Kevin Heffernan Stakes 2023

The Kevin Heffernan Stakes is a Group 3 end-of-spring showdown taking place in late November as a key support act on the popular Zipping Classic Day card.

The last major feature meeting of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, the Zipping Classic Day program previously took place earlier in November at Sandown Racecourse.

In 2021 it moved to the end of the month and now runs at Caulfield Racecourse.

In 2023 the Kevin Heffernan Stakes ran on the first Saturday in December.

Racing on the card is headlined by the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m), a race that often attracts stayers out of the Melbourne Cup field.

The other key races on the line-up include the Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) for three-year-olds, Group 3 Summoned Stakes, and the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes.

The Kevin Heffernan Stakes is a weight-for-age event run over 1400m (1300m when held at Sandown Racecourse) and offers $200,000 in prize money.

First held in 2001 it is named after the Melbourne Racing Club’s former committeeman Kevin Heffernan.

The latest edition of the Kevin Heffernan Stakes ran at Caulfield Racecourse on Saturday December 2nd, 2023 and saw the veteran galloper King Magnus ($5) carry 59kg to a three-quarter length victory.

2023 Kevin Heffernan Stakes Results

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

2023 Kevin Heffernan Stakes winner King Magnus was strong over the final furlong to salute in style. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

• 1st: #3 King Magnus
• 2nd: #10 Unusual Culture
• 3rd: #2 Vilana

Veteran eight-year-old King Magnus ($5) sprinted off over the final 100m to post a deserving Group 3 victory in the 2023 Kevin Heffernan Stakes results on Zipping Classic Day.

2023 Kevin Heffernan Stakes Odds

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

Kevin Heffernan Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday December 2nd, 2023
• Track: Caulfield Racecourse (since 2021)
• Distance: 1400m (previously 1300m)
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $200,000
• First Run: 2001

Kevin Heffernan Stakes Betting

Kevin Heffernan Stakes betting is open at the start of race week and markets are led by proven middle-distance staying types with winning form over the 1400m distance.

Any last start winners, returning runners that finished well in the event the year before, Group 3 performers and in-form mares are traditionally installed at shorter Kevin Heffernan Stakes odds.

Kemalpasa ($3.70 in 2020) was the last Kevin Heffernan Stakes favourite to win.

Kevin Heffernan Stakes Tips

Good Kevin Heffernan Stakes tips include backing in-form horses, last start winners and well-drawn horses in the event.

Horses drawn in barriers three or four make the best Kevin Heffernan Stakes bet with these two gates producing seven of the 10 winners between 2013 and 2023 most recently King Magnus (3 in 2023).

Seven-year-olds also make a good bet four seven-year-olds saluting in as many years between 2015 and 2018.

2023 Kevin Heffernan Stakes Tips

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

• To Win: #9 Glint Of Silver ($21 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Going for a boil over in the Kevin Heffernan with Glint Of Silver looking overs at 20/1 at time of publish. This consistent David Pfieffer-trained grey is a four-year-old son of Rubick who is racing well. This is obviously a class test but it does present as a winnable Group 3 for him. Narrow second in the grey’s race on Melbourne Cup Day with 58kg. Drawn well. Can surprise.

Kevin Heffernan Stakes Field

The Kevin Heffernan Stakes race field attracts a quality line-up of end-of-spring horses that may have contested earlier events including the Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) held at Flemington over the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the Group 2 Linlithgow Stakes (1200m) – now run as The Damien Oliver – on Derby Day and the Group 3 Chatham Stakes (1400m).

Kemalpasa (2020) was the last horse to do the Linlithgow Stakes – Kevin Heffernan Stakes double with Order Of Command also running second in both events that spring.

In 2022 Crosshaven improved on a lead-up sixth in the Linlithgow Stakes to win the Kevin Heffernan on Zipping Classic Day, while the 2023 Kevin Heffernan winner King Magnus came off an eighth in the lead-up when it ran as The Damien Oliver for the first time in 2023.

Kevin Heffernan 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 Kevin Heffernan Stakes Field

The official Kevin Heffernan 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 Kevin Heffernan Stakes 2023 final field features a smart line-up of hopefuls led in betting by the James Cummings-trained Vilana down in grade here.

2023 Kevin Heffernan Stakes Nominations

The official Kevin Heffernan 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.

2023 Kevin Heffernan Stakes nominations extended until 10:00am (AEDT) on 27/11/2023. 

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Kevin Heffernan Stakes Form Guide

The Kevin Heffernan 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.

Streets Of Avalon (4th in 2020) franked the Kevin Heffernan form when coming back to win the 2021 Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) the following autumn. Streets Of Avalon also ran third in the Kevin Heffernan 2021 results and third behind champion WFA star Zaaki in the $5 million The All-Star Mile in the autumn of 2022.

The 2021 Kevin Heffernan Stakes form was further franked by the winner Sinawann who ran second in the Australia Stakes results the following. The 2021 Kevin Heffernan second placed horse, I Am Superman, finished second in the 2022 Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes the next spring.

2023 Kevin Heffernan Stakes Form Guide

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

Kevin Heffernan Stakes Results

Notable recent Kevin Heffernan Stakes winners include Century Kid (2002), Avenue (2010), Avenue (2013), Fast ‘N’ Rocking (2014), Lucky Hussler (2016), and Jungle Edge (2017).

Teleplay (2019) was the last Kevin Heffernan Stakes winning mare.

Past Kevin Heffernan Stakes Winners

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