DC McKay Stakes 2022

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

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 $500,000 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) and also features the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes (1600m) along with the Group 2 Euclase Stakes (1200m).

Like the Euclase Stakes, the DC McKay Stakes is considered a good preparation race for sprinters heading towards the Group 1 $500,000 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 $127,250 and the event, which gained Group 3 status in 1980, was inaugurated in 1968. It is named in honour of former SAJC committeeman and prolific South Australian horse owner D.C. McKay.

The latest edition of the DC McKay Stakes took place on Saturday May 7, 2022 and was won in an upset by the Chris Bieg-trained Free Of Debt ($26). 

DC McKay Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday May 7, 2022
• Track: Morphettville Racecourse
• Distance: 1100m
• Conditions: Quality Handicap
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $227,250
• First Run: 1968

2022 DC McKay Stakes Results

The official DC McKay Stakes Results 2022 and Finishing Order will be available right here once the race takes place on Saturday May 7, 2022 .

• 1st: #8 Free Of Debt ($26)
• 2nd: #2 Savatoxl
• 3rd: #3 The Inferno

DC McKay Stakes Betting

DC McKay Stakes betting 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.

2022 DC McKay Stakes Odds

The latest DC McKay Stakes 2022 odds will be available below once the Adelaide Racing Carnival markets on the short-distance feature are announced the week of the race.

DC McKay Stakes Field

The DC McKay Stakes 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 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.

2022 DC McKay Stakes Field

The official DC McKay Stakes 2022 Final Field & Barrier Draw is announced the Wednesday of race week and will be published below.

The 2022 DC McKay Stakes field features a quality line-up of potential Group 1 The Goodwood-bound sprinters led in betting by David Jolly’s three-time Group 1 winner in Melbourne and the 2020 champ in this event Behemoth.

2022 DC McKay Stakes Nominations

The early DC McKay Stakes 2022 Nominations are taken the Monday ahead of the event and will be updated in full below.

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

DC McKay Stakes Form Guide

The 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.

The previous year, 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).

2022 DC McKay Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive DC McKay Stakes 2022 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

DC McKay Stakes Tips

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 – 2022 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.

2022 DC McKay Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider DC McKay Stakes 2022 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: #1 Behemoth ($4 at time of publish)

Hard to go past the favourite here who rarely runs a bad race in Adelaide. David Jolly’s hulking South Australian sprint star is a three-time Group 1 winner in Melbourne and won this race back in 2020. Second first-up as the beaten odds-on favourite last time in before an unplaced Group 1 CF Orr run. Hard to know if he’s going as well as previous seasons, but if he’s at his best he can beat these.

DC McKay Stakes Results

Notable horses to head the DC McKay Stakes results in recent years include: subsequent star stallion I Am Invincible (2009), Despatch (2019), Behemot (2020) and Savatoxl (2021).

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

DC McKay Stakes Winners