Villiers Stakes

The 2017 Villiers Stakes is one of the final black types event held at Royal Randwick in the calendar year and is in fact one of the very last stakes events anywhere in the country.

In a period where the horse racing spotlight is focussed on Perth the Villiers Stakes keeps Sydney racing ticking over ahead of the holiday period.

The race itself is a Group 2 event run under quality handicap conditions. It is locked in for the Saturday either directly before or two before Christmas day. The Villiers Stakes is a 1600m assignment which suits horses capable of running out a strong mile.

The Villiers Stakes is traditionally held at Randwick Racecourse but the 2011 event was moved due to renovation works being conducted at that circuit. Today, it is conducted on the inner-track of Randwick, known as Kensington.

The race always attracts an interesting field of horses which are usually still kicking on from a spring campaign. It would be unusual for a horse to be first up into a race like this given the spring has just finished and it’s somewhat of a standalone feature.

What that has created is a tough event for a the true battlers which can still plug along at a good rate even deep into their preparations.

Having said that if the mile is on the shorter end of a horses capabilities then the Group 3 Summer Cup over 2400m could be an option on Boxing Day.

Takeover Target ran in this race back in 2008 alongside fellow Group 1 champion Alverta.

They were both overshadowed though, the unfancied Honour Of War beating them both to the line.

Other notable winners of the Villiers Stakes include Spot The Rock in 1989, Touch Of Force in 1996, Referral in 1998 and On A High in 2003.

2017 Villiers Stakes Field

It’s worth noting that there have been some very handy horses in the Villiers Stakes field, in fact even the odd superstar. Because it’s held right at the end of the racing season, most of the horses who contest the Villiers Stakes field will likely head to the paddock for a spell following this race.

The 2017 Villiers Stakes field will be provided below.

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp Rating
1 9763415041 DESTINY’S KISS Joseph Pride Jay Ford 11 59kg 108
2 55×4278053 RED EXCITEMENT Gerald Ryan Brenton Avdulla 5 58kg 106
3 x2908x1632 HOPFGARTEN Robert Heathcote Christian Reith 14 57kg 104
4 1633030×71 TESTASHADOW Gary Portelli Ben Melham 8 57kg 104
5 2x2111x118 CABEZA DE VACA Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Joshua Parr 12 55kg 100
6 864×722744 MIGHTY LUCKY Fred Cowell Chris O’Brien 7 55kg 100
7 x40211x214 CRACK ME UP (NZ) Liam Birchley Jason Collett 2 54.5kg 99
8 4x211x2111 INTERLOCUTER (USA) James Cummings Tye Angland 4 54.5kg 99
9 1105×75361 DARK EYES Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Adam Hyeronimus 15 54kg 98
10 6791127434 EMBLEY Bjorn Baker Josh Adams 1 54kg 98
11 10x3x128x2 MISTER SEA WOLF (IRE) Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 13 54kg 98
12 x63773x536 FEDERAL James Cummings Ms Kathy O’Hara 6 53kg 96
13 73x6276x42 GOD’S IN HIM Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Andrew Adkins (a) 3 53kg 93
14 7×05148497 SOMEDAY Desleigh Forster 10 53kg 91
15 6x3941x065 SALSONIC Jason Coyle Peter Wells 9 53kg 89

2017 Villiers Stakes Nominations

The Villiers Stakes nominations will be released on the Monday prior to the race. You can almost always find some Group 1 winners in the Villiers Stakes nominations, largely because it’s a popular target at the end of many horses’ campaigns.

The 2017 Villiers Stakes nominations & weights will be published below.

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Ballot Weight Hcp Rating
1 1633030×71 TESTASHADOW G 6 Gary Portelli 1 57kg 104
2 9763415041 DESTINY’S KISS G 9 Joseph Pride 2 59kg 108
3 55×4278053 RED EXCITEMENT G 8 Gerald Ryan 3 58kg 106
4 x2908x1632 HOPFGARTEN G 7 Robert Heathcote 4 57kg 104
5 2x2111x118 CABEZA DE VACA G 6 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 5= 55kg 100
6 864×722744 MIGHTY LUCKY G 8 Fred Cowell 5= 55kg 100
7 x40211x214 CRACK ME UP (NZ) G 4 Liam Birchley 7= 54.5kg 99
8 4x211x2111 INTERLOCUTER (USA) H 5 James Cummings 7= 54.5kg 99
9 1105×75361 DARK EYES G 5 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 9= 54kg 98
10 6791127434 EMBLEY G 6 Bjorn Baker 9= 54kg 98
11 10x3x128x2 MISTER SEA WOLF (IRE) G 6 Chris Waller 9= 54kg 98
12 x63773x536 FEDERAL G 6 James Cummings 12 53kg 96
13 197×887324 RAW IMPULSE (GB) H 6 Darren Weir 13 53kg 94
14 73x6276x42 GOD’S IN HIM G 8 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 14 53kg 93
15 7×05148497 SOMEDAY G 9 Desleigh Forster 15= 53kg 91
16 45x76x4132 TORGERSEN (NZ) G 5 Chris Waller 15= 53kg 91
17 6x3941x065 SALSONIC G 4 Jason Coyle 17 53kg 89
18 74134x746x PERIBSEN (IRE) H 5 John O’Shea 18 53kg 71

Villiers Stakes Results

Villiers Stakes winners and place getters since 2000 with winning times are listed below.

Year Results Winning Time
2017 1 Crack Me Up 2 Cabeza De Vaca 3 Interlocutor  1:34.9
2016 1 Sense of Occasion 2 Dibayani 3 Sarrasin  1:37.4
2015 1 Happy Clapper 2 Tinto 3 It’s Somewhat  1:33.9
2014 1 Rudy 2 I’m Imposing 3 Strawberry Boy  TBD
2013 1 Ninth Legion 2 Limes 3 Alma’s Fury  1:31.4
2012 1 All Legal 2 Alma’s Fury 3 Darci Be Good  1:35.8
2011 1 Monton 2 Kontiki Park 3 King Lionheart  1:36.3
2010 1 Dances On Waves 2 Mentality 3 Snow Alert  1:35.0
2009 1 Palacio De Cristal 2 Parfumier 3 Spinney  1:34.7
2008 1 (Jan) Honor In War 2 Takeover Target 3 Alverta  1.21.5
2008 1 Something Anything 2 Hey Elvis 3 Rags To Riches  1:36.3
2007 1 Race not run 2 3  
2006 1 Utzon 2 Anwaar 3 Spirit of Tara  1.35.2
2005 1 Aqua D’Amore 2 Malcolm 3 Fiery Venture  1.35.4
2004 1 Ike’s Dream 2 Dante’s Paradiso 3 Sir Dex  1.33.1
2003 1 On a High 2 Mufti 3 Jeremiad  1.35.8
2002 1 Boreale 2 This Manshood 3 Silver Birch  1.34.8
2001 1 Carael Boy 2 Space Age 3 Osca Warrior  1.36.5
2000 1 Grey And Gold 2 Taberann 3 Forbill  1.36.1

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