Expressway Stakes 2024

The Expressway Stakes has moved to mid-February and now runs on the same day as the Apollo Stakes at Randwick. 

The Expressway Stakes is a Group 2 race run in Sydney each autumn and now takes place at Randwick Racecourse on a Saturday in mid-February having moved from its earlier timeslot at Rosehill ahead of the 2024 edition.

One of the early feature meetings of the Sydney Summer Racing Carnival, Expressway Stakes Day is host to four Group races with the Expressway Stakes supported by the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m), Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m), and the Group 3 Triscay Stakes (1200m).

2022 Expressway Stakes winner Overpass. Photo: Steve Hart.

Offering $300,000 in total prize money as of 2024 and open to sprinters aged three-years-old and over, the Expressway Stakes is now a set weights plus penalties feature and makes a good lead-up to future Group races held during the Sydney and Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnivals.

It previously was contested by horses eyeing a run in the Apollo Stakes, and Appearance (2014) was the last galloper to complete the Expressway Stakes – Apollo Stakes double before the races moved to the same race card in 2024.

The latest edition of the Expressway Stakes ran on Saturday February 17, 2024 at Randwick Racecourse on Apollo Stakes Day and was won by last start Magic Millions Snippets champ King Of Sparta ($4) on way to April’s $5 million The Quokka. 

2024 Expressway Stakes Results

2024 Expressway Stakes winner King Of Sparta was too good late saluting in his first ever Saturday Sydney win. Photo: Steve Hart.

• 1st: #1 King Of Sparta
• 2nd: #2 Coal Crusher
• 3rd: #6 Malkovich

The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Magic Millions Sprint winner King Of Sparta ($4) was too good for his rivals again posting his first every Sydney Saturday success with a big late run to take out the 2024 Expressway Stakes ahead of the $5 million The Quokka in WA this April.

The full Expressway Stakes 2024 results and finishing order of the Sydney Group 2 sprint will be detailed below once the race takes place as a Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival lead-up.

2024 Expressway Stakes Odds

The Expressway Stakes 2024 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.

Expressway Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday February 17, 2024
• Track: Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 1200m
• Conditions: Set Weights + Penalties
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $300,000
• First Run: 1947

Expressway Stakes 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.

Expressway Stakes Field

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

In 2024 the Expressway Stakes winner King Of Sparta came off a lead-up win the month before in the Gold Coast’s $1 million Magic Millions Snippets (1200m).

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 tougher grade events over the coming months including the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m).

Savatiano (2021) was the last horse to do the Expressway Stakes – Canterbury Stakes double in the same year.

In 2022 the Expressway Stakes second-placed mare Forbidden Love went on to win the Canterbury Stakes – George Ryder Stakes Group 1 double that autumn before a fourth in the Doncaster Mile results.

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

2024 Expressway Stakes Field

The official Expressway Stakes 2024 field of final acceptors and barriers will be published right here once released so stay tuned.

Just seven horses make-up the 2024 Expressway Stakes final field including the resuming Group 1 Champions Sprint runner-up from the Melbourne Cup Carnival Buenos Noches.

2024 Expressway Stakes Nominations

The early Expressway Stakes 2024 Nominations are taken on the Monday of race week with the full list of pre-field entries to be made available below once announced.

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 Sydney 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.

2024 Expressway Stakes Tips

Our insider Expressway Stakes tips 2024 will be published below once the field is confirmed and betting markets released on the Group 2 sprint.

• To Win: #1 King Of Sparta ($2.60 at time of publish) – BET NOW

A couple of genuine winning hopes but sticking with King Of Sparta off that brilliant two length Magic Millions Sprint win at the Gold Coast last month. Kept fresh since but won a winning Rosehill trial to keep him ticking over for this Group 2 assignment. Barrier two and James McDonald are two big plusses in a small field. A dual Group 1 fourth place-getter this five-year-old has class. Randwick isn’t his preferred track, but still a winnable event for him ahead of the autumn Group 1 sprints.

2023 Expressway Stakes winner Mariamia. Photo: Steve Hart.

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.

The Expressway Stakes 2022 form franked with the third placed Anamoe winning an incredible five Group 1 races later that year including the $5 million Cox Plate at The Valley in October.

Overpass meanwhile won the 2022 Expressway Stakes before running well in a host of other notable races including victory in Perth’s inaugural $4 million The Quokka slot race in April of 2023.

The 2023 Expressway Stakes winner Mariamia franked the form with a victory in that autumn’s Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m).

2024 Expressway Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Expressway Stakes 2024 Form Guide will be provided below following final acceptances.

Expressway Stakes Results

The Expressway Stakes race 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).

Mariamia (2023) was the last Expressway Stakes winning mare.

Overpass (2022) was the last three-year-old Expressway Stakes winner.

Expressway Stakes Winners

Expressway Stakes winners and place-getters going back to 2000 are detailed in the below table.