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).

The latest edition of the Apollo Stakes took place on Saturday February 13, 2021 and was won by Godolphin’s Golden Eagle winning mare Colette. 

Apollo Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday February 13, 2021
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 1400m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $250,000
• First Run: 1977

2021 Apollo Stakes Results

The Apollo Stakes 2021 Results & Finishing Order will be known on Saturday February 13, 2021 and published in full below.

• 1st: #7 Colette
• 2nd: #1 Kolding
• 3rd: #6 Verry Elleegant

The James Cummings-trained Golden Eagle winning mare from the spring, Colette returned in excellent fashion relishing a wet track to score an upset 2021 Apollo Stakes result over the Chris Waller-trained duo of Kolding (2nd) and Verry Elleegant (3rd).

Apollo Stakes Odds & 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.

2021 Apollo Stakes Betting

The latest Apollo Stakes odds for 2021 will be found below as soon as markets on the Group 2 autumn feature are released.

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) 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.

2021 Apollo Stakes Field

The official Apollo Sakes field 2021 and barriers will be published here once it’s finalised on the Wednesday before the race.

The 2021 Apollo Stakes final field is down to nine runners after the early scratching of Mo’unga with Chris Waller’s brilliant mare Verry Elleegant the clear favourite in betting first-up.

• Scratched: #10 Mo’unga (9)

2021 Apollo Stakes Nominations

The early Apollo Stakes 2021 nominations are taken on the Monday of race week and the full list of entries will be available below.

Trainer Chris Waller dominates the nine original 2021 Apollo Stakes nominations (extended until Tuesday morning) with his four entries led in betting by all-in favourite Funstar.

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.

2021 Apollo Stakes Tips

Our exclusive Ladbrokes Apollo Stakes 2021 betting tips will be updated below the week of the race so stay tuned.

• To Win: #6 Verry Elleegant ($3.80 at time of publish) 

Great race and an open edition, but think the punters and money is right and going for the always classy Verry Elleegant to win this for the Waller stable who’ve dominated the results over the past decade. She’ll get things her way from barrier four and can show-up fresh. Won the Group 1 Winx Stakes last time at the track / distance and the Turnbull Stakes / Caulfield Cup double in Melbourne following that…she’s brilliant and I can’t bet against her here.

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.

2021 Apollo Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Apollo Stakes 2021 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 Alizee (2020), Winx (2016-17, 2019), Contributer (2015), Appearance (2014), Danleigh (2010) and Racing To Win (2008).

Apollo Stakes Winners