Autumn Stakes 2025

Ladbrokes Tip: The Autumn Stakes makes a good lead-up into the Australian Guineas each autumn

The latest edition of the Autumn Stakes ran on Saturday February 8, 2025 at Caulfield Racecourse and saw the Clinton McDonald trained favourite Angel Capital ($2.70) salute fresh for the punters ahead of the Australian Guineas. 

2025 Autumn Stakes Results

The full Autumn Stakes 2025 Results & Finishing Order will be known on Saturday February 8, 2025 and published right here, so stay tuned to view the official Autumn Stakes winner and placegetters.

2025 Autumn Stakes winner Angel Capital is now favourite for the Group 1 Australian Guineas. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

• 1st: #2 Angel Capital
• 2nd: #8 Plymouth
• 3rd: #1 Evaporate 

Clinton McDonald’s impressive colt Angel Capital, racing for the first time since a sixth in the spring’s Group 1 Caulfield Guineas, was too good for his rivals fresh retaining his unbeaten first-up record when coming from fifth at the top of the straight to charge down the outside and defeat the front-running Plymouth by 1.5 lengths as the $2.70 favourite in betting on the Autumn Stakes 2025 results.

He has now shot to the top of the all-in 2025 Australian Guineas odds for Flemington next month. 

2025 Autumn Stakes Odds

The updated Autumn Stakes 2025 betting odds will be available below as soon as released.

The Autumn Stakes is one of the first Group 2 races held during the annual Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival and runs at Caulfield Racecourse on C.F. Orr Stakes Day in mid-February.

2022 Autumn Stakes winner Coastwatch. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The meeting’s card is headlined by the season’s first elite level race – the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m), and the Autumn Stakes for three-year-olds is one of three Group 2 support acts on the bill.

Run over 1400m at set weights plus penalties, the Autumn Stakes offers a total of $300,000 in prize money, and young horses often kick off their autumn campaigns in the race.

It also serves as a key early lead-up into the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington the following month and the double was recently achieved by Light Fantastic (2008).

The 2024 Autumn Stakes also produced that year’s Australian Guineas winner with the runner-up Southport Tycoon going one better next start in the Group 1 at Flemington.

Autumn Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday February 8, 2025
• Track: Caulfield Racecourse
• Distance: 1400m
• Conditions: 3YO Set Weights + Penalties
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $300,000
• First Run: 1968

Autumn Stakes Betting

Autumn Stakes betting markets traditionally open after the field is announced on the Wednesday prior to the event running on CF Orr Stakes Day on the Saturday.

Three-year-olds proven over 1400m or further dominate the Autumn Stakes odds, as do those with Group 1 form the previous season and Melbourne race experience. Favourites and single-figure hopefuls have a solid record running top three in the Autumn Stakes.

Microphone ($2.60 in 2020) and Angel Capital ($2.70 in 2025) are the latest favourite in Autumn Stakes betting to salute.

2023 Autumn Stakes winning grey Glint Of Silver scored an upset in the Group 2 on Orr Day. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Autumn Stakes Field

The Autumn Stakes race field attracts a quality line-up of three-year-old gallopers each year, many racing first-up for the autumn. If not resuming in the Autumn Stakes, runners may come off a lead-up run in something like the Group 3 Manfred Stakes.

Many Autumn Stakes hopefuls go on to contest the following month’s Australian Guineas over the Flemington mile.

Autumn Stakes nominations are taken the Monday before the race with final acceptances and barriers out on the Wednesday.

2025 Autumn Stakes Field & Barrier Draw

The official Autumn Stakes 2025 Field & Barriers are announced by Racing Victoria on the Wednesday of race week and published in full below so stay tuned for the full line-up of gun autumn three-year-olds.

The Autumn Stakes 2025 field features a class line-up of potential Group 1 bound three-year-olds led in betting by the Clinton McDonald trained Angel Capital.

2025 Autumn Stakes Nominations

The Autumn Stakes 2025 nominations are taken on the Monday leading-up to CF Orr Stakes Day and the list of early entries will be available below once announced.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Autumn Stakes Tips

Autumn Stakes tips include looking for a runner under $10 for the win with proven Melbourne form in similar company.

Runners proven over the distance (1400m) or further also make a good Autumn Stakes betting tip, with Thunder Fantasy winning the race first-up in 2014 after a third in the previous year’s Victoria Derby (2500m).

The winning strike rate for favourites is only fair, but they make excellent place bets and shouldn’t be left out of Autumn Stakes tips more often than not.

2025 Autumn Stakes Tips

Our expert Autumn Stakes 2025 tips will be available below the week of the race so stay tuned.

Keen to see the resuming run of Evaporate who runs for the first time since his Cox Plate performance where things did not go to plan. He was nearly 18 lengths last behind runaway champ Via Sistina but that was in the Australasian WFA championship of the world. This is a Group 2 at Caulfield on Orr Day and a much more suitable assignment for the Group 2 Stutt Stakes winning Per Incanto gelding. He’s proven up to a mile and so the 1400m fresh should be ideal. Group 1 Caulfield Guineas third was eye-catching under a length off the winner Private Life. Has looked the goods in recent trials at Flemington. Has carried big weights to big wins in easier grade so can handle the 58.5kg equal top-weight. Barrier three and Mark Zahra are two more ticks. Wins first-up.

Autumn Stakes Form Guide

The Autumn Stakes form guide details all of the must know info like the jockeys, trainers and lead-up form of the runners in the field along with their barriers. Looking at the form for first-up runners that have a good strike rate when resuming who have winning form over 1400m or further is important.

The Autumn Stakes form has also stacked up in the Australian Guineas in recent years including 2014 Autumn Stakes winner Thunder Fantasy running third in the Group 1 next start. Heart Of Dreams (2009) also ran third in the Autumn Stakes before winning that year’s Australian Guineas.

In 2019 the Autumn Stakes winner Hawkshot went on to finish second behind gun filly Mystic Journey next start in the Australian Guineas results.

Earlier, in 2013 Autumn Stakes runner-up Fiveandahalfstar went on to run second in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) two runs later and second in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) in Sydney after that before a win in the Group 1 The BMW (2400m) that autumn at Rosehill Gardens.

2025 Autumn Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Autumn Stakes 2025 Form Guide will be provided below the week of the race.

Autumn Stakes Results

The Autumn Stakes race results have been dominated by single figure hopes in recent years and have produced plenty of strong Group 1 performers over time.

Notable recent Autumn Stakes winners include Apache Cat (2006), Light Fantastic (2008), Denman (2010), Mahuta (2016), and Microphone (2020).

Catechuchu (2007) was the last Autumn Stakes winning filly.

Autumn Stakes Winners

Past Autumn Stakes winners and placegetters going back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.

FAQ

Who won the 2025 Autumn Stakes?

The 2025 Autumn Stakes was won by Angel Capital at $2.70 favouritism for trainer Clinton McDonald with Ben Melham aboard from barrier 6 on 58.5kg to win in 1:24.66.

When is the Autumn Stakes 2025?

What is the prize money for the Autumn Stakes 2025?

$300,000

Where is the Autumn Stakes 2025?

Caulfield Racecourse, Gate 22, Station St, Caulfield East VIC 3145.