Gilgai Stakes 2023

Ladbrokes Tip: The Gilgai Stakes is a nice guide to the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic during the spring.

The Gilgai Stakes is a Group 2 sprint and a key support act on the Turnbull Stakes Day program at Flemington Racecourse on a Saturday in early October each Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Offering $300,000 in prize money the Gilgai Stakes is run at set weights plus penalties conditions and suits short-distance horses with proven experience down the famous Flemington ‘Straight Six’.

2022 Gilgai Stakes winner Private Eye went on to run second in The Everest that spring. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Heading the day’s racing is the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) for runners looking at backing-up in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) later in the month.

Other features on the Turnbull Stakes Day card include the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) for VRC Oaks hopefuls, the Group 2 Blazer Stakes (1400m) now run as the Rose Of Kingston Stakes, and the Group 3 The Bart Cummings for Melbourne Cup hopefuls.

The Gilgai Stakes makes a nice lead-up into the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) – now run as the VRC Champions Sprint – at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival and has produced a host of place-getters in the elite level in recent years.

The last horse to complete the Gilgai Stakes – VRC Sprint Classic double was All Silent (2009), while in 2015 Delectation improved on a Gilgai Stakes second to win that November’s Darley Classic in an upset.

The $20 million The Everest (1200m) – the world’s richest race on turf held at Sydney’s Randwick track – is also a possible next-up run for Gilgai Stakes horses.

In 2022 the Gilgai Stakes winner Private Eye ran second next-up in The Everest quinella before winning the $3 million Winners Stakes race.

The latest edition of the Gilgai Stakes ran on Saturday October 7, 2023 and was won by the Flemington track specialist and race favourite Star Patrol ($2.50F). 

2023 Gilgai Stakes Results

The official Gilgai Stakes 2023 results & finishing order will be updated below once the race is run and won on Saturday October 7, 2023.

2023 Gilgai Stakes winner Star Patrol was strong again at his pet track to salute for the punters. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

• 1st: #2 Star Patrol
• 2nd: #11 Triple Missile
• 3rd: #14 C’est Magique

Clinton McDonald’s in-form Flemington specialist Star Patrol ($2.50F) continued his ace form at headquarters backing-up from a win in the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality to salute for the punters in the 2023 Gilgai Stakes results carrying plenty of weight to a standout one-length victory.

2023 Gilgai Stakes Odds

The season’s top Gilgai Stakes 2023 odds and Flemington betting markets will be provided below the week of the race so stay tuned for the best Group 2 racing offers this Turnbull Stakes Day.

Gilgai Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday October 7, 2023
• Track: Flemington Racecourse
• Distance: 1200m
• Conditions: Set Weights + Penalties
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $300,000
• First Run: 1984

Gilgai Stakes Betting

Gilgai Stakes odds are led by the season’s in-form sprinters coming off nice earlier runs, graduates from Group lead-ups in Melbourne and runners proven over the Flemington straight.

Because of where the race is run, barriers don’t have a major impact on the Gilgai Stakes betting markets with better indicators being the class of the runners and their records over the track / distance.

Sunlight ($2.25 in 2019), Private Eye ($4.80 in 2022) and Star Patrol ($2.50 in 2023) are the last favourites in Gilgai Stakes betting to salute for the punters.

Gilgai Stakes Field

The Gilgai Stakes race field attracts good spring sprinters of all age groups with many eyeing a Group 1 run later during the carnival.

A nice lead-up race is the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m), which Chautauqua won before taking out the 2014 edition. In 2015 Chautauqua successfully defended his Gilgai Stakes title on the back of a win in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley the month before.

Zoutori (2020) also took out the Bobbie Lewis Quality – Gilgai Stakes double. Zoutori returned in 2021 to run a narrow second as the beaten favourite in the Gilgai Stakes behind Kementari.

Bobbie Lewis Quality – Gilgai Stakes double was last completed by Star Patrol in 2023. 

The McEwen Stakes also produced the 2013 Gilgai Stakes winner Platelet (4^th), while the other most recent race winner to come out of the Bobbie Lewis was Temple Of Boom (6^th) in 2011.

Dual Gilgai Stakes winner Chautauqua took out the 2015 Manikato Stakes after winning the Group 2 for a second time. Photo Credit: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Many horses back-up at Moonee Valley later in the month in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) and the Gilgai Stakes – Manikato double was last achieved by Chautauqua in 2015. In earlier years the Manikato Stakes was run before the Gilgai and the double in that order was achieved in 2010 by Hay List.

The Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) at Flemington on the second Saturday in November is another race many horses out of the field go on to contest. Chautauqua ran second in both the 2014 and 2015 editions of the Darley Classic following back-to-back Gilgai Stakes victories by the champion sprinter.

That same year the Gilgai Stakes runner-up Delectation won the Darley Classic two starts later. Earlier in 2012 winner Hallowell Belle finished fourth in the Manikato and third in the race then called the Patinack Classic for sponsorship purposes.

In 2022 the Gilgai Stakes runner-up Roch ‘N’ Horse went on to win the Group 1 Champions Sprint that Melbourne Cup Carnival, while Baller ran third in both events.

Gilgai Stakes nominations close on the Monday before the race runs on the Sunday and the final field and barriers are released by Racing Victoria on the Wednesday.

2023 Gilgai Stakes Field

The official Gilgai Stakes 2023 field and barrier draw is set for release on the Wednesday of race week and will be published below so stay tuned to see what sprinters making the starting line-up for the battle down the straight six.

The 2023 Gilgai Stakes final field features a line-up of smart Group 1-bound sprinters led in betting by last start Bobbie Lewis Quality winner Star Patrol and the returning six-furlong specialist Jigsaw out to add to his imposing first-up record.

2023 Gilgai Stakes Nominations

The official Gilgai Stakes 2023 nominations are taken the Monday of Turnbull Stakes week.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Gilgai Stakes Tips

Top Gilgai Stakes tips to consider include looking for runners with proven ability down the straight at Flemington Racecourse, past Group winners the Melbourne way of racing and the standout turf stars in the field.

Favourites have a gun recent record in the race with the last double-figure winner being All Silent ($10 in 2009), so backing the favourite is another good Gilgai Stakes betting tip as is looking for any proven fresh performers running first-up in the race.

2023 Gilgai Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Gilgai Stakes 2023 betting tips and Flemington racing selections will be detailed below the week of the race so bookmark this page for the sprinters to back and sack in the Group 2 this spring.

• To Win: #2 Star Patrol ($2.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Happy to stick with the favourite again here with the Clinton McDonald-trained five-year-old narrowly saluting first-up on September 16 in the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality at this track and trip. Strips fitter second-up at his pet track (5:3-1-0) where the genuine Flemington specialist will look to win again with Ben Melham continuing associations. Right course and distance, but does need to be improving going up notably in weight from 54.5kg to 59kg. Looks the class runner with the fitness edge however so should be able to get there.

Gilgai Stakes Form Guide

The Gilgai Stakes form guide features crucial facts and race stats including the jockeys and trainers of the horses in the field as well as their records over the track / distance.

In recent years the Gilgai Stakes form has held-up in subsequent Group 1 Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival features including the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley and the Darley Classic, now called the VRC Sprint Classic, at Flemington.

Runners may also travel across to Perth during the Summer Racing Carnival in WA for a shot at the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m), a race the 2012 Gilgai Stakes third place-getter Spirit Of Boom finished third in three runs later that year. Spirit Of Boom also ran second in the 2013 Gilgai Stakes and fourth in that year’s Winterbottom.

2023 Gilgai Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Gilgai Stakes 2023 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Gilgai Stakes Results

The Gilgai Stakes race results have been dominated by Group 1 performed favourites in the past decade.

Notable recent Gilgai Stakes winners include Private Eye (2022), Kementari (2021), Sunlight (2019), Chautauqua (2015, 2014), Temple Of Boom (2011), Hay List (2010), All Silent (2990), and Belle Du Jour (2001).

Sunlight (2019) was the last Gilgai Stakes winning mare.

Royal Troubadour (1984) was the last three-year-old Gilgai Stakes winner.

Falkirk holds the current Gilgai Stakes race record winning over the 1200m in 2005 in a time of 1 minute 07:96 seconds.

Past Gilgai Stakes Winners

Recent Gilgai Stakes winners and place-getters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.