Eclipse Stakes 2023

Ladbrokes Tip: Eclipse Stakes horses often come off a lead-up run on Melbourne Cup Day.

The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 3 race formerly run at Sandown’s Ladbrokes Park in mid-November at the end of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival as part of the popular Zipping Classic Day program.

In 2021 the Eclipse Stakes and Zipping Classic Day card was moved to late November and took place at Caulfield Racecourse where it remained for the 2022 edition.

In 2023 the Eclipse Stakes ran on the first Saturday in December.

Zipping Classic Day features two Group 2 races with the Sandown Guineas (1600m) for three-year-olds and the now $750,000 Zipping Classic for the stayers run over a mile and a half (2400m).

Also on the card are the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes and the Group 3 Summoned Stakes.

Another one of the meeting’s key support races is the Eclipse Stakes, a quality handicap race contested over 1800m and currently offering $200,000 in prize money.

First run back in 1937, the Eclipse Stakes has held Group 3 status since 1996.

A number of turf stars have won the Eclipse Stakes over the years including dual Cox Plate hero Fields Of Omagh (2001) and two-time Doncaster Mile – Epsom Handicap double champion Super Impose (1988) who also won the 1992 Cox Plate.

The latest edition of the Eclipse Stakes ran on Saturday December 2, 2023 at Caulfield Racecourse and saw Just Folk ($2.90F) just get there to salute for the punters.

2023 Eclipse Stakes Results

The full Eclipse Stakes 2023 Results & Finishing Order will be provided below once the race is run and won on Saturday December 2, 2023.

2023 Eclipse Stakes winner Just Folk posted a narrow win for the punters in the first Group race on Zipping Classic Day. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

• 1st: #1 Just Folk
• 2nd: #8 Danish Fortune
• 3rd: #6 Keats

Cranbourne horseman Gavin Bedggood prepared first and third in the Eclipse Stakes 2023 results on Zipping Classic Day with race favourite Just Folk ($2.90F) looming up on the outside with a furlong to go to post a narrow win for the punters, while stablemate Keats ($4.40) rounded out the trifecta finishing 1.35 lengths back third. Danish Fortune ($19) added value to the top three running second.

2023 Eclipse Stakes Odds

The season’s top Eclipse Stakes 2023 odds and betting market links will be available below the week of the race.

Eclipse Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday December 2, 2023
• Track: Caulfield Racecourse (since 2021)
• Distance: 1800m
• Conditions: Quality Handicap
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $200,000
• First Run: 1937

Eclipse Stakes Betting

Eclipse Stakes betting is open at the start of race week and markets are led by proven stayers with winning form over a mile to 2000m.

The classier, proven Group horses sit high up the markets with five of the seven Eclipse Stakes winners from 2016-2023 carrying 58kg or more to victory.

Any horses that ran well at Flemington in the Melbourne Cup Day Plate (1800m) over the same distance are often at shorter Eclipse Stakes odds and So Si Bon (4th in 2021) was the last Eclipse Stakes winner to come out of the race.

Favourites in Eclipse Stakes betting have a poor recent record with Just Folk ($2.90 in 2023) the first to salute for the punters since Mouro ($3.60 in 2013).

There was a notable upset in 2022 with Milford ($15) defeating fellow roughies El Gladiador ($101) who finished second at triple-figures and third place-getter Holbien ($21).

Eclipse Stakes Tips

Good Eclipse Stakes tips include backing the proven staying types in the field with winning form over the distance or perhaps further dropping back, graduates from the Melbourne Cup Day Plate (1800m) held on the first Tuesday of November and runners with previous good form in similar handicap events.

Mares have a decent recent record in the race with wins by the likes of Payroll (2017) and Casino Dancer (2015).

2023 Eclipse Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive Eclipse Stakes 2023 betting tips and exotic Melbourne racing selections will be detailed below the week of the race so bookmark this page for the staying horses to back and sack in the $200,000 feature.

Laying the favourite is also a good Eclipse Stakes tip with few of the punters’ picks saluting in the past decade.

• To Win: #3 Ain’tnodeeldun ($3.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Top couple hard to split but leaning towards Ain’tnodeeldun who just keeps on winning. The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained six-year-old chases his fourth win on the trot and has a strong record at the distance (4:3-1-0). Narrow Group 3 winner at The Valley last time out in the JRA Cup (2040m) back in late October. Freshened-up since and back to 1800m could be hard to hold out in a small field.

Eclipse Stakes Field

The Eclipse Stakes race field attracts a quality line-up of end-of-spring horses that may have contested earlier events including the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) on the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Mares in the Eclipse Stakes field may have had a lead-up run in the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) and Payroll (2nd in 2017) was the last Eclipse Stakes winner to come out of that race.

In 2023 the Eclipse Stakes winner Just Folk was on a quick back-up off a third in the Listed Ladbrokes Cranbourne Cup (1600m) the Saturday prior.

Eclipse Stakes nominations are taken the Monday before the race runs on the Saturday with final acceptances and the barrier draw released on the Wednesday.

2023 Eclipse Stakes Field

The official Eclipse Stakes 2023 Field & Barriers will be published in full below once announced on the Wednesday of race week so stay tuned to see what horses make the starting line-up.

The Eclipse Stakes 2023 final field features a small but smart field of in-form gallopers including the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Group 3 JRA Cup winner Ain’tnodeeldun and the top-weight Just Folk coming off a third in last weekend’s Ladbrokes Cranbourne Cup. 

2023 Eclipse Stakes Nominations

The official Eclipse Stakes 2023 Nominations close the Monday leading-up to the last of the major spring race days and the full list of early entries will be available below.

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Eclipse Stakes Form Guide

The Eclipse Stakes form guide details all the need-to-know facts and stats including the jockeys, trainers, barriers, weights and lead-up runs of the horses in the field.

2023 Eclipse Stakes Form Guide

A link to the comprehensive Eclipse Stakes 2023 Form Guide will be provided below the week of the race.

Eclipse Stakes Results

Notable recent Eclipse Stakes winners include So Si Bon (2020), Tally (2018), Eclair Surprise (2012), and Fields Of Omagh (2001).

Payroll (2017) was the last Eclipse Stakes winning mare.

Past Eclipse Stakes Winners

Recent Eclipse Stakes winners dating back to the year 1999 are detailed in the below table.