Railway Stakes (NZ)

Railway Stakes (NZ)

Group One Betting Guide
Date: Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Location: Pukekohe Racecourse
Prize Money: $450,000
Distance: 1200m

THE Group 1 New Zealand Railway Stakes is a featured sprint race held at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day with the quality of past winners top class.

With a purse of $450,000, it’s not the stake money that attracts trainers from New Zealand and Australia to compete for the Railway Stakes, rather it’s the history behind the race which makes it a must-win for the sprinting types.

Past winners include Imperatriz, Bounding, Imananabaa, Avantage, Egyptian Raine and Mr Tiz which won three consecutive Railway Stakes.

It has also been won by two Australian-trained runners with Atomic Force in 2012 (ridden by Nash Rawiller) and 2010 winner A Gold Trail which won with Michael Rodd in the saddle.

The Railway Stakes is always the most exciting race held on New Year’s Day in New Zealand.


2025 NZ Railway Stakes betting odds

Waitak
Waitak winning the Railway in 2024. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

Odds for the The Railway as of September 9, 2024 – Courtesy of Neds


Best New Zealand Railway Stakes bookmakers

All of our bookmakers listed below offer all-in and fixed odds betting on the major races out of New Zealand.

The Railway Stakes is one of New Zealand’s prized races and the Australian bookies know how important framing a market is for both New Zealand punters and the locals.

The following bookmakers currently have markets available for the Railway Stakes.

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Neds Code GETON

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Latest Railway Stakes NZ News

Uncommon James
Australian sprinter Uncommon James could be in line for a trip across the Tasman to contest the Group 1 Telegraph ...
Dragon Leap chasing another major prize for Wexford
Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will on Saturday bid to complete a sprinting double with Dragon Leap at Trentham in ...
Waitak
Lance O'Sullivan won five Group 1 Railway's as a jockey, on Monday he got his hands on the silverware as ...
Richardson chasing further Railway success with Bonny Lass
Matamata mentor Graham Richardson will attempt to win one of his favourite races for the third time with Bonny Lass ...
Sacred Satono set for Group 1 Railway tilt
The burgeoning rivalry between Sacred Satono and Babylon Berlin will kick up a gear when the pair meet at Pukekohe ...
Stephen Marsh on weather watch
Stephen Marsh is confident of Velocious giving another bold effort at Pukekohe, although his confidence is tempered by an unfavourable ...

New Zealand Railway Stakes betting history

There have been plenty of well-backed horses win the Railway Stakes, which includes the likes of Bounding, Ryan Mark, Atomic Force and A Gold Trial which scored at odds of $5.70 for trainer Gary Portelli and jockey Michael Rodd in 2010.

The Railway Stakes has also thrown in some of the longest-priced winners in New Zealand Group one history with Jacowils winning in 2009 at odds of $104 and Miss Raggedy Ann winning at odds of $86 in 2011.

The Railway Stakes is predominately won by the older sprinters, with Bounding becoming the first three-year-old filly to win the Railway in 33 years.

It’s typically a good horses race with the likes of three-time winner Mr Tiz, which also won the Telegraph Handicap twice and The Galaxy in 1991 at Rosehill.

That fact was further solidifed as Imperatriz won the race in 2023.

Diamond Lover broke the Ellerslie track record when winning in 1987. The future stud star ran 1:07.79 in a scintillating display of sprinting.

Other famous names in New Zealand sprinting history include Loader, which was named after dual-Olympic gold medalist Danyon Loader, and also Coogee Walk which now has many races named after it in New Zealand.


2025 Railway Stakes NZ Field

HorseBetting will update this page when the 2025 Railway Stakes NZ final field is released.


Previous Railway Stakes NZ Fields

  • No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
    1 Silks
    Dragon Leap
    Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott
    Opie Bosson
    3
    57kg
    2 Silks
    Johny Johny
    Tim & Margaret Carter
    Lynsey Satherley
    5
    56kg
    3 Silks
    Sacred Satono
    Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley
    Michael McNab
    1
    56kg
    4 Silks
    Mercurial
    Stephen Marsh
    Sam Spratt
    6
    55kg
    5 Silks
    Waitak
    Lance O’Sullivan & Harry Brook
    Warren Kennedy
    10
    55kg
    6 Silks
    Babylon Berlin
    Ben & Ryan Foote
    Jason Collett
    2
    54kg
    7 Silks
    Bonny Lass
    Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall
    Craig Grylls
    8
    54kg
    8 Silks
    Maria Farina
    Darryn & Briar Weatherley
    Sam Weatherley
    7
    54kg
    9 Silks
    Maven Belle
    Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson
    Matthew Cameron
    9
    53.5kg
    10 Silks
    Imwonderfultonight
    Sam Mynott
    Joe Doyle
    4
    53kg
  • No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
    1 Silks
    Levante
    Ken & Bev Kelso
    Ryan Elliot
    4
    57kg
    2 Silks
    Justacanta
    Shaun & Emma Clotworthy
    Dean Yendall
    3
    57kg
    3 Silks
    Imperatriz
    Mark Walker
    Opie Bosson
    10
    56kg
    4 Silks
    Johny Johny
    Tim & Margaret Carter
    Lynsey Satherley
    11
    55.5kg
    5 Silks
    Dragon Leap
    Lance O’Sullvian & Andrew Scott
    Michael McNab
    1
    55kg
    6 Silks
    Mr Jay Eight
    Shaun & Emma Clotworthy
    Joe Doyle
    5
    55kg
    7 Silks
    Babylon Berlin
    Ben Foote
    Kozzi Asano
    2
    54kg
    8 Silks
    Bonny Lass
    Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall
    Craig Grylls
    7
    54kg
    9 Silks
    Letzbeglam
    Lance Noble
    Warren Kennedy
    4
    54kg
    10 Silks
    Malt Time
    Shaun & Emma Clotworthy
    Masa Hashizume
    9
    53.5kg
    11 Silks
    One More Time
    Stephen Ralph
    Jasmine Fawcett
    6
    53kg

2024 Railway Stakes result


1stWaitak (+1000)
2ndBonny Lass (+170)
3rdMercurial (+460)

Recent New Zealand Railway Stakes winners

  • Former champion jockey Lance O’Sullivan captured five Group 1 Railway (1200m) successes in the saddle and he finally got his hands on the silverware as a trainer, courtesy of Waitak’s explosive victory. As expected, Johny Johny set a breakneck speed upfront, while at the opposite end of the field, in-form hoop Warren Kennedy switched Waitak off at the back of the pack. The son of Proisir was still well off the pace at the top of the straight, but he responded to the urgings of Kennedy in the final 200m, bursting through a gap that opened up when Mercurial ran out, checking Bonny Lass, and Waitak continued his momentum to score a 1.25 length victory over Bonny Lass, with Mercurial a further three-quarters of a length back in third.
  • New Zealand’s syndication powerhouse Te Akau Racing landed their third consecutive victory in the iconic Group 1 Sistema Railway (1200m) on New Year’s Day, but this one was a little different. While the tangerine army had won the sprint feature at Ellerslie in each of the last two seasons with Avantage and Entriviere, the 2023 edition of the race was relocated to Te Rapa while the Auckland track is closed for a major redevelopment – marking the first time in the Railway’s 132-year history that it was staged anywhere other than Ellerslie. Te Akau Racing has a special connection to Te Rapa, with both David Ellis and Karyn Fenton-Ellis having served as chair of Waikato Racing Club. But an extra-special twist to Sunday’s result comes through John Elstob, who owns a 25 percent share in Imperatriz and is the Waikato Racing Club’s current chairman. Opie Bosson took up a perfect position in sixth, one off the rail, patiently biding his time as Babylon Berlin slid forward from second and opened up what looked like a winning break at the top of the home straight. Bosson brought Imperatriz out into the clear and pushed the button, and the four-year-old went into overdrive. Babylon Berlin was showing no sign of stopping out in front, but Imperatriz wore her down through the final 100 metres and snatched victory right on the line by a head. Top-class sprinter Levante was doing her best work late, running on into third and crossing the line two lengths behind the first pair. Imperatriz stopped the clock at a slick 1:08.90 – the second-fastest Railway in the last decade.
  • Opie Bosson and Jamie Richards combined with Avantage 12 months earlier and managed to bring up another win in the famous Te Akau tangerine when Entriviere saluted in the 2022 edition of the Railway. Having settled towards the rear of the field, Bosson had the mare moving approaching the turn and under hands and heels to the 200m mark loomed up to Babylon Berlin and managed to sprint clear of main rival Levante to claim Group 1 glory by 1.5 lengths.
  • The Jamie Richards-trained Avantage managed to pull out just enough to claim the 2021 Railway Handicap. The $2.10 pre-race favourite was given the run of the race and when ambling up alongside 2020 winner Julius, she looked like she was going to put a fair gap on her rivals. However, with Julius kicking back on the rail and Levante flying down the centre of the track, the favourite was forced to earn her win.
  • Having settled outside the leader in the race, the John Bell-trained Julius packed plenty of punches late to claim the Railway Handicap. Despite being left in front a long way from home, Jason Waddell made sure the veteran eight-year-old was primed to tough it out, with Julius responding under heavy riding and ultimately proving too good late on.
  • In what is the biggest upset in Railway Handicap history, Santa Monica delivered an improbable win at $77 odds. the five-year-old was able to nab Princess Kereru on the line to win by a neck, with a further head back to the luckless race favourite Melody Belle, who had to battle three-wide from barrier 15.
  • It was expected to be a two-horse war in the 2018 Railway Handicap, but the more favoured Volpe Veloce was the horse that got the chocolates. Settling towards the back of the field Jake Bayliss settled the horse beautifully in the run and let down nicely to find the front at the 100m mark before putting a gap on the field.
  • Start Wondering showed that Australian sprinting form is superior. The gelding from Wanganui had a great record in New Zealand before travelling to Sydney where it was successful. After a bleeding attack it returned to New Zealand and was too classy for them in the Railway Handicap. It found the lead easily coming around the turn and kicked away for an impressive 1.25-length victory. The win gave jockey Johnathan Parkes the City of Auckland Cup/Railway double.
  • Ryan Mark edged out the Australian-performed Allez Eagle by a neck in 2016, much to the punters delight. The five-year-old son of Thorn Park had been in good form throughout the Hastings spring carnival and it ran as the $3.80 favourite. It also continued the good form from jockey Opie Bosson who had won the 2015 Caulfield Cup aboard Mongolian Khan earlier in the season.
  • In Style put a disappointing Australian campaign behind it when winning by a short-head in 2015. The Danica Guy-trained mare had been running at short odds throughout its New Zealand campaign, but bookmakers let it drift to $6.60 which many punters jumped on late. It held out the fast-finishing Whosyourmaster ($4.40 to place) and Durham Town ($6.50 to place) to land a big trifecta payout for punters with 2016 champion Ryan Mark finishing two lengths back in seventh.
  • Bounding was another well-favoured winner which scored yet another close victory. The three-year-old daughter of Lonhro was one of the quickest sprinters in New Zealand before embarking on a successful career in Australia. It won as the $4.10 favourite over the likes of Waterford, Little Wonder and 2015 placegetter Durham Town. It ran a time of 1:10.25 which was considered a quick time on a track which was rain-affected.
  • Fleur de Lune has always promised to deliver on the big stage and its moment came in 2013 when winning the Railway Handicap. The five-year-old Stravinsky mare wasn’t bred for speed and it performed well over the longer distances later in its career, but it ran a slick 1:09.21 for the 1200m on a good track. Durham Town recorded yet another placing with Jetset Lad, which would later move to Australia, running well for second at place odds of $5.40. Fleur de Lune paid $9.90 for the win and $3.10 to place.
  • Atomic Force gave the Australians their second win in three years when scoring by a half-length. The Darren Smith-trained gelding didn’t have superb form in Australia, but it was good enough to run as the $2 favourite and get the job done well. Ridden by Nash Rawiller, the son of Danehill Dancer held off some of the best local sprinting types in New Zealand and it relished the rain-affected track. The $2 on offer from bookmakers was one of the shortest-priced winners in Railway Handicap history.

New Zealand Railway Stakes past winners list

New Zealand Railway Stakes Past Winners
Year Horse Jockey Trainer
2024 Waitak Warren Kennedy Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott
2023 Imperatriz Opie Bosson Mark Walker
2022 Entriviere Opie Bosson Jamie Richards
2021 Avantage Opie Bosson Jamie Richards
2020 Julius Jason Waddell John Bell
2019 Santa Monica Trudy Thornton John & Stephen Ralph
2018 Volpe Veloce Jake Bayliss Graham Richardson
2017 Start Wondering Jonathan Parkes JJ & Evan Rayner
2016 Ryan Mark Opie Bosson John Morell
2015 In Style Leith Innes Danica Guy
2014 Bounding Mark Du Plessis Ken & Bev Kelso
2013 Fleur De Lune Jason Jago Lee Somervell
2012 Atomic Force Nash Rawiller Darren Smith
2011 Miss Raggedy Ann Natasha Collett Andrew Scott
2010 Gold Trail Michael Rodd Gary Portelli
2009 Jacowils Malcolm Hills Kristine Stead
2008 Imananabaa Andrew Calder Don Sellwood
2007 Donna Rosita Lisa Cropp Piri Ranui
2006 Baldessarini Lisa Cropp Anne Herbert
2005 Recurring Hayden Tinsley Gerald Ryan
2004 Vinaka Opie Bosson Paul O’Sullivan
2003 Our Egyptian Raine Lance O’Sullivan Kenny Rae
2002 Sound The Alarm Craig Grylls Richard Otto
2001 Fritz Noel Harris Neil Coulbeck
2000 Cannsea Michael Coleman Mike Moroney & Andrew Scott

New Zealand Railway Stakes Past Winners Pre 2000

New Zealand Railway Stakes Past Winners Pre 2000
Year Horse
1999 Bawalaksana
1998 Coogee Walk
1997 Kailey
1996 Loader
1995 Coberger
1994 Ensign Ewart
1993 Hypervain
1992 Vain Sovereign
1991 Mr Tiz
1990 Mr Tiz
1989 Mr Tiz / Westminster
1988 Alynda
1987 Diamond Lover
1986 Silver Tip

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