The 2016 Blue Sapphire Stakes is a Listed race held at Caulfield Racecourse during the Caulfield Spring Racing Carnival.

Raced over a rapid 1200m, the Blue Sapphire Stakes is an exciting sprinting competition for three year olds. Held under set weights conditions, the Blue Sapphire Stakes provides an opportunity for truly classy three year olds to showcase their skills on a world stage at one of the most renowned tracks in Australia.

With [cf “prize_money”] prize money on offer, this is one of the most lucrative listed events held in the country.

The Caulfield Spring Carnival is a thrilling three day series of racing that features some of the biggest races in the world. The Blue Sapphire Stakes falls on the Wednesday on the second day of the carnival. While it is sandwiched between two multi-million dollar days of racing, Blue Sapphire Stakes Day draws considerable attention in its own right. The first day of the Caulfield Spring Carnival features four Group 1 events on a massive program of ten black-type races. Caulfield Cup Day, just a few days later, features nine black-type events, one of which is the world-famous Caulfield Cup. Blue Sapphire Stakes Day features two other black-type events, the Listed Caulfield Village Stakes and the Group 3 Ladies Day Vase.

Keep an eye on the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes held in Sydney a few weeks earlier, as some of the runners in that will seek to contest the Blue Sapphire Stakes. If a horse has a decent run in the Blue Sapphire Stakes, they might go on to contest a Group 1 event such as the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

Inaugurated in 2012, the Blue Sapphire Stakes is a very young race, particularly compared to the bastions of tradition running a few days either side of it. The Blue Sapphire Stakes is intended to act as a counter to the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes in Sydney, and the prize money, very generous for a listed race, reflects this.

The Blue Sapphire Stakes received a priority upgrade to Listed status before the 2014 edition, reflecting the growing importance of the race and the strong push by Victorian officials to rapidly grow the event in stature.

It seems as though the Blue Sapphire Stakes is slated to replace the Ladies Day Vase as the feature event on Day 2 of the Caulfield Spring Racing Carnival. There is a precedent for the rapid growth of a feature race for three year olds. The Golden Rose Stakes was inaugurated in 2003 and was a Group 1 event by 2009. As such, there is every chance that the Blue Sapphire Stakes will very soon be a major feature of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

2016 Blue Sapphire Stakes Field

The Blue Sapphire Stakes field attracts top quality three year olds. Because of it’s growing prestige and the slot it occupies in the calendar, the Blue Sapphire Stakes is an attractive option for trainers looking to get their three year olds to Group 1 level.

The 2016 Blue Sapphire Stakes field will be published here.

2016 Blue Sapphire Stakes Nominations

The Blue Sapphire Stakes nominations provide a fair glimpse into the aspirations trainers may have for their horses. Along with the cryptic comments they make at the tracks, the Blue Sapphire Stakes nominations show us which horses might be headed to which major events later on in their spring campaign.

The 2016 Blue Sapphire Stakes nominations

will be provided below.