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 15, 2020 and was won by Godolphin’s class mare Alizee. 

Apollo Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday February 15, 2020
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 1400m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $250,000
• First Run: 1977

2020 Apollo Stakes Results

The Apollo Stakes 2020 Results & Finishing Order will be known on Saturday February 15, 2020 and published in full below.

• 1st: #8 Alizee
• 2nd: #2 Dreamforce
• 3rd: #1 Happy Clapper

She may have eased pre-race into second favouritism but the James Cummings-trained multiple Group 1 winning mare Alizee was the one to be on in the 2020 Apollo Stakes results. She was gutsy late to defeat the market mover Dreamforce by a neck, with veteran galloper Happy Clapper in another feature race placing for third.

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.

2020 Apollo Stakes Betting

The latest Apollo Stakes odds for 2020 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.

2020 Apollo Stakes Field

The official Apollo Sakes field 2020 and barriers will be published here once it’s finalised on the Wednesday before the race.

The 2020 Apollo Stakes final field features 10 gallopers led in betting by the rails-drawn Alizee. Dreamforce, runner-up in the Doncaster Mile last year, is a first-up specialist following closely in betting. Happy Clapper in gate four is the cult horse in the mix, the popular veteran boasting an outstanding Randwick record.

2020 Apollo Stakes Nominations

The early Apollo Stakes 2020 nominations are taken on the Monday of race week and the full list of entries will be available below.

The 2020 Apollo Stakes nominations feature 14 potential runners led in betting by the James Cummings-trained mare Alizee. Trainer Chris Waller will attempt a fifth consecutive win with four nominees for the stable led by Group 1 winning mare Verry Elleegant.

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.

2020 Apollo Stakes Tips

Our exclusive Ladbrokes Apollo Stakes 2020 betting tips will be updated below the week of the race so stay tuned.

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 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.

2020 Apollo Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Apollo Stakes 2020 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 last double-figure upset was scored in 2013 when Alma’s Fury saluted at 40/1 odds.

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