Ladbrokes Tip: The Expressway Stakes – Apollo Stakes is a popular early autumn betting double

The Expressway Stakes is the first Group 2 race run in Sydney each autumn and takes place at Rosehill Gardens on a Saturday at the end of January or in early February. One of the early feature meetings of the Sydney Summer Racing Carnival, Expressway Stakes Day is host to three Group races with the Expressway Stakes supported by the Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m) and the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m).

Offering $200,000 in total prize money and open to sprinters aged three-years-old and over, the Expressway Stakes is a weight-for-age feature and makes a good lead-up to future Group races held during the Sydney and Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnivals including the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) a fortnight later at Randwick. Appearance (2014) was the last galloper to complete the Expressway Stakes – Apollo Stakes double.

The latest edition of the Expressway Stakes ran on Saturday January 30, 2021 at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse and saw returning mare Savatiano salute for the punters. 

Expressway Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday January 30, 2021
• Track: Rosehill Gardens Racecourse (Randwick for 2020)
• Distance: 1200m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $200,000
• First Run: 1947

2021 Expressway Stakes Results

• 1st: #5 Savatiano
• 2nd: #1 Kolding
• 3rd: #8 Emeralds

The full Expressway Stakes 2021 results and finishing order of the Rosehill Group 2 sprint will be detailed below once the race takes place as a Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival lead-up.

The 2021 Expressway Stakes results went the way of the punters with the James Cummings-trained favourite, six-year-old Street Cry mare Savatiano ($2.10F), saluting by two lengths in a brilliant all-the-way return ahead of the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes in March.

Expressway Stakes Odds & Betting

Expressway Stakes betting opens at bookies around the country after the field of final acceptors and barriers are out the Wednesday of race week.

Horses that are resuming and run well fresh, proven Rosehill performers, sprinters with good form over the 1200m distance and runners coming off an earlier Black-Type Sydney win sit high up the Expressway Stakes odds.

Favourites have a good recent record in the race, and the last winner to salute at double figures in betting was Appearance ($16 in 2014).

The James Cummings-trained Alizee ($3 in 2019) won the race as the favourite before she jumped odds-on when defending her title in 2020, only managing to finish second behind the winner Standout ($7.50).

The fellow Cummings-trained mare Savatiano then became the latest Expressway Stakes favourite to get the job done at $2.10 in 2021. 

2021 Expressway Stakes Betting

The Expressway Stakes 2021 odds will be published below as soon as markets on the Group 2 early autumn feature are released so stay tuned for the top early autumn racing odds online this season.

The Expressway Stakes field features a line-up of smart sprinters either coming off a summer run in Sydney or kicking off their new season campaigns.

Appearance (2014) backed-up from her Expressway Stakes win over the boys to also take out the Group 2 Apollo Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.

The majority of the horses are locally Sydney-trained hopefuls looking to back-up in a race like the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick a fortnight later. In 2016 Solicit ran second in both races before a win in the Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) in late February and a third in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill in March.

The previous year the Expressway Stakes winner Weary (2015) ran third in the Apollo Stakes next start. The last horse to complete the Expressway Stakes – Apollo Stakes double was Appearance (2014) who also won that year’s Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) third-up in March. Rain Affair also won the Expressway and Apollo Stakes in 2012.

Expressway Stakes nominations close the Monday before the race runs on the Saturday with the final field and barrier draw out on the Wednesday.

2021 Expressway Stakes Field

The official Expressway Stakes 2021 field of final acceptors and barriers will be published right here once released so stay tuned.

The 2021 Expressway Stakes final field is down to just six runners after the early scratching of Southern Lad who races in the day’s final event instead, last year’s champion Standout who bypasses the race due to the Soft-rated track and Caulfield Guineas winner Ole Kirk whose first-up run has been delayed also due to the wet weather. 

Of the remaining runners, many of which have Group 1 autumn goals, the top elect is Godolphin’s resuming Group 2 Hot Danish Stakes winning mare Savatiano. 

• Scratched: #3 Standout (5), #4 Southern Lad (4), #9 Ole Kirk (1) 

2021 Expressway Stakes Nominations

The early Expressway Stakes 2021 Nominations are taken on the Monday of race week with the full list of pre-field entries to be made available below once announced.

The 2021 Expressway Stakes nominations drew just nine early entries and have been extended until Tuesday morning. Heading all-in betting is the resuming Golden Rose – Caulfield Guineas winning three-year-old Ole Kirk. 

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Expressway Stakes Tips

Good Expressway Stakes tips include looking for in-form Sydney sprinters that have previous Group form, ran well last time out, are drawn well in the Rosehill race and have winning form over the distance.

Another top Expressway Stakes betting tip is to take the winner to finish in the money next start in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m).

2021 Expressway Stakes Tips

Our insider Expressway Stakes tips 2021 will be published below once the field is confirmed and betting markets released on the Group 2 sprint.

• Best Roughie: #1 Kolding ($6.50 at time of publish) 

Fancied Ole Kirk before he was scratched and looking for value, worth an Each Way bet on Chris Waller’s proven Group 1 horse and constantly underrated performer Kolding. Gets a gun run with J. McDonald in what is now a very small and open field. Fresh, the 1200m on a Soft track should suit and he can surprise at a price.  

Expressway Stakes Form Guide

The Expressway Stakes form guide details essential facts and stats like the lead-up runs of the horses in the field, their jockeys / trainers and records at the track / distance.

In recent seasons the Expressway Stakes form has held-up in future autumn Group races including in 2016 when the third placed Big Money won the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) next start at Randwick. In 2015 Driefontein ran second in both the this race and Southern Cross Stakes and Territory ran third in both races.

More recently, the 2019 Expressway Stakes winner Alizee won the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) in Melbourne next start. The year before in 2018 the Expressway Stakes champ Trapeze Artist finished third in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) two runs later before completing the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) – Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) double.

2021 Expressway Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Expressway Stakes 2021 Form Guide will be provided below following final acceptances.

Expressway Stakes Results

The Expressway Stakes results have been dominated by first-up summer – autumn hopefuls from Sydney stables jumping under $10 in the markets.

Notable recent winners of the race include Alizee (2019), Trapeze Artist (2018), Appearance (2014), Happy Galaxy (2013), Rain Affair (2012), Rangirangdoo (2010) and dual champion Court’s In Session (2005-06).

Expressway Stakes Winners