Autumn Stakes 2024

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

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.

*In 2023 the 2023 Autumn Stakes and C.F. Orr Stakes Day card ran at Ladbrokes Park Hillside, Sandown. 

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 as of 2022 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 latest edition of the Autumn Stakes ran on Saturday February 10, 2024 at Caulfield Racecourse and saw Snow Patrol ($9) dig deep and run down the better-fancied front-runner to salute in an upset on Orr Day. 

2024 Autumn Stakes Results

The full Autumn Stakes 2024 Results & Finishing Order will be known on Saturday February 10, 2024 and published right here, so stay tuned to view the official Autumn Stakes winner and place-getters.

2024 Autumn Stakes winner Snow Patrol wore down the leader to score a narrow upset. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

• 1st: #7 Snow Patrol
• 2nd: #4 Southport Tycoon
• 3rd: #1 Zipaway

Progressive Contributer gelding Snow Patrol ($9) outstayed his rivals to score a narrow but convincing upset in the 2024 Autumn Stakes results hitting his stride at the 150m to run down the beaten favourite Southport Tycoon and score by a nose on the line thanks to a perfectly-timed ride by Mark Zahra.

2024 Autumn Stakes Odds

The updated Autumn Stakes 2024 betting odds will be available below as soon as released.

Autumn Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday February 10, 2024
• 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) was the last 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.

2024 Autumn Stakes Field & Barrier Draw

The official Autumn Stakes 2024 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 Ciaron Maher-trained Group 2 Australia Stakes runner-up last time out, Southport Tycoon, is odds-on favourite in a small Autumn Stakes 2024 final field of three-year-olds at Caulfield on the weekend.

2024 Autumn Stakes Nominations

The Autumn Stakes 2024 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.

2024 Autumn Stakes Tips

Our expert Autumn Stakes 2024 tips will be available below the week of the race so stay tuned.

• To Win: #1 Zipaway ($6 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Good price on offer for this Perth raider, winner of the Group 2 WA Guineas over the mile. Neville Parnham’s son of Playing God was excellent taking on the older horses in the Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) last start finishing a brave third beaten a nostril flare in a photo-finish. Trialled well at home in late January ahead of his trip to the eastern states for the autumn. Proven fresh, winning form at the distance, think he can frank the WA form and salute here 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.

2024 Autumn Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Autumn Stakes 2024 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 place-getters going back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.