Southern Cross Stakes
Southern Cross Stakes
Group Three Betting Guide
| Date: | Saturday, January 31, 2026 |
| Location: | Rosehill Gardens – Sydney, New South Wales |
| Prize Money: | $250,000 |
| Distance: | 1200m |
The Southern Cross Stakes (registered as the Frederick Clissold Stakes) has been a mainstay on the Australian racing calendar since 1940 and is typically run in February.
The Group 3 contest is for horses aged three years or older and is run under Quality Handicap condition over 1200m.
Although it has been known as the Southrn Cross Stakes since 2009, the race was named after Frederick William Clissold, who was a former director and founding member of the Canterbury Park Racing Club.
The Southern Cross Stakes was upgraded from Listed to a Group 3 race in 1989 and has been run at each of the four metropolitan racetracks in New South Wales (Rosehill Gardens, Royal Randwick, Warwick Farm and Canterbury Park).
2026 Southern Cross Stakes betting odds
Betting odds for the 2026 Southern Cross Stakes are currently unavailable.
How to bet on the Southern Cross Stakes
All of our listed horse racing bookmakers will post all-in future betting markets in the lead-up to the 2025 Southern Cross Stakes. They will also have fixed odds markets for the race once the full field has been released.
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Southern Cross Stakes News
2026 Southern Cross Stakes Final Field
HorseBetting will update this page when the 2026 Southern Cross Stakes final field is released.
Previous Southern Cross Stakes Fields
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 
Hard To Say Jason Deamer James McDonald 7 58kg 2 Brudenell Kris Lees Joshua Parr 4 57kg 3 Iowna Merc Bjorn Baker Tim Clark 3 57kg 4 Wategos Bjorn Baker Jason Collett 6 54.5kg 5 Willaidow Marc Conners Tyler Schiller 1 54kg 6 Ka Bling Peter Snowden Tom Sherry 2 54kg 7 Disneck Bjorn Baker Zac Lloyd 8 53kg 8 Our Gold Hope Robert & Luke Price Kerrin McEvoy 9 53kg 9 Accredited Joseph Pride Jay Ford 5 53kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Baller Tony Gollan Nash Rawiller 8 59kg 2 Malkovich Bjorn Baker Joshua Parr 2 57.5kg 3 Lady Laguna Annabel Neasham James McDonald 7 56kg 4 On The Lead Richard & Will Freedman Jason Collett 5 54kg 5 Fifteen Rounds Wayne Brown Reece Jones 1 53kg 6 Hard To Say Jason Dreamer Dylan Gibbons 3 53kg 7 Lady Of LuxuryBjorn BakerZac Lloyd653kg8 Kristilli Annabel Neasham Kerrin McEvoy 4 53kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Hard Empire Toby & Trent Edmonds Rachel King 11 59kg 2 Mr Mozart Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Jason Collett 7 59kg 3 Gravina James Cummings James McDonald 4 56.5kg 4 Swats ThatCiaron Maher & David EustaceBrenton Avdulla356.5kg5 Quantico John O’Shea Kerrin McEvoy 2 55kg 6 Stampe Chris Munce Brock Ryan 10 54.5kg 7 Titanium Power Joseph Pride Tim Clark 9 54.5kg 8 Ranch Hand Chris Waller Regan Bayliss 8 53kg 9 Written BeautyChris WallerJay Ford653kg10 Espiona Chris Waller William Pike 1 53kg 11 Testator Silens Luke Clarke Tyler Schiller 5 53kg
2025 Southern Cross Stakes result
1st – Willaidow (+340)
2nd – Iowna Merc (+160)
3rd – Brudenell (+120)
Recent runnings of the Southern Cross Stakes:
- Marc Conners & Tyler Schiller combined with Willaidow ($4.20) to get the verdict in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill, holding off the surging Iowna Merc ($8.00) in the shadows of the post. The son of Shamus Award put the writing on the wall last preparation when putting together back-to-back wins before being sent to the paddock, and despite giving fitness to his main rivals after a 105-day spell, the ever-improving six-year-old relished the challenge at his first opportunity at stakes grade. Schiller was able to lob on the back of Hard To Say ($9.00), with James McDonald attempting to offset top weight by making every post a winner over the 1200m journey. It allowed Willaidow to get into the perfect rhythm behind the leader, while the well-supported favourite with Neds, Accredited ($3.70), was able to stalk from mid-field with cover.Willaidow took over in the final 300m as Hard To Say began to fade, leaving the likes of Iowna Merc, Brudenell ($6.50) and Disneck ($6.50) to make sustained runs from the rear of the field. Iowna Merc had one last lunge at the post, however, couldn’t quite reel in the margin as Willaidow took full advantage of the favourable on-speed track conditions at Rosehill.
- Lady Laguna ($1.95) has brought up a hattrick of wins this preparation after running away from a small field of older horses in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes at Rosehill, adding to her Listed Nudgee Stakes and Magic Millions Fillies & Mares victories at her previous two starts. As everyone expected, Malkovich ($5.50) took up the lead and ensured a solid gallop, with James McDonald settling the race favourite behind the leader and received the run of the race. There was only one horse that punters wanted to be on at the 400m mark, as McDonald slipped Lady Laguna more rein and she took over with 300m to go. Hard To Say ($4.60) was the best of the swoopers, as the Jason Deamer-trained gelding took ground off the winner in the concluding stages to finish second, beaten 1.6 lengths on the line.
- Quantico has returned a winner after a tough win in Saturday’s Southern Cross Stakes at Randwick. He was first-up after almost a year away from the racetrack and has produced a tough effort under jockey Kerrin McEvoy to claim the Group 3 feature over 1200m. The son of I Am Invincible jumped evenly from barrier two and settled right on mid-field one-off the running rail before trialling Gravina into the race three-wide. Titanium Power had been well backed and opted to take a sit outside the leader with Stampe electing to get across to the rail. Gravina was able to find the one-by-one rather comfortably with James McDonald aboard, while much to punters surprise, Mr Mozart was slow away and flew home late to find the minor money. The six-year-old gelding, out of the John O’Shea yard; however, proved too classy on return, powering over the top of his rival to score a nice win in the China Horse Club colours.
- The first Group race at Royal Randwick on Saturday was taken out by Lost And Running in what was a terrific edition of the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes. With the scratching of his stablemate, Quantico, on Friday, Lost And Running started $2 across the three totes and proved far too good, defeating a game Overpass and Standout. The five-year-old gelding was given a terrific ride by Hugh Bowman, who settled the even-money favourite fourth, behind Embracer, Overpass and Ashman who ensured it was a genuinely run 1200m affair. Bowman put his mount into the three-wide line at the top of the straight, which was a winning move, as the John O’Shea-trained gelding cruised through his gears to win comfortably in his first run back for the Sydney Autumn Carnival.
- Masked Crusader claimed his first black-type victory with an outstanding performance in the $160,000 Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Randwick. Returning to racing after a lacklustre performance at Rosehill in September, the talented sprinter lived up to his reputation by dominating a strong field. Despite racing keenly early, Masked Crusader unleashed a powerful finishing burst in the straight, securing a convincing win under jockey Tommy Berry. Southern Lad took second place, with Victorem finishing third, as Masked Crusader cemented his status as an emerging star of the sprinting scene.
Previous winners of the Southern Cross Stakes
| Behemoth Stakes Past Winners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2025 | Willaidow | Tyler Schiller | Marc Conners |
| 2024 | Lady Laguna | James McDonald | Annabel Neasham |
| 2023 | Quantico | Kerrin McEvoy | John O’Shea |
| 2022 | Lost And Running | Hugh Bowman | John O’Shea |
| 2021 | Masked Crusader | Tommy Berry | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes |
| 2020 | Special Reward | Brenton Avdulla | Kris Lees |
| 2019 | Eckstein | Sam Clipperton | Kurt Goldman |
| 2018 | Kaepernick | Brenton Avdulla | John O’Shea |
| 2017 | Le Romain | Hugh Bowman | Kris Lees |
| 2016 | Big Money | Robert Thompson | Rodney Northam |
| 2015 | Heart Testa | Jason Collett | Chris Waller |
| 2014 | Terravista | Jason Collett | Joseph Pride |
| 2013 | Skytrain | Joshua Parr | Peter Snowden |
| 2012 | No Evidence Needed | Joao Moreira | John Thompson |
| 2011 | Sister Madly | Rod Quinn | Anthony Cummings |
| 2010 | Kenny’s World | Corey Brown | Graeme Murray |
| 2009 | Marchinski | Grant Buckley | Tracey Bartley |
| 2008 | Hoystar | Danny Nikolic | Peter Snowden |
| 2007 | The Free Stater | James Innes | Paul Cave |
| 2006 | Collate | Zac Purton | Allan Denham |
| 2005 | Cool Front | Darren Beadman | John O’Shea |
| 2004 | Britt’s Best | Larry Cassidy | Kris Lees |
| 2003 | Gordo | Corey Brown | John Hawkes |
| 2002 | Lord Essex | Rod Quinn | John Hawkes |
| 2001 | Ab Initio | Larry Cassidy | John Hawkes |
| 2000 | Pimpala Prince | Shane Treweek | Gordon Yorke |
Southern Cross Stakes winners pre-2000
| Southern Cross Stakes Past Winners Pre 2000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | ||
| 1999 | Ab Initio | ||
| 1998 | Confiscate | ||
| 1997 | Secret Savings | ||
| 1996 | Danewin | ||
| 1995 | Alert Me | ||
| 1994 | Deposition | ||
| 1993 | Big Dreams | ||
| 1992 | Friend’s Venture | ||
| 1991 | Joanne | ||
| 1990 | Comrade | ||
| 1989 | Diamond Benny | ||
| 1988 | Wong | ||
| 1987 | Swift Cheval | ||
| 1986 | Avon Angel | ||
| 1985 | Pete’s Gold | ||
| 1984 | Gelsomino | ||
| 1983 | Bronze Spirit | ||
| 1982 | Ubetido | ||
| 1981 | Goreham | ||
| 1980 | Brandy Slipper | ||
| 1979 | Scomeld | ||
| 1978 | Always Welcome | ||
| 1977 | Tiger Town | ||
| 1976 | Hartshill | ||
| 1975 | Let’s Fly | ||
| 1974 | Race Not Held | ||
| 1973 | Race Not Held | ||
| 1972 | Gunsynd | ||
| 1971 | Bogan Rea | ||
| 1970 | Biarritz Star | ||
| 1969 | Roman Consul | ||
| 1968 | Illusionist | ||
| 1967 | Red Clinker | ||
| 1966 | Aldor | ||
| 1965 | Florida Keys | ||
| 1964 | Here I Come | ||
| 1963 | State Martial | ||
| 1962 | Grammar Lad | ||
| 1961 | Tipperary Star | ||
| 1960 | Dark Night | ||
| 1959 | Winchester | ||
| 1958 | Jester | ||
| 1957 | Juggler | ||
| 1956 | Evening Peal | ||
| 1955 | My Hali | ||
| 1954 | Regoli | ||
| 1953 | Nagpuni | ||
| 1952 | Osborne | ||
| 1951 | Aerofoil | ||
| 1950 | San Domenico | ||
| 1949 | Cognac | ||
| 1948 | Persian Prince | ||
| 1947 | Lackaboy | ||
| 1946 | Petulance | ||
| 1945 | Gay King | ||
| 1944 | Race Not Held | ||
| 1943 | Race Not Held | ||
| 1942 | Race Not Held | ||
| 1941 | Amiable | ||
| 1940 | Gold Rod | ||
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