Winterbottom Stakes
Winterbottom Stakes
Group One Betting Guide
| Date: | November 28th, 2022 |
| Location: | Ascot Racecourse, Perth |
| Prize Money: | $1,000,000 |
| Distance: | 1200m |
The Winterbottom Stakes, one of only three Group 1 races in Western Australia, is held under weight-for-age conditions and is considered Perth’s premier sprint event.
The showpiece event of the middle weekend of the Perth Summer Carnival, the Winterbottom Stakes is worth $1 million and is ran over the 1,200m distance at the iconic Ascot racetrack.
The race only achieved Group 1 status in 2011, but was first run in 1952, when Raconteur took it out.
2016 was the first time in the race’s history it was run as a stand-alone group 1 race, after being on the same card as the Railway Stakes for many years.
The move of the Winterbottom Stakes to a standalone feature means Ascot will be the first racecourse in the world to hold three group 1 races worth $1 million or more over three consecutive Saturdays. The third one being the closing event of the Perth Summer Carnival, the Kingston Town Classic.
2021 Winterbottom Stakes betting odds
To Be Confirmed closer to racing date.
Best Winterbottom Stakes bookmakers
Markets for the Winterbottom Stakes do not typically emerge months and weeks prior to the race being run given the Group 1 calibre horses are pre-occupied on the other side of the country in Melbourne.
Once confirmation of the fields begins to filter in the bookmakers start to open their markets, and once the first group 1 race of the Ascot season concludes – the Railway Stakes – most bookies will make the Winterbottom Stakes a feature event.
Sportsbet.com.au has made a commitment to group 1 racing in this country, and they had the Winterbottom Stakes as a feature event on their front page before any of the other bookies.
The bookies we trust the most are listed below and we recommend anyone interested in betting on the Winterbottom Stakes to visit any of these sites:
Sport Table
Betting on the Winterbottom Stakes
The Winterbottom Stakes is a group 1 race so invariably the top sprinting prospects in the country are going to make the journey west to compete at Ascot.
Since its first running, just three horses have managed to go back-to-back.
La Trice (1970-71), Belinda’s Star (1975-76) and Hardrada (2002-03) achieving the three-peat at Ascot.
Only a further three horses have managed to record more than one win in the race.
Mare Ortensia managed to win two Winterbottom Stakes twice back in 2009 and 2011, Asteroid managed the feat back in 1953 and 1955 and more recently superstar sprinter Buffering saluted in both 2013 and 2015.
No horse has ever won the race more than twice.
A number of lead-up races have been used by successful runners in the Winterbottom Stakes. They include the Birthday Stakes, R.S. Crawford Stakes, Prince of Wales Stakes and Colonel Reeves Stakes
In recent times, Buffering tackled the group 1 VRC Sprint Classic (formerly the Darley Classic) at Flemington on both occasions prior to his Winterbottom Stakes triumphs.
2021 Winterbottom Stakes result
1st – Graceful Girl ($9.00)
2nd – Stageman ($5.00)
3rd – Elite Street ($1.30)
Recent Winterbottom Stakes winners
- Pike was up to his old tricks again at Ascot, steering the Grant & Alana Williams-trained mare to a dominant last-to-first win. Having to overcome barrier 16 in the $1 million sprint, Pike did not waste any time in looking for a position and opted to settle at the tail of the field, saving his mount for one final shot at them. Starting as a $9 chance, the Peters Investments-owned four-year-old quickly put paid to her rivals, winning by three lengths over stablemate Stageman and race favourite Elite Street, who bled during the run and will spend the next three months on the sidelines.
- With all eyes on the Willie Pike and Trekking to win after making the long trip over just for this race and sitting at $1.75 at time of jumping there were a few stunned faces when Trekking didn’t make the top three but instead it was eighth start ‘Elite Street’ that stole the show jumping at $31 odds and taking out the his first group one race.
- In a near perfect front-running ride from Luke Currie, Hey Doc wound back the clock and absolutely bolted in the 2019 Winterbottom Stakes by nearly two and a half lengths. He stacked the field up entering the home straight and when asked for an effort by Currie he showed a quick turn of foot, and never looked in danger of getting run down. The Group 1 success was the first for Tony & Calvin McEvoy as a father/son partnership.
- All the pre-race chatter was about Viddora heading into the 2018 Winterbottom Stakes, but when the champ failed to present a winning threat at any stage the race was wide open. Coming into the straight there was a number of chances but it was Malaguerra, Enticing Star and Voodoo Lad that broke away from the pack. Voodoo Lad stormed over the top of them in the shadows of the post to record a famous win for Darren Wier and Damien Oliver.
- In 2017 there were few horses that exemplified the “always a bridesmaid” tag more than Viddora in G1 events. Prior to taking part in the Winterbottom Viddora had two G1 second placings and a fourth placed finish in the Manikato Stakes. That all changed in December. Getting a beautiful run in transit in the mid-division the South Australian native shot to the front at the 200m mark and strode clear to record a powerful win. It proved to be a penny drop moment for Viddora, which has since gone on to win G1 events in both South Australia and Victoria.
- What a marvelous victory for Takedown and a jubilant trainer Gary Moore, who trained his first Australian group one winner in this race. Takedown, paying $9, won by a neck from Sheidel ($8.50) and Rock Magic ($13). Pre-race favourite Terravista, as short as $3.50 on the TAB, was well back in the field after failing to run on despite being in a good position. Read a full report.
- Buffering came across to Perth harbouring ambitions of becoming just the six horse to win the Winterbottom Stakes more than once and he did exactly that. Under the urgings of Damian Browne, Buffering surged to the front and held the entire field at bay to record his second Winterbottom win as the $2.50 favourite.
- Home town hero Magnifisio repelled the interstate imports as a $7.50 outsider to register her first and only Group 1 win in a tightly contested finish to the race. The WA star held off Waterman’s Bay both in the run to the line and in the Stewards Room after. While second place is now trained in Melbourne, the top four in the Winterbottom Stakes are all regarded as WA horses.
- It was that star Buffering again, this time recording his first Winterbottom Stakes win. Fresh off a Darley Classic success in Melbourne, Buffering made the trip across the Nullarbor looking to win a second Group 1 title in a month but the Queenslander faced a battle from Victorian Moment Of Change who sprouted wings late in the race. Buffering eventually got the win in a photo finish.
Winterbottom Stakes past winners list
Winterbottom Stakes Past Winners Pre 2000
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