Ladbrokes Tip: The Lexus Archer Stakes is a key chance for stayers to make the 24-horse Melbourne Cup field
The $300,000 Lexus Stakes – currently known as the Lexus Archer Stakes – is run over 2500m at Flemington. It was previously contested on the first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival in late October or early November on Victoria Derby Day; a meeting regarded by many as the best the year and one for racing purists with the Group 1 $2 million Victoria Derby (2500m) the main event.
In 2024 however the Lexus Archer Stakes ran much earlier on the spring line-up taking place at Flemington on Makybe Diva Stakes Day in mid-September.
The other key races on Makybe Diva Stakes Day are the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m), Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m), and the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m).
2022 Lexus Stakes winner Surefire (pictured in Sydney). Photo: Steve Hart.
A Group 3 race, the event offers the winner a chance to qualify for the Group 1 $8.56 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) run at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November with the winner of the Lexus Stakes exempt from the ballot for the ‘Race That Stops A Nation’. The last horse to win the Lexus Stakes and go on and win the Cup a few days later was Shocking in 2009.
The latest edition of the Lexus Archer Stakes ran on Saturday, September 14, 2024 as a lead-up into the Melbourne Cup having and was won by the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Irish expat Point King ($4.60).
2024 Lexus Archer Stakes Results
The official Lexus Archer Stakes 2024 Results & Finishing order including the Lexus Stakes winner exempt from Melbourne Cup ballot will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday, September 14, 2024 .
- 1st: #8 Point King
- 2nd: #9 Hit The Road Jack
- 3rd: #6 Berkshire Breeze
Point King ($4.60) is into the 2024 Melbourne Cup field with a ballot exemption after securing the next Golden Ticket for the world’s richest handicap when making it two-from-two for his new trainers, Anthony & Sam Freedman, with a good win holding off his challengers on Heavy going at Flemington in the 2024 Lexus Archer Stakes results.
2024 Lexus Stakes Odds
The season’s latest Lexus Archer Stakes 2024 betting odds on the field of potential Melbourne Cup horses will be available as soon as released so stay tuned for access to the best markets on the Derby Day Group 3 this spring.
Early market betting odds on the 2024 Lexus Archer Stakes will be displayed below once available. Odds are subject to fluctuation. For current odds on all of our live markets, please visit ladbrokes.com.au.
Lexus Stakes Race Info
- 2024 Race Name: Lexus Archer Stakes
- Date: Saturday, September 14, 2024
- Track: Flemington Racecourse
- Distance: 2500m
- Conditions: Quality Handicap
- Status: Group 3
- Prize Money: $300,000
- First Run: 1869
Lexus Stakes Betting
Odds for the Lexus Stakes are displayed shortly after the final field is released on the Wednesday prior to the race but most of the betting is done on the Saturday with the number of bets increasing as it gets closer to start time.
The Lexus Stakes odds displayed by bookies are determined by each horses lead up form over the Spring Carnival and may include races in Melbourne as well as the Sydney Carnival.
The prices on individual horses range from the favourite who would have been winning or running around the placings and could be as short as $3 and range up to $51 to $101 for those horses that have been running near to last than first.
Lexus Stakes betting is big business as the punters look for an early inclusion into the Melbourne Cup field.
The latest favourites in Lexus Stakes betting to win are Downdraft ($5.50 in 2019) and Surefire ($1.90 in 2022).
Lexus Stakes Tips
Tips for the Lexus Stakes are dominated by proven stayers and those in-form spring gallopers coming off good lead-up performances who are proven over the longer distanced events.
2021 Lexus Stakes winner Great House. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Tipping international horses to win the Lexus Stakes is also a proven bet with the likes of Oceanographer (2016) and Ashrun (2020) winning from overseas.
2024 Lexus Stakes Tips
Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive Lexus Archer Stakes 2024 tips and selections on what horse will take out the Melbourne Cup ballot exemption will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned.
- To Win: #6 Berkshire Breeze ($3.60 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Ace edition of the Lexus with a small but class field of potential Melbourne Cup-bound stayers facing off. Sticking with the favourite, Berkshire Breeze, who brings in the confidence of some outstanding recent form. Three-time winner on the trot over the winter including a 4.75 length romp home here in the Listed Banjo Paterson Series Final (2600m) in early July. Odds-on and beaten last start finishing second to Horrifying and looking to atone now in a rematch. Back to 54kg, wider out at the roomy track suits, can return to winning form.
Lexus Stakes Field
The final field for the Group 3 Lexus Archer Stakes is made up of seasoned stayers who are having an early hit out for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) to be run at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November and who are seeking to gain automatic entry into Australia’s greatest race.
Final acceptances are taken on the Wednesday prior to Saturday’s Makybe Diva Stakes DAy meeting with a maximum of eighteen horses allowed to line up. The Lexus Stakes is run under handicap conditions and the non-apprentice claiming race is open to all horses.
2024 Lexus Stakes Field
The official 2024 Lexus Archer Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw will be published below once announced on the Wednesday of race week so stay tuned to see what Melbourne Cup hopefuls make the line-up.
A 10-horse field of potential Melbourne Cup contenders faces off in the 2024 Lexus Archer Stakes on Saturday with a two-horse betting battle playing out between class Irish import Point King now with Anthony & Sam Freedman and the ultra-consistent Ciaron Maher-trained Berkshire Breeze.
2024 Lexus Stakes Nominations
The early Lexus Archer Stakes 2024 Nominations close the Monday leading up to the race with the entries to be published in full right here once released by Racing Victoria.
Lexus Stakes Form Guide
Previously, races that showed good form line heading to the Lexus Stakes included the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m), and the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) all at Caulfield and the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) run at Flemington.
In 2024 however the Lexus Stakes has moved to mid-September and takes place before any of these events.
The Group 1 The Metropolitan which is run over 2400m at Randwick in Sydney in early October was also a strong lead up race for the Lexus Stakes. Kalapour (3rd in 2023) is the last Lexus Archer Stakes winner to have had a lead-up run in Sydney’s The Metropolitan.
The Lexus Stakes form has gone on to hold up in bigger and better races plenty of times in recent history including the 2018 winner Prince Of Arran who ran third next-up in the Melbourne Cup trifecta. Prince Of Arran would also go on to run second to Vow And Declare in the 2019 Melbourne Cup results and third again in 2020 behind Twilight Payment.
Kalapour franked the 2023 Lexus form with his big 2024 autumn in Sydney winning the Group 1 Tancred Stakes and placing third over the two miles in the Group 1 Sydney Cup.
2024 Lexus Stakes Form Guide
A link to the full 2024 Lexus Archer Stakes Form Guide will be provided below once the field is out.
Lexus Stakes Results
The Lexus Stakes race results revealing the potential runner in the Melbourne Cup field are known when the Group 3 staying showdown runs on Makybe Diva Stakes Day having moved from Derby Day in 2024.
The Lexus Stakes results display the full finishing order of all the runners, their starting prices and weights along with the winning margins and times.
Notable Lexus Stakes winners in recent years including Shocking (2009) who went on to take out the Melbourne Cup next race, Signoff (2014), and Oceanographer (2016).
Past Lexus Stakes Winners
Recent Lexus Stakes winners and placegetters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.
| Year |
Winner |
2nd |
3rd |
Time |
| 2024 |
Point King |
Hit The Road Jack |
Berkshire Breeze |
2:40.54 |
| 2023 |
Kalapour |
Athabascan |
Gan Teorainn |
2:38.11 |
| 2022 |
Surefire |
Serpentine |
Crystal Pegasus |
2:39.1 |
| 2021 |
Great House |
Mankayan |
Emissary |
2:34.5 |
| 2020 |
Ashrun |
Sound |
Future Score |
2:37.9 |
| 2019 |
Dowdraft |
Carif |
Azuro |
2:38.8 |
| 2018 |
A Prince Of Arran |
Brimham Rocks |
Jaameh |
2:37.4 |
| 2017 |
Cismontane |
Vengeur Masque |
Pentathlon |
2:35.4 |
| 2016 |
Oceanographer |
Tom Melbourne |
Tally |
2:35.6 |
| 2015 |
Excess Knowledge |
Zanteca |
Havana Cooler |
2:36.8 |
| 2014 |
Signoff |
Big Memory |
La Amistad |
2:37.8 |
| 2013 |
Ruscello |
Let’s Make A Deal |
Araldo |
2:39.8 |
| 2012 |
Kelinni |
Dare To Dream |
Exceptionally |
2:37.6 |
| 2011 |
Niwot |
Macedonian |
Anudjawun |
2:37.5 |
| 2010 |
Maluckyday |
Linton |
Once Were Wild |
2:35.1 |
| 2009 |
Shocking |
Hume |
Irazu |
2:38.3 |
| 2008 |
Moatise |
Light Vision |
Cape Cover |
2:37.7 |
| 2007 |
Sculptor |
The Fuzz |
Desert Master |
2:35.4 |
| 2006 |
Maybe Better |
Irazu |
Vanquished |
2:35.8 |
| 2005 |
Strasbourg |
Bush Honey |
Mr Celebrity |
2:40.3 |
| 2004 |
Don Raphael |
Catchmeifyoucan |
Winning Belle |
2:36.6 |
| 2003 |
Big Pat |
Fawaz |
Dance On Wood |
2:39.4 |
| 2002 |
Requiem |
Miss Meliss |
Piachay |
2:35.3 |
| 2001 |
Maythehorsebewithu |
Spirit Of Westbury |
Touch The Groom |
2:35.8 |
| 2000 |
Brew |
Mr Nelson |
Yammer |
2:37.1 |
FAQ
When is the Lexus Archer Stakes 2024?
Saturday, September 14, 2024
What is the prize money for the Lexus Archer Stakes 2024?
$300,000
Where is the Lexus Archer Stakes 2024?
Flemington Racecourse, 448 Epsom Rd, Flemington VIC 3031.