CS Hayes Stakes 2024

Ladbrokes Tip: The CS Hayes Stakes has a long history of producing Australian Guineas winners.

The CS Hayes Stakes is a Group 3 race run and won over 1400m at Flemington Racecourse on Black Caviar Lightning Day each Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival.

A key support act on the card that is headlined by the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) for sprinters, the CS Hayes Stakes also runs on the same day as the Group 3 The Vanity (1400m) for fillies and the Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m).

Open only to three-year-old colts and geldings, the set weights plus penalties race offers $200,000 in prize money and was first contested in 1987.

The event is named in honour of the late, great South Australian-based trainer Colin Hayes who, alongside TJ Smith and Bart Cummings, holds Legend status in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

The CS Hayes Stakes serves as a key lead-up into the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) back at the track over a mile and and Alligator Blood (2020) was the last to complete the double.

In 2024 the CS Hayes winner Riff Rocket became the first three-year-old since Mahogany in 1993 – 1994 to take out the Victoria Derby – CS Hayes Stakes double.

The latest edition of the CS Hayes Stakes ran on Saturday February 17, 2024 at Flemington Racecourse with class prevailing as Chris Waller’s VRC Derby champ Riff Rocket ($7) won fresh over the 1400m.

2024 CS Hayes Stakes Results

The full CS Hayes Stakes 2024 Results & Finishing Order will be known on Saturday February 17, 2024 and published right here so stay tuned.

2024 CS Hayes Stakes winner Riff Rocket won impressively first-up on the back of his VRC Derby success in the spring. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

• 1st: #1 Riff Rocket
• 2nd: #2 King Colorado
• 3rd: #9 Verdad

Chris Waller’s super-consistent Victoria Derby winner Riff Rocket ($7) showed his versatility and class first-up with a nice three-quarter length victory fresh in the CS Hayes Stakes 2024 results ahead of Group 1 targets over further including the Australian Guineas on March 2nd. 

2024 CS Hayes Stakes Odds

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

CS Hayes Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday February 17, 2024
• Track: Flemington Racecourse
• Distance: 1400m
• Conditions: 3YO Colts & Geldings – Set Weights + Penalties
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $200,000
• First Run: 1987

CS Hayes Stakes Betting

CS Hayes Stakes betting markets open following the final field announcement on the Wednesday leading-up to Black Caviar Lightning Day at Flemington Racecourse during the annual Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival.

Three-year-old colts and geldings with previous Group winning form, the previous spring’s top performers at the start of their autumn campaigns and the proven Flemington runners traditionally dominate the CS Hayes Stakes odds.

Alligator Blood ($1.80 in 2020) followed by Pinstriped ($5.50EF in 2022) were the last favourites in CS Hayes Stakes betting to salute for the punters on race day. 

CS Hayes Stakes Field

The CS Hayes Stakes race field attracts a quality line-up of three-year-old male gallopers each autumn carnival. 

A nice lead-up race into the CS Hayes Stakes field is the Group 3 Manfred Stakes (1200m) held in early February at Caulfield Racecourse. Tagaloa (3rd in 2021) was the last CS Hayes Stakes winner to come off a lead-up Manfred Stakes run. 

Many CS Hayes Stakes hopefuls go on to contest the Australian Guineas over the 1600m back at Flemington.

Recent Australian Guineas winners to come off a lead-up CS Hayes Stakes run include Wandjina (1st in 2015), Palentino (2nd in 2016), Hey Doc (1st in 2017), Grunt (1st in 2018), Alligator Blood (1st in 2020), and Lunar Fox (12th in 2021).

The previous spring’s Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in October has been a good form race for the CS Hayes Stakes in recent years including in 2021 when Aysar ran second in both events. In 2023 the previous year’s Caulfield Guineas runner-up Elliptical returned to win the CS Hayes in the autumn fresh. 

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

2024 CS Hayes Stakes Field & Barrier Draw

The official CS Hayes 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 top autumn three-year-olds.

The 2024 CS Hayes Stakes field features a bumper line-up of three-year-olds including King Colorado second-up off a good Manfred Stakes placing on Australia Day and the resuming Victoria Derby champ from the spring Riff Rocket.

2024 CS Hayes Stakes Nominations

The CS Hayes Stakes 2024 nominations are taken on the Monday leading-up to the event and the list of early entries will be available below once announced.

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

CS Hayes Stakes Tips

CS Hayes Stakes tips include backing the proven Group performers, looking for those with a good Flemington strike-rate and watching for past elite level winners in the mix. For example, the 2021 CS Hayes Stakes winner Tagaloa had won the previous year’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) as a juvenile. 

Looking at the form on the rails-drawn runner is also a good CS Hayes Stakes tip as barrier one has produced three recent winners: Hucklebuck (2014), Alligator Blood (2020) and Tagaloa (2021). 

Bucking the trend in 2023 however was Elliptical who won from barrier 13 of 14.

2024 CS Hayes Stakes Tips

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

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

The bookies are on King Colorado with the fitness edge but there is money coming for fellow 59.5kg top-weight Riff Rocket who looks the value fresh here. The last start VRC Derby champion will obviously improve on whatever he does here getting out over further, but he is unbeaten with a two-from-two first-up record and is well proven at Flemington. Ultra-consistent gelding from master trainer Chris Waller who has finished out of the the top two only once in his seven start career. Run of the race from barrier five with Craig Williams riding in terrific form. Can win. 

CS Hayes Stakes Form Guide

The CS Hayes Stakes form guide details all of the key race information including the jockeys, trainers and lead-up form of the horses in the field along with their barrier draws. 

The CS Hayes Stakes form has gone on to hold up in plenty of autumn Group 1 races over the years including the Australian Guineas.

To date the CS Hayes Stakes – Australian Guineas double has been completed eight times by Zabeel (1990), Mahogany (1994), Mouawad (1997), Dash For Cash (2002), Wandjina (2015), Hey Doc (2017), Grunt (2018), and Alligator Blood (2020).

2024 CS Hayes Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive CS Hayes Stakes 2024 Form Guide will be provided below the week of the race.

CS Hayes Stakes Results

The CS Hayes Stakes race results have been dominated by colts and geldings under double-figures in betting with previous Group 1 race experience. 

Notable CS Hayes Stakes winners include Zabeel (1990), Mahogany (1994), Mossman (1999), Starcraft (2004), Bullbars (2011), Hey Doc (2017), Alligator Blood (2020), Tagaloa (2021), and the previous spring’s VRC Derby champ Riff Rocket (2024).

CS Hayes Stakes Winners

Past CS Hayes Stakes winners and place-getters going back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.