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

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.

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 $500,000 in prize money.

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.

The latest running of the Canterbury Stakes took place on Saturday March 6, 2021 and saw Savatiano enjoy her maiden Group 1. 

Canterbury Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday March 6, 2021
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 1300m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $500,000
• First Run: 1929

2021 Canterbury Stakes Results

The official Canterbury Stakes results 2021 and finishing order will be announced below on Saturday March 6, 2021.

• 1st: #8 Savatiano
• 2nd: #10 Mizzy
• 3rd: #7 Masked Crusader

Godolphin’s last start Group 2 Expressway Stakes winning mare Savatiano finally got up to celebrate her maiden Group 1 win with success in the 2021 Canterbury Stakes results. 

Canterbury Stakes Odds & Betting

Favourites in the Canterbury Stakes odds have dominated the race throughout history including 13 winning since 1996, most recently Happy Clapper ($4.60 in 2018).

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 five times from 2011 – 2021 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. 

2021 Canterbury Stakes Betting

The season’s best Canterbury Stakes 2021 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 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 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.

2021 Canterbury Stakes Field

The Canterbury Stakes 2021 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 2021 Canterbury Stakes field features 11 gallopers led in betting by the Godolphin-raced VRC Sprint Classic champion Bivouac trying his luck in Sydney over the extra metres here off a lead-up fifth in Flemington’s Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m). 

• Scratchings: #4 Kementari (9); #11 Prague (10)

2021 Canterbury Stakes Nominations

The Canterbury Stakes 2021 Nominations are open until the Monday of Randwick Guineas Day and will be available in full below.

A star-studded list of 18 gallopers make-up the 2021 Canterbury Stakes nominations this season including last year’s runner-up Savatiano coming off a win in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes.

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Canterbury Stakes Tips

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 – 2021 five 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 seven wins including four of the five champions from 2011 – 2015. She also more recently ran second with Global Glamour in 2018.

2021 Canterbury Stakes Tips

Bookmark this page for our insider Ladbrokes’ Canterbury Stakes tips 2021 with exotic betting selections to make on the Randwick Guineas Day support act this autumn.

• To Win: #8 Savatiano ($4.40 at time of publish) 

The addition of Bivouac makes this a really interesting edition of the Canterbury, but going with the better-priced stablemate in Savatiano who is in red hot form. She’s drawn a treat in gate three chasing a second-up win over a distance she’s got a great record over (9:5-3-1). First-up this six-year-old daughter of Street Cry was excellent in Sydney’s Group 2 Expressway Stakes in January winning that by two lengths, and she’ll only improve being kept fit with a recent Canterbury trial. 

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 four winning from 2011 – 2015 with all but one prepared by Gai Waterhouse.

Canterbury Stakes Form Facts

• From 2011-21 five 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 and Expressway Stakes winning mare Savatiano (2021) 
• From  2006 – 2021 six favourites in Canterbury Stakes betting saluted for the punters
• Mares have a strong recent record in Canterbury Stakes results with five saluting from 2011 – 2021

2021 Canterbury Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Canterbury Stakes 2021 Form Guide will be provided for punters the week of the race.

Canterbury Stakes Results

The Canterbury Stakes 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 Pierro (2013) and dual winner More Joyous (2011-12) both prepared by the race’s most successful trainer Gai Waterhouse.

Canterbury Stakes Winners