John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) 2024

Ladbrokes Tip: The John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) serves as a key lead-up into the Group 1 The Goodwood each autumn.

The John Hawkes Stakes -formerly the DC McKay Stakes – is an important Group 3 sprint race run and won at Morphettville Racecourse in South Australian during the Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival.

Contested over 1100m, the quality handicap event takes place in early May as a key support race on the popular Robert Sangster Stakes Day card.

The meeting is headlined by the Group 1 $1,000,000 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m), Group 1 $1,000,000 Australasian Oaks (2000m), Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes (1600m), and the Group 2 Tobin Bronze Stakes (1200m).

Like the Tobin Bronze Stakes, the John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) is considered a good preparation race for sprinters heading towards the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) later during the carnival.

Eight horses have completed the DC McKay Stakes – The Goodwood double throughout history: Grey John (1969), Wise Virgin (1973), Puncheon (1976), Comaida Boy (1979), Lord Galaxy (1986), Boardwalk Angel (1989), Despatch (2019), and most recently Savatoxl (2021).

DC McKay Stakes prize money is currently set at $150,000 and the event, which gained Group 3 status in 1980, was inaugurated in 1968.

It was previously named in honour of former SAJC committeeman and prolific South Australian horse owner D.C. McKay before being renamed as the John Hawkes Stakes ahead of the 2024 edition.

The latest edition of the DC McKay Stakes took place on Saturday April 27, 2024 at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide as the John Hawkes Stakes and was won narrowly by Extremely Lucky ($8) in a photo thriller.

2024 John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) Odds

The latest John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) 2024 odds will be available below once the Adelaide Racing Carnival markets on the short-distance feature are announced the week of the race.

2024 John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) Results

The official DC McKay Stakes Results 2024 and Finishing Order will be available right here once the race takes place on Saturday April 27, 2024.

• 1st: #9 Extremely Lucky
• 2nd: #4 Sans Doute
• 3rd: #6 What You Need

John Hawkes Stakes Race Info

• Former Race Name: DC McKay Stakes (until 2024)
• Date: Saturday April 27, 2024
• Track: Morphettville Racecourse
• Distance: 1100m
• Conditions: Quality Handicap
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $150,000
• First Run: 1968

John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) Betting

DC McKay Stakes betting on the event currently run as the John Hawkes Stakes opens soon after the release of the final field the week of the race and is dominated by in-form local sprinters. Runners with proven form at the track and distance usually head the DC McKay Stakes odds as do previous Group winners.

Thermal Current ($3.70 in 2015) was the last favourite in DC McKay Stakes betting to win.

There was a notable upset in 2022 with Free Of Debt winning at DC McKay Stakes odds of $26.

John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) Field

The John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) race field attracts mainly local sprinters that have been racing well over the previous weeks in South Australia.

Many gallopers in the DC McKay Stakes field come via a run in the Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) at the same track and distance a fortnight earlier.

The John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) nominations close the Monday before the race runs on the Saturday with the final field and barrier draw released on the Wednesday.

2024 John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) Field

The official John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) 2024 Final Field & Barrier Draw is announced the Wednesday of race week and will be published below.

The 2024 John Hawkes Stakes field features a bumper line-up of sprinters led in betting by consistent Supido four-year-old What You Need.

2024 John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) Nominations

The early John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) 2024 Nominations are taken the Monday ahead of the event and will be updated in full below.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) Form Guide

The John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) form guide features all the information punters need to know before placing a bet like the barriers, jockeys, trainers and lead-up runs of the three-year-olds in the field.

Looking for runners coming off a top three finish, proven Morphettville performers and other Black-Type place-getters are all crucial when doing the DC McKay Stakes form.

The DC McKay Stakes form has gone on to stack-up in tougher races many times over the years most recently in 2021 with the winner Savatoxl going on to win The Goodwood next start. Savatoxl also went on to win the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield that spring and retuned to post a second DC McKay Stakes victory in 2023.

Behemoth (2020) won the DC McKay Stakes and went on to win three Group 1 races in Melbourne completing that year’s Memsie Stakes – Sir Rupert Clark Stakes double before a successful Memsie title defence in 2021. Behemoth also famously ran third in the 2021 $5 million The All-Star Mile (1600m).

2024 John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) 2024 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) Tips

John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) tips include looking for locally-trained sprinters coming off a top three finish over the a similar distance last time out and those with proven ability at the Morphettville track.

Horses at single-figures in DC McKay Stakes betting – but not the favourites – have a dominant record and make a top betting tip. From 2016 – 2023 all but two of the DC McKay Stakes winners started under $10 in betting but were not the favourites to win.

The latest horses to win at double-figures were Karacatis ($17 in 2017) who won the event at his fourth attempt and Free Of Debt ($26 in 2022).

It is also a good tip to avoid the mares as since 2004, Sprightly Lass (2018) is the sole mare to beat home the boys in the DC McKay Stakes results.

2024 John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider John Hawkes Stakes (DC McKay Stakes) 2024 betting tips and Adelaide autumn racing selections will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned for the sprinters to back and sack in your Morphettville tips this season.

• To Win: #5 Celsius Star ($12 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Going for a consistent value runner in Celsius Star who has won three of their past four and is doing plenty right at the right time. The five-year-old Zoustar gelding is a top local hope from the Morphettville stables of Phillip Stokes and is a three-time winner at the track. A genuine short-distance specialist with a killer strike rate at the 1100m (8:5-1-1). Third in a Listed feature at the course and distance two back with 56.5kg. Got his confidence back returning to winning form at Oakbank last time out in a Black-Type after jumping from out wide. In on 54kg here, better weight and gate. Can surprise.

John Hawkes Stakes / DC McKay Stakes Results

Notable horses to head the John Hawkes Stakes / DC McKay Stakes race results in recent years include subsequent star stallion I Am Invincible (2009), Despatch (2019), Behemot (2020), and dual champion Savatoxl (2021 & 2023).

Streetcar Magic from 2011 holds the current DC McKay Stakes record winning in 1 minute 02.10 seconds.

Past DC McKay Stakes / John Hawkes Stakes Winners

Recent DC McKay Stakes / John Hawkes Stakes winners and place-getters dating back to the year 1988 are detailed in the below table.