Apollo Stakes 2022

Ladbrokes Tip: The Apollo Stakes is a good lead-up to the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes each autumn

The Apollo Stakes is a top Group 2 race held at Royal Randwick Racecourse on a Saturday in mid-February each year during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

Run under weight-for-age conditions over 1400m and open to horses aged three-years-old and over, the Apollo Stakes is the headline event on the Sydney race card for the meeting and is supported by the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) for fillies.

The Apollo Stakes offers a total of $250,000 in prize money including $150,000 for the winning connections. The Apollo Stakes is also a nice lead-up race for horses heading towards the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) back at the track a fortnight later, a double recently completed by Contributer (2015) and Winx (2016, 2017 & 2019).

In 2021 Verry Elleegant ran third in the Apollo before her Chipping Norton Stakes victory and went on to win a host more elite level races over the year including most famously the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.

The latest edition of the Apollo Stakes took place on Saturday February 12, 2022 and was won first-up in fine style by the Kerry Parker-trained Think It Over ($6). 

Apollo Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday February 12, 2022
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 1400m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $250,000
• First Run: 1977

2022 Apollo Stakes Results

The Apollo Stakes 2022 Results & Finishing Order will be known on Saturday February 12, 2022 and published in full below.

• 1st: #1 Think It Over ($6)
• 2nd: #10 Colette
• 3rd: #5 Special Reward

The ultra-consistent Kerry Parker-trained Think It Over ($6) was too good for his rivals first-up enjoying a dominant victory in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes results in 2022 over last year’s winner Colette ahead of a likely next-up run in the Chipping Norton Stakes on February 26th.

Apollo Stakes Betting

Apollo Stakes odds are usually led by a previous Group 1 winner with top form the previous spring in either Melbourne or Sydney. At Randwick over the 1400m barrier draw isn’t the most important thing and wider-drawn runners can feature highly up the Apollo Stakes betting markets.

Proven weight-for-age performers and those with winning form over the distance are often popular bets. The conditions of the race favour the classier horses, but with many milers resuming those suited to the shorter distance can make a good value punt.

Winx ($1.10 in 2019) for her third Apollo Stakes victory was the last favourite to salute for the punters.

2022 Apollo Stakes Odds

The latest Apollo Stakes odds for 2022 will be found below as soon as markets on the Group 2 autumn feature are released.

Apollo Stakes Field

The Apollo Stakes field attracts a field of the season’s most promising weight-for-age runners that are looking to step out over more distance up to a mile over the autumn carnival. The field limit is 16 starters and many horses run first-up for the season in the Apollo Stakes.

Many top performers from the previous year’s Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival are included in the line-up each season and Group 1 winners often feature in the field.

Winx (2016, 2017, 2019) is the best Apollo Stakes winner in recent autumn racing history. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.

If not racing first-up, horses may come via a run in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) run over 200m shorter at Rosehill a fortnight before. Appearance (2014) was the last Expressway Stakes – Apollo Stakes double winner. She also went on to win the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at her next start.

The Apollo Stakes nominations close on the Monday before the race followed by the release of the final field of acceptances and barrier draw on the Wednesday.

2022 Apollo Stakes Field

The official Apollo Sakes field 2022 and barriers will be published here once it’s finalised on the Wednesday before the race.

The 2022 Apollo Stakes final field features 14 runners including resuming Melbourne Cup hero Verry Elleegant drawn barrier one and the favourite Think It Over out wide chasing a fourth consecutive win in his autumn return.

• Scratched: #3 Cascadian (11) has been withdrawn in favour of a Melbourne run in Caulfield’s Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m).

2022 Apollo Stakes Nominations

The early Apollo Stakes 2022 nominations are taken on the Monday of race week and the full list of entries will be available below.

The 2022 Apollo Stakes nominations attracted 16 early entries led by resuming Melbourne Cup hero Verry Elleegant who ran third in the race last year behind Colette (1st) and Kolding (2nd) – both of which are also nominated for this year’s edition.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Apollo Stakes Tips

Apollo Stakes tips usually feature proven Group 1 horses and those running first-up off good trial form in Sydney.

Horses proven in weight-for-age company and those with a good record at the track / distance also make good Apollo Stakes tips. Both male and female gallopers have strong records in the race, so Apollo Stakes tipping doesn’t favour one or the other.

The Expressway Stakes has provided a good lead-up to the Apollo Stakes in recent years with both Appearance (2014) and Rain Affair (2012) completing the double.

2022 Apollo Stakes Tips

Our exclusive Ladbrokes’ Apollo Stakes 2022 betting tips will be updated below the week of the race so stay tuned.

• To Win: #11 Icebath ($12 at time of publish) 

There’s a Melbourne Cup winner and a host of resuming stars, but for value going out on a limb with this class and often underrated mare. Winner of the $2 million The Invitation at this track and distance from out wide in the spring and gets similar conditions including the wide gate first-up. Her fresh record is strong (6-1-2-2) and her last run when second in Melbourne’s Cantala Stakes was so brave. Has plenty of form at Randwick and looks overs to give this field a shake-up.

Apollo Stakes Form Guide

The Apollo Stakes form guide lists all of the important information punters need to consider before placing a bet including the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up form of the runners.

Mares have an excellent recent record in the race over the past decade with Colette (2021), Alizee (2020), Appearance (2014), Alma’s Fury (2013), Melito (2011) and Tuesday Joy (2009) all beating home the boys ahead along with the three Apollo Stakes wins by the world’s best mare Winx (2016-17, 2019).

First-up runners also have a good Apollo Stakes strike-rate so looking at those with good fresh form is important. Think It Over (2022) was the last first-up Apollo Stakes winner.

The Apollo Stakes form guide traditionally holds well in the upcoming Group 1 autumn races including the Chipping Norton Stakes, Ranvet Stakes and Tancred Stakes.

2022 Apollo Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Apollo Stakes 2022 Form Guide will be provided below the week of the race.

Apollo Stakes Results

Mares have dominated the Apollo Stakes results in the past 10 years. The latest double-figure upsets were scored in 2013 when Alma’s Fury saluted at 40/1 odds and Colette at 13/1 in 2021.

Notable recent Apollo Stakes winners include Colette (2021), Alizee (2020), Winx (2016-17, 2019), Contributer (2015), Appearance (2014), Danleigh (2010) and Racing To Win (2008).

Apollo Stakes Winners