNeil Stakes at retail betting shops, which are controlled by the TAB.
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Latest H.D.F. McNeil Stakes News
2025 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes Final Field
HorseBetting will update this page when the 2025 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes are released.
Previous H.D.F. McNeil Stakes Field
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 
Growing Empire Ciaron Maher Mark Zahra 9 58.5kg 2 Band Of Brothers Mathew Ellerton Damian Lane 1 58.5kg 3 Stay Focused Phillip Stokes Daniel Stackhouse 3 57kg 4 Astapor Joseph Pride Blake Shinn 6 57kg 5 Feroce Dominic Sutton Billy Egan 7 57kg 6 Wonder Boy Jerome Hunter Craig Williams 8 57kg 7 TropicusAnthony & Sam FreedmanJye McNeil257kg8 Let’sfacethemusic Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) Jamie Kah 4 57kg 9 Yaldi Andrew Forsman Michael Dee 5 57kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Little Brose Ben, Will & JD Hayes Michael Dee 10 59.5kg 2 BarberJames CummingsBlake Shinn658.5kg3 Veight Tony & Calvin McEvoy Damian Lane 2 58.5kg 4 Le Zebra Emma-Lee & David Browne Jamie Mott 11 57kg 5 Scheelite Ken & Kasey Keys Daniel Stackhouse 12 57kg 6 Make A Call Peter & Paul Snowden John Allen 7 57kg 7 Coincide Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Jordan Childs 4 57kg 8 Armed ForcesChris WallerJye McNeil957kg9 HemanPeter & Paul SnowdenMark Zahra557kg10 Deadly Press Nick Ryan Blaike McDougall 1 57kg 11 Hedged Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) Beau Mertens 3 57kg 12 Legacies Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman Jamie Kah 8 56kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Daumier Anthony & Sam Freedman Mark Zahra 9 59.5kg 2 Maximillius Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr Damien Oliver 1 58.5kg 3 Tijuana Ben & JD Hayes Michael Dee 8 58kg 4 Crosswinds Anthony & Sam Freedman John Allen 12 58kg 5 He’s Heaven Peter Moody Luke Nolen 5 58kg 6 Jacquinot Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr Damian Lane 2 57kg 7 Man In The Mirror Annabel Neasham Ethan Brown 7 57kg 8 Atlantis Tycoon Danny O’Brien Damien Thornton 10 57kg 9 Lincoln Square Greg Eurell Blake Shinn 13 57kg 10 Zamborghini Matt Laurie Ben Melham 11 57kg 11 Superset Shae Eden Teo Nugent 6 57kg 12 Aft Cabin James Cummings Jamie Kah 3 57kg 13 Squad Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Jye McNeil 4 57kg 14 Sir JuggernautJohn SalanitriN/AN/AN/A
2024 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes result
1st – Growing Empire (+160)
2nd – Wonder Boy (-166.67)
3rd – Stay Focused (-142.86)
Recent H.D.F. McNeil Stakes results
- Growing Empire ($2.50) has returned to the racetrack in fine style, finishing off with a brilliant turn of foot to run away from his rivals in the Group 3 McNeil Stakes at Caulfield. Ciaron Maher and Mark Zahra combined with the three-year-old colt, who has now won three of his four career starts, with this win being the best of the lot. Zahra tried to cross the field and settle on speed aboard this son of Zoustar; however, Stay Focused ($4.60), Astapor ($8.50), and Band Of Brothers ($19) kicked up to lead the race, so he chose to sit three-wide with cover. The field turned for home, and Zahra was sitting quietly on his mount, but as soon as he pushed the button, Growing Empire lengthened quickly and took over with 200m to go. Wonder Boy ($5) wobbled on the corner and lost some ground on the eventual winner before picking himself up to run on strongly into second place. It was all honours to Growing Empire as he was eased down by Zahra to win by a margin that could have been much bigger.
- Veight ($5) returned an impressive winner in the Group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield and looks set for an ambitious tilt at Group 1 glory later in the spring. The Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained colt stepped out nicely as a two-year-old, taking on the likes of Militarize in the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce (1400m) on April 1 before being tipped out for a spell after being unsuited to the wet-track conditions in Sydney. Prior to the scratching of Barber on Friday afternoon, Veight was a relatively unwanted galloper by the online betting sites, opening around $7.50. It was a completely different story come race-day, however, with the son of Grunt being well-backed into $5 at the jump. Damien Lane gave the now three-year-old a perfect steer, lobbing on the back of Coincide ($8.50), who elected to go at a genuine tempo throughout. Once Lane got the colt into clear running, he was always going to be very hard to chase down, despite the unsuitable trip, with some strong closers just missing out. Legacies ($4.80) was given every conceivable chance by Jamie Kah from the one-one, while the Blue Diamond winner Little Brose stuck on gamely to fill the trifecta spot.
- Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr once again stamped their authority on the three-year-old ranks in Victoria as Jacquinot ($5.50) bolted in to win the Group 3 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes. After settling in the second half of the field under Damien Lane, Jacquinot was presented to the middle of the track and descended on the short-priced Aft Cabin ($2) in the concluding stages to career away and win by a length and a half. The runner-up Aft Cabin would no doubt have lost no admirers, while Tijuana was eye-catching in third, hitting the line strongly under Michael Dee.
- The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Bruckner ($11) defeated a strong field of three-year-olds to take out the 2021 McNeil Stakes at Caulfield. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Matthew Hill’s voice echoed around the course, alongside the yelling and urgings of Damien Oliver on Heresy ($5.50) who finished in third place. Artorious ($3) flew home in the final 200m to finish second, but never really threatened the winner.
- Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr’s unbeaten three-year-old colt Immortal Love ($9.50) remains undefeated after claiming victory in a gripping finish to the McNeil Stakes. Joining in down the outside with the fast-finishing Flying Award ($10), Immortal Love nabbed the race favourite Tagaloa ($3.40) in the shadows of the winning post.
- After settling in a good spot in fifth place, one horse off the rails, Super Seth ($3.60) flew home down the outside to nab his stablemate King Of Hastings ($3.90) to quinella the H.D.F. McNeil Stakes. The luckless runner in the race was the third placegetter Sebrekate ($9), who had to wait for the race winner to make his run before getting out of a pocket to charge at the leaders late. After winning the McNeil, the three-year-old colt took his career record to three wins from four starts.
H.D.F. McNeil Stakes winners
| H.D.F. McNeil Stakes Past Winners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2024 | Growing Empire | Mark Zahra | Ciaron Maher |
| 2023 | Veight | Damian Lane | Tony & Calvin McEvoy |
| 2022 | Jacquinot | Damian Lane | Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
| 2021 | Bruckner | John Allen | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace |
| 2020 | Immortal Love | Craig Newitt | Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
| 2019 | Super Seth | Mark Zahra | Anthony Freedman |
| 2018 | Native Soldier | Dean Yendall | Darren Weir |
| 2017 | Merchant Navy | Mark Zahra | Ciaron Maher |
| 2016 | Defcon | Dwayne Dunn | Peter & Paul Snowden |
| 2015 | Gold Symphony | Glen Boss | Peter Moody |
| 2014 | Chivalry | Glen Boss | Mark Kavanagh |
| 2013 | Fast ‘N’ Rocking | Brett Prebble | David Hayes |
| 2012 | Lady Of Harrods | Michael Walker | Russell Cameron |
| 2011 | Golden Archer | Luke Nolen | Peter Moody |
| 2010 | Sistine Angel | Craig Williams | Andrew Noblet |
| 2009 | Starspangledbanner | Danny Nikolic | Leon Corstens |
| 2008 | Sugar Babe | Dwayne Dunn | Lee Freedman |
| 2007 | Scenic Blast | Jason Brown | Daniel Morton |
| 2006 | Miss Finland | Craig Williams | David Hayes |
| 2005 | Danerich | Noel Callow | Robbie Lang |
| 2004 | Tahni Girl | Danny Nikolic | Ross McDonald |
| 2003 | Cahuita | Luke Currie | Steve Richards |
| 2002 | Bel Esprit | Nash Rawiller | John Symons |
| 2001 | Tully Dane | Patrick Payne | Ross McDonald |
| 2000 | Rapid Man | Patrick Payne | Bevan Laming |
H.D.F. McNeil Stakes winners pre-2000
| Carbine Club Stakes Past Winners Pre 2000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | ||
| 1999 | Honour The Name | ||
| 1998 | Theatre | ||
| 1997 | La Baraka | ||
| 1996 | Valourina | ||
| 1995 | Gold Ace | ||
| 1994 | Danzero | ||
| 1993 | Sequalo | ||
| 1992 | Snippet’s Girl | ||
| 1991 | Tierce | ||
| 1990 | Manitor | ||
| 1989 | Good Old Ted | ||
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