John F. Feehan Stakes 2023

Ladbrokes Tip: The Ladbrokes Feehan Stakes is a nice lead-up for Cox Plate types each spring

The Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes – now known as the John F. Feehan Stakes and previously as the Ladbrokes Feehan Stakes due to sponsorship – is a Group 2 race held on a Saturday in early September at Moonee Valley Racecourse during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

2022 Feehan Stakes winner Mr Brightside. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

A mile clash contested over 1600m under weight-for-age conditions, the race ran as the John F Fehan Stakes from 1984 – 2004 and has reverted back to its original name.

The John Feehan Stakes offers a total of $500,000 in prize money having had its stakes doubled in 2021 and takes place on the same day as the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m).

It is a nice spring starting point for gallopers targeting Australasia’s weight-for-age championship, the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) back at Moonee Valley in late October.

The last winner to go on and take out the Cox Plate was El Segundo (2007).

Dual Cox Plate winners Fields Of Omagh (2002), Northerly (2001) and the mighty New Zealand-trained mare Sunline (2000) also all have their name on the John F. Feehan Stakes winners’ list.

The John F. Feehan Stakes is also a key lead-up into the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) held at Caulfield. Homesman (2nd in 2018) was the last Underwood Stakes winner to come out of the John F. Feehan Stakes, a race he won the following year (2019) before a second in the Underwood.

In 2020 dual Cox Plate place-getter Humidor made a stunning return in his first run for Chris Waller to win the John F. Feehan Stakes before a next-up Underwood Stakes second and third in that year’s Caulfield Stakes results.

The latest edition of the John F. Feehan Stakes took place on Saturday September 9, 2023, one day before UFC 293 took place in Sydney, and saw the Enver Jusufovic-trained Pinstriped ($8) post a deserving Group 2 win on way to the Cox Plate. 

2023 John F Feehan Stakes Results

The official 2023 John F. Feehan Stakes Results will be published in full below once the race is run and won on Saturday September 9, 2023.

2023 Feehan Stakes winner Pinstriped won a shot at the $5 million Cox Plate in October. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

• 1st: #7 Pinstriped
• 2nd: #13 Attrition
• 3rd: #1 Tuvalu

The Enver Jusufovic-trained Pinstriped ($8) bought in the hot P.B. Lawrence Stakes form around Mr Brightside and was impressive late holding on to defeat the fast-finishing Attrition (2nd) and Group 1 winner Tuvalu (3rd) in the 2023 John F. Feehan Stakes results at The Valley.

2023 John F. Feehan Stakes Odds

The season’s top John F. Feehan Stakes 2023 odds will be provided below as soon as betting on the Cox Plate lead-up opens.

John F. Feehan Stakes Race Facts

• Date: Saturday September 9, 2023
• Track: Moonee Valley Racecourse
• Distance: 1600m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $500,000
• First Run: 1948

John F. Feehan Stakes Betting

John F. Feehan Stakes betting odds are led by proven weight-for-age performers racing first or second-up in the mile showdown who have good records when fresh.

Previous experience at the tight Moonee Valley circuit and runners that have a strong record over 1600m – 2000m also feature highly up the Feehan Stakes betting markets each spring.

Single-figure hopefuls have a strong record in the event including the recent wins by Homesman ($5 in 2019), Superstorm ($6 in 2021) and Pinstriped ($8 in 2023).

There was a notable upset in 2020 however when two-time Cox Plate place-getter Humidor won the event at Feehan Stakes odds of 17/1.

Mr Brightside ($1.65 in 2022) was the last favourite in Feehan Stakes betting to salute for the punters.

John F. Feehan Stakes Field

2019 Feehan Stakes winner Homesman. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The John F. Feehan Stakes race field features a classy line-up of weight-for-age, Cox Plate hopes.

Many are kicking off their spring campaigns in the mile clash and are heading towards tougher spring assignments including the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) three weeks later at Caulfield Racecourse (Sandown in 2021) and the Cox Plate.

In 2015 Mourinho finished sixth in the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes, a race he was second to the previous year, before winning the Underwood Stakes next start. The 2014 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes third placed Foreteller also won the Underwood next time out.

Bonneval (2016) was the last galloper to complete the Feehan Stakes – Underwood Stakes double in a single season. In 2018 Homesman improved on a second in the Feehan Stakes to win the Underwood Stakes and later finish runner-up in the Caulfield Cup results. Homesman returned in 2019 to win the John F. Feehan Stakes. In 2020 Humidor won the John F. Feehan Stakes first-up before an Underwood Stakes second.

One lead-up into the race is the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) run at Caulfield in mid-August. Mr Brightside (2022) was the last horse to complete the PB Lawrence Stakes – Feehan Stakes double.

Pinstriped (2nd in 2023) meanwhile was the last Feehan Stakes winner to come off a run in the PB Lawrence Stakes which was won that year by the previous season’s Feehan champ Mr Brightside.

Another possible lead-up run into the Group 2 is the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in late August, a race the 2013 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes winner Fiorente ran sixth in first-up. Fiorente went on to place third in that year’s Cox Plate before his victory in the iconic Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.

In 2012 Happy Trails ran second in the Memsie Stakes before his Dato’ win. Three starts later he took out the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

2023 John F. Feehan Stakes Field

The official John F. Feehan Stakes 2023 Field & Barriers are released the Wednesday leading-up to The Valley feature, the full line-up to be published below.

The 2023 Feehan Stakes final field features a quality line-up of Group 1-bound spring hopefuls including Toorak Handicap winner Tuvalu with the form around Mr Brightside and the current favourite Globe who is undefeated chasing a fifth career win here up in grade.

2023 John F. Feehan Stakes Nominations

The early John F. Feehan Stakes 2023 Nominations are out on the Monday of race week and will be announced in full below.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

John F. Feehan Stakes Tips

Sticking with horses under $10 for the win with experience in Group 1 company, proven form at Moonee Valley Racecourse and that have ability in weight-for-age races are good Feehan Stakes tips.

Looking at runners that finished in the top four in the Memsie Stakes and that contested the previous year’s race are also helpful tips when it comes to Place and Exotic bets on the Group 2 feature.

2023 Feehan Stakes Tips

Our insider John F. Feehan Stakes 2023 best bet will be published below the week of the race so stay tuned.

• To Win: #1 Tuvalu ($4.80 at time of publish) – BET NOW

A number of spring cup hopefuls kick off here and will only take improvement over further, but for a horse that will relish the mile second-up with the fitness edge Tuvalu is hard to go past. Lindsey Smith’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) winner from last spring chases his first victory since and has form around the likes of Alligator Blood. He had a luckless two-start autumn, but showed improvement fresh this time in running an eye-catching fourth only two lengths off the winner Mr Brightside in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m). That form was franked last weekend with Mr Brightside going on to win the Group 1 Memsie Stakes, and think it can be further franked by Tuvalu here.

Feehan Stakes Form Guide

The Feehan Stakes form guide features all the crucial information for punters including saddlecloth numbers, jockeys, trainers, barriers and the lead-up runs of the horses in the field. The John F. Feehan Stakes form has held up in many Group 1 spring races in recent years including the Cox Plate.

In 2013 Fiorente won the race before a third in the Cox Plate. Other  winners to finish third in the Cox Plate in the same season include Rekindled Interest (2011) and Whobegotyou (2010).

The 2021 John F Feehan Stakes form was franked with the winner Superstorm running third in both the Underwood Stakes and Toorak Handicap before winning the Cantala Stakes – now known as the Champions Mile – that spring.

The 2022 Feehan Stakes winner Mr Brightside would go on to win the following year’s $5 million The All-Star Mile in Melbourne before taking out Sydney’s Group 1 Doncaster Mile for the second time.

2023 Feehan Stakes Form Guide

A link to our detailed John F. Feehan Stakes 2023 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Dato Tan Chin Nam / Feehan Stakes Results

Horses under $10 for the win have dominated the John F. Feehan Stakes results of the past decade.

Notable winners of the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes – now the Feehan Stakes – include Mr Brightside (2022), dual Cox Plate place-getter Humidor (2020), The Cleaner (2014-15), Fiorente (2013), Whobegotyou (2009-10), and El Segundo (2007).

Bonneval (2017) was the last Feehan Stakes winning mare.

Past Dato’ Tan Chin Nam / Feehan Stakes Winners

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