Canterbury Stakes 2025

Ladbrokes Tip: Canterbury Stakes favourites have a gun record and are usually the best bet

The latest edition of the Canterbury Stakes took place on Saturday March 8, 2025 as part of Randwick Guineas Day in Sydney and saw class import Royal Patronage enjoy a notable upset at $20 for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott. 

2025 Canterbury Stakes Results

The official Canterbury Stakes results 2025 and finishing order will be announced below on Saturday March 8, 2025.

2025 Canterbury Stakes winner Royal Patronage was impressive in a Group 1 upset fresh. Photo: © 2025 – Bradley Photos.

• 1st: #6 Royal Patronage
• 2nd: #2 Here To Shock
• 3rd: #10 Magic Time

Royal Patronage ($20) was enormous first-up off an on-speed ride by Tim Clark to run down Here To Shock late and post a narrow upset in the 2025 Canterbury Stakes results ahead of potential runs in the George Ryder and Doncaster Mile this autumn at elite level for trainers Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.

2025 Canterbury Stakes Odds

The season’s best Canterbury Stakes 2025 odds will be available below the week of the race so stay tuned for the best Randwick Guineas Day Group 1 racing markets.

The Canterbury Stakes is one of two Group 1 races held at Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse on Randwick Guineas Day on a Saturday in early – mid March each year.

2022 Canterbury Stakes winner Forbidden Love. Photo: Steve Hart.

The meeting is one of the first Group 1 race days during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and is headlined by the three-year-olds facing off in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m). The Group 1 Canterbury Stakes is the major support act on the card and offers $750,000 in prize money as of 2024.

Originally run at Canterbury Racecourse it has taken place at Randwick after being transferred from Rosehill Gardens in 1997. Contested over a middle sprint distance of 1300m it is run under weight-for-age conditions and is open to horses aged three-years-old and upwards, holding Group 1 status since 2013 when star colt Pierro won.

The Canterbury Stakes winner is exempt from ballot for the upcoming George Ryder Stakes and Doncaster Mile run at Rosehill and Randwick Racecourses respectively over the following four weeks.

Forbidden Love (2022) was the last runner to complete the Canterbury Stakes – George Ryder Stakes double.

Canterbury Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday March 8, 2025
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 1300m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $750,000
• First Run: 1929

Favourites in the Canterbury Stakes odds have dominated the race throughout history including 14 winning since 1996, most recently Happy Clapper ($4.60 in 2018) and Forbidden Love ($2.20 in 2022).

The latest Canterbury Stakes favourite to salute prior to Happy Clapper (2018) was Cosmic Endeavour (2015).

Because the race often attracts a small field the Canterbury Stakes barriers rarely affect the betting markets however the standout gate producing nine winners in the past 30 years is barrier nine.

Last start winners saluted in the race six times from 2011 – 2025 so those horses coming off a win often dominate the Canterbury Stakes betting markets – the latest being Savatiano (2021) coming off a Group 2 Expressway Stakes victory and Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes winner the Saturday prior Forbidden Love in 2022.

There was an upset in 2024 with Lady Laguna ($11), coming off a second in the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m), beating the favourites Think It Over ($2.35F) and Espiona ($2.45) with a stylish boil-over.

Another Canterbury Stakes upset result occurred in 2025 with Royal Patronage at big odds of $20. 

Canterbury Stakes Field

The Canterbury Stakes race field attracts a wide variety of weight-for-age gallopers that come via different lead-up races and are often targeting different next-up options.

Pierro (2013) is one of the shortest-priced favourites to salute in the Canterbury Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.

Because of the ballot exemptions on offer to the winner many Canterbury Stakes winners go on to run in the George Ryder Stakes and Doncaster Mile over 1500m and 1600m respectively later in the autumn.

Rarely does the race attract its capacity number of runners and the Canterbury Stakes field often features small numbers including in 2025 (11), 2024 (7), 2023 (11), 2022 (9), 2021 (9), 2020 (7), (2019 (7), 2018 (9), 2017 (8), 2016 (7), 2015 (8), 2014 (10), and 2011 (5) when More Joyous defeated home just four rivals. There were also only five runners in the 2008 Canterbury Guineas field when Mentality won as a 4/1 shot.

Canterbury Stakes nominations close the Monday before the race with the final field and barrier draw out two days later.

2025 Canterbury Stakes Field

The Canterbury Stakes 2025 field and barrier draw will be published below once announced on the Wednesday leading up to Randwick Guineas Day so stay tuned to see what gun sprinters make the starting line-up.

The Canterbury Stakes 2025 final field features a crack line-up of autumn hopefuls with the latest markets led by smart mare Magic Time in gate six.

2025 Canterbury Stakes Nominations

The Canterbury Stakes 2025 Nominations are open until the Monday of Randwick Guineas Day and will be available in full below.

The 2025 Canterbury Stakes nominations attracted 17 class autumn hopefuls led in all-in betting by Expressway Stakes winning mare Magic Time.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Canterbury Stakes Tips

2023 Canterbury Stakes winner Artorius was huge late winning the weight-for-age first-up back in Australia. Photo: Steve Hart.

The best Canterbury Stakes betting tip is to back the favourite as they have a stellar record in the weight-for-age feature, which is one of Australia’s youngest Group 1 races.

From 2011 – 2025 six of the Canterbury Stakes favourites saluted for the punters.

Other Canterbury Stakes tips include looking at horses coming off a last-start win as they have a strong showing in the winners’ list and checking for any Gai Waterhouse-trained starters.

Waterhouse has saddled-up over 20 runners in the race over the past three decades for an incredible eight wins including four of the five champions from 2011 – 2015. She also more recently ran second with Global Glamour in 2018.

The latest Gai Waterhouse trained Canterbury Stakes winner was Royal Patronage (2025) who she trained in partnership with Adrian Bott. 

2025 Canterbury Stakes Tips

Bookmark this page for our insider Ladbrokes’ Canterbury Stakes tips 2025 with exotic betting selections to make on the Randwick Guineas Day support act this autumn.

Loving the Canterbury Stakes field this year which shapes up as the race of the weekend for mine! Plenty of winning chances bringing in various form lines but happy to go for a touch of value with Ceolwulf in his rescheduled second-up run. Withdrawn from the Verry Elleeegant last weekend where no doubt he would have been competitive. Fresh he was fourth in the Group 2 Apollo only 1.45 lengths beaten and that form was well and truly franked last Saturday with the same three Waller gallopers running the Group 1 trifecta in the race this Tavistock horse scratched from. Never ideal to miss a run but Pride is confident the horse is back to his peak and this is an easier assignment than what he would have faced behind Via Sistina a week prior. Two-time Group 1 winner over the mile here in the spring, gets the rails run, can salute.

Canterbury Stakes Form Guide

The Canterbury Stakes form guide shows runners in the race come off a mix of lead-up runs and there is no standout race line to follow into the event.

The only races to produce multiple Canterbury Stakes winners over the past decade are the Group 2 Apollo Stakes and the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes both held the previous month at Randwick.

Canterbury Stakes form also shows the barriers of all runners and while there is a fairly even spread one gate has produced more winners than any other, nine, but not since Empire (2002) and Defier (2003) went back-to-back.

Mares also stand out in the Canterbury Stakes form guide with Forbidden Love the seventh in 13 years to win.

The Canterbury Stakes form often stacks-up in other Group 1 autumn and spring races later in the year. In 2021 the Canterbury Stakes winner Savatiano ran second next-up in the All Aged Stakes, while the third placed Masked Crusader took out Melbourne’s Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.

Forbidden Love franked the 2022 Canterbury Stakes form winning the George Ryder next start before a Doncaster Mile fourth while the runner-up Lighthouse won the Group 1 Coolmore Classic next-up.

The 2023 Canterbury Stakes runner-up Imperatriz franked the form winning her next five starts on the trot including the Group 1 William Reid Stakes, Moir Stakes, Manikato Stakes and Flemington’s Champions Sprint over the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Canterbury Stakes Form Facts

• From 2011-25 six last start winners saluted including Appearance (2014) who completed the Apollo Stakes – Canterbury Stakes double, Le Romain (2017) who came off a Southern Cross Stakes win at the track, Expressway Stakes winning mare Savatiano (2021) and Forbidden Love (2022) on the short turnaround after winning the previous Saturday’s Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes.
• From 2006 – 2025 seven favourites in Canterbury Stakes betting saluted for the punters.
• Mares have a strong recent record in Canterbury Stakes results with seven saluting from 2011 – 2025 most recently Lady Laguna (2024).

2025 Canterbury Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Canterbury Stakes 2025 Form Guide will be provided for punters the week of the race.

Canterbury Stakes Results

The Canterbury Stakes race results and final finishing order of all runners in the field is released when the race event takes place on Randwick Guineas Day in early March each autumn.

The Canterbury Stakes winner, starting prices, successful margin and winning time are all listed in the results post-race.

Notable recent Canterbury Stakes winners include international Group 1 performer Artorius (2023), Pierro (2013), and dual winner More Joyous (2011-12) both prepared by the race’s most successful trainer Gai Waterhouse.

Lady Laguna (2024) was the last Canterbury Stakes winning mare.

Holler (2016) was the last three-year-old Canterbury Stakes winner.

Trapeze Artist holds the current Canterbury Stakes race record winning in 2019 in a time of 1 minute 14.19 seconds.

Recent Canterbury Stakes Winners

Past Canterbury Stakes winners and placegetters dating back to the year 2001 are detailed in the below table.

FAQ

Who won the 2025 Canterbury Stakes?

The 2025 Canterbury Stakes was won by Royal Patronage at $20 for trainers Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott with jockey Tim Clark aboard on 59kg from barrier 10 to win by 0.37 lengths in a time of 1:14.87.

When is the Canterbury Stakes 2025?

What is the prize money for the Canterbury Stakes 2025?

$750,000

Where is the Canterbury Stakes 2025?

Randwick Racecourse, Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031.