Kingston Town Stakes 2024

Ladbrokes Tip: The Kingston Town Stakes is a key guide to The Metropolitan each spring

The Kingston Town Stakes is a Group 3 race for stayers held at Royal Randwick Racecourse in September on The Shorts Day during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival.

Just Fine completed the 2023 Bill Ritchie Handicap – The Metropolitan double. Photo: Steve Hart.

The day’s racing is headlined by the Group 2 $1 million The Shorts (1100m) for the spring sprint stars potentially gearing up for a run in the $20 million The Everest and the Group 2 $300,000 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) for Flight Stakes-bound fillies.

Added to the card for the first time in 2023 is the unlisted $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) which replaces the George Main Stakes as the mile feature on the card and offers the winner an Epsom Handicap ballot exemption.

The meeting also sees the running of the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) offering the winner an Epsom Handicap ballot exemption.

The Kingston Town Stakes is contested over 2000m at set weights plus penalties and offers a total of $250,000 in total prize money.

It is a traditional lead-up to the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick in October and the Kingston Town Stakes winner is exempt from ballot for that mile and a half classic. Herculian Prince (2010) and Just Fine (2023) are the latest horses to complete the Kingston Town Stakes – Metropolitan Handicap double.

In 2021 The Metropolitan winner Montefilia came via a lead-up second in the Kingston Town Stakes results.

Run and won since 1948, the event was previously known as the STC Cup before being renamed in hour of the race’s dual champion Kingston Town (1980, 1981) who is best known for his Cox Plate three-peat (1980-82).

The next edition of the Kingston Town Stakes runs on Saturday September 21, 2024 with a The Metropolitan ballot exemption on offer to the winner at Randwick.

2024 Kingston Town Stakes Odds

The season’s best Kingston Town Stakes 2024 betting odds and links to our markets will be made available to punters right here the week of the race so stay tuned for the top Group 3 Randwick racing markets.

Kingston Town Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday September 21, 2024
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 2000m
• Conditions: 3YOs & upwards – Set Weights + Penalties
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $250,000
• First Run: 1948

2024 Kingston Town Stakes Results

The official Kingston Town Stakes 2024 race results and full finishing order will be available below once the Group 3 Randwick race is run on Saturday September 21, 2024.

• 1st: TBD
• 2nd: TBD
• 3rd: TBD

Kingston Town Stakes Betting

Kingston Town Stakes odds are led by the in-form stayers of the spring coming off good lead-up runs in Sydney races against similar company.

There are usually short Kingston Town Stakes betting odds offered on any Chris Waller-trained horses with the stable winning seven times from 2007-20 most recently with Finche (2019).

She’s Ideel ($2.80 in 2021) and Just Fine ($3.30 in 2023) are the latest favourites in Kingston Town Stakes betting to win.

There was a notable upset in 2022 with the James Cummings-trained Alegron winning at Kingston Town Stakes odds of $20.

Kingston Town Stakes Field

The Kingston Town Stakes race field attracts the season’s best stayers heading towards a run in The Metropolitan over a mile and a half back at the track a fortnight later.

Some of the better stayers out of the Kingston Town Stakes field may also continue onto Flemington’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) over the two miles on the first Tuesday in November.

Finche ran fourth in the 2018 Melbourne Cup before winning the next year’s Kingston Town Stakes. He would contest the 2019 Melbourne Cup as well placing seventh and also ran ninth in the 2020 edition of the world’s richest handicap.

In 2022 Knight’s Order finished third in the Kingston Town Stakes, third in that year’s Caulfield Cup, ninth in a credible Melbourne Cup performance, and third in the following autumn’s 2023 Sydney Cup trifecta.

2024 Kingston Town Stakes Field

The official Kingston Town Stakes 2024 final field and barrier draw will be available below once announced on the Wednesday of The Shorts Day.

2024 Kingston Town Stakes Nominations

The early Kingston Town Stakes 2024 nominations are announced on the Monday of race week and will be published below once released. 

Kingston Town Stakes Form Guide

The Kingston Town Stakes form guide features all the crucial information for punters like the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs. One of the best form lines to follow into the Kingston Town Stakes is the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) held a fortnight earlier at the same track.

Alegron (7th in 2022) was the last Kingsford Town Stakes winner to come via a lead-up run in the Chelmsford Stakes.

2024 Kingston Town Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Kingston Town Stakes 2024 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Kingston Town Stakes Tips

Good Kingston Town Stakes tips include looking for stayers coming off a top three run in Sydney last time out, proven Randwick performers and those suited to at least 2000m.

Locally Sydney-trained horses have an outstanding record in the race including those from Chris Waller and Gai Waterhouse who have prepared the bulk of the Kingston Town Stakes winners since 1999.

2024 Kingston Town Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Kingston Town Stakes 2024 betting tips and exotic selections will be detailed below leading up to the race so stay tuned for the fillies to get behind in The Shorts Day support act this September.

• To Win: TBD

Kingston Town Stakes Results

Notable Kingston Town Stakes winners include the race’s now namesake Kingston Town (1980 & 1981), Stormhill (2005), Herculian Prince (2010), Libran (2017), Avilius (2018), Finche (2019), Alegron (2022), and Just Fine (2023).

She’s Ideel (2021) was the last Kingston Town Stakes winning mare.

Stout Hearted holds the current Kingston Town Stakes race record winning over 2000m in 2012 in a time of 2 minutes 00.68 seconds.

Past Kingston Town Stakes Winners

Recent Kingston Town Stakes winners dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.

FAQ

When is the Kingston Town Stakes 2024?

What is the prize money for the Kingston Town Stakes 2024?

$250,000

Where is the Kingston Town Stakes 2024?

Randwick Racecourse, Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031.