Ladbrokes Tip: Wide barriers have been a big hoodoo for horses in the Chipping Norton Stakes field over the past 20 years

The Chipping Norton Stakes is the opening Group 1 race of the annual Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and takes place at Royal Randwick Racecourse on the last Saturday in February or first in March. One of two Group 1 races on the card after the recent upgrade to the Surround Stakes (1400m), the Chipping Norton Stakes is run under weight-for-age conditions over a mile (1600m) and offers $600,000 in total prize money.

The event has held Group 1 status since 1986 and was cut from 2000m to 1600m in 1980. Multiple Chipping Norton Stakes winners are not uncommon with notable champions to take out the race more than once including the world’s best mare Winx (2016-19), Shoot Out (2012-13), four-time winner Tie The Knot (1999-2002) and Super Impose (1991-92).

The traditional lead-up into the Chipping Norton Stakes is via the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) held at Randwick Racecourse a fortnight before with the last horse to complete the Apollo – Chipping Norton Stakes double being Winx (2016 & 2017 & 2019). Winx also saluted in her third Chipping Norton Stakes in 2018 first-up by seven lengths.

This autumn’s Chipping Norton Stakes ran on Saturday February 27, 2021 and was won by the Chris Waller-trained favourite Verry Elleegant. 

Chipping Norton Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday February 27, 2021
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 1600m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $600,000
• First Run: 1925

2021 Chipping Norton Stakes Results

The official Chipping Norton Stakes Results 2021 and finishing order will be published below on Saturday February 27, 2021.

• 1st: #6 Verry Elleegant
• 2nd: #7 Colette
• 3rd: #2 Avilius 

The brilliant Chris Waller-trained mare Verry Elleegant ($2.30F) continued the outstanding record for the stable and the favourites with her gutsy late win in over the Godolphin-raced Colette (2nd) and Avilius (3rd) in the 2021 Chipping Norton Stakes results. 

Chipping Norton Stakes Betting & Odds

Chipping Norton Stakes betting markets are usually dominated by horses coming out of the Apollo Stakes a fortnight earlier at Randwick.

Favourites in the Chipping Norton Stakes odds have a strong recent record with eight wins in the nine years from 2013 – 2021, boosted by the four straight victories by the Chris Waller-trained superstar mare Winx (2016-19) and most recently the also Waller-trained Verry Elleegant ($2.30 in 2021). 

The Chipping Norton Stakes odds are always affected by the barrier draw with gates 1 – 8 the most successful in the past two decades. In-form Gai Waterhouse-trained runners are also well favoured in the Chipping Norton Stakes markets based her hot winning strike rate in the race.

2021 Chipping Norton Stakes Odds

The updated Chipping Norton Stakes 2021 odds can be found here as soon as released.

Winx won a record four straight editions of the Chipping Norton Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.

The Chipping Norton Stakes field is made up of the season’s best weight-for-age hopefuls and milers and usually attracts graduates of the Apollo Stakes run two weeks prior. Chipping Norton Stakes nominations are taken in early February, about three weeks out from the race before final acceptances the Wednesday of race week. 

While the field features a mix of male and female gallopers, four-time champion Winx (2016-19) became the first mare since Tuesday Joy (2009) to salute. Trainer Gai Waterhouse always has a strong hand in the Chipping Norton Stakes field and has won the race six times most recently with Theseo (2010).

Waller however is the master trainer with preparing nine of the 11 winners from 2011-2021.

2021 Chipping Norton Stakes Field & Barrier Draw

The 2021 Chipping Norton Stakes Field & Barrier Draw is set for release on Wednesday February 24, 2021 and will be published right here so stay tuned to see what WFA horses make the starting line-up.

The Chipping Norton Stakes 2021 final field features nine star gallopers including Caulfield Cup winning mare Verry Elleegant and last start Apollo Stakes winner Colette for Godolphin. 

2021 Chipping Norton Stakes Nominations

Nominations for the Chipping Norton Stakes 2021 are open until Monday the 22nd of February, 2021. 

Racing NSW have extended the 2021 Chipping Norton Stakes until Tuesday morning with just 15 early nominees that include six for Chris Waller led by his Caulfield Cup winning mare Verry Elleegant. 

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Chipping Norton Stakes Tips

Chipping Norton Stakes tips favour the best performers in the Apollo Stakes, a race that has produced more Chipping Norton Stakes winners than any other event in the past 30 years including Contributer (2015) and Winx (2016 & 2017 & 2019) who did the double on three occasions. Winx also won the Chipping Norton Stakes in 2018 and dominated tipping and betting on the weight-for-age autumn feature, but did so first-up.

A top Chipping Norton Stakes tip is to look at the horse drawn in barrier four as that gate has produced 11 champions of the race from 1983 – 2021, most recently Winx (4 of 10 in 2017 and 4 of 7 in 2019) and Verry Elleegant (4 of 9 in 2021). 

2021 Chipping Norton Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Chipping Norton Stakes 2021 tips will be provided below the week of the race each autumn so stay tuned for the runners to back and sack in the mile Group 1 this season.

• To Win: #7 Colette ($3.20 at time of publish) 

There may be just nine runners in this year’s race, but it’s set to be a beauty! The top three out of the Apollo Stakes renew rivalries and going to say that Colette can do it again. She’ll need to be good against Verry Elleegant who was doing her best work late for third in that lead-up, and Waller has that dominant record in this event, but hard to knock an in-form mare and she’s constantly underrated so sticking with her even going up to the mile. 

Chipping Norton Stakes Form Guide

The Chipping Norton Stakes form guide is essential viewing by all smart punters as it shows the saddlecloth numbers, lead-up form, trainers, jockeys and barriers for all the runners in the field.

Based on the form placing a well-informed Chipping Norton Stakes bet becomes easier and it is crucial to look at horses drawn inside the first eight barriers that come off solid lead-up form especially out of the Apollo Stakes.

Chipping Norton Stakes Form Facts

• Trainer Chris Waller prepared nine of the 11 Chipping Norton Stakes winners from 2011 – 2021 including four-time hero Winx (2016-19) and Verry Elleegant (2021) 
• Te Akau Shark (12 of 13 in 2020) became the first winner since Kingston Bay (10 of 12 in 1993) to jump from wider than barrier eight
• Favourites have dominated the Chipping Norton Stakes results in the past 30 years
• The Apollo Stakes is the key Chipping Norton Stakes form race to follow producing nine of the 11 winners from 2011 – 2021

2021 Chipping Norton Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Chipping Norton Stakes 2021 Form Guide will be provided below the week of the race.

Chipping Norton Stakes Results

The Chipping Norton Stakes results and finishing order of the field is known when the race runs at Royal Randwick in late February.

Punters can view that autumn’s Chipping Norton Stakes winner, see the winning exotics and payouts and check the winning time and margins. The Chipping Norton Stakes results from the past decade have been dominated by the favourites and graduates out of the Apollo Stakes.

The most notable upset Chipping Norton Stakes result in recent history was the 80/1 shock win by three-year-old He’s No Pie Eater in 2007. No other three-year-old has led the Chipping Norton Stakes results since.

Key Chipping Norton Stakes winners include the four-time champions Tie The Knot (1999-2002) and Winx (2016-19).

Recent Chipping Norton Stakes Winners