The Metropolitan 2024

Ladbrokes Tip: Sydney stayers have a dominant recent record in The Metropolitan over interstate runners.

The Metropolitan is a well-known handicap race conducted at Randwick Racecourse in early October each Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. Worth $750,000 in prize money, the staying classic is conducted over 2400m and The Metropolitan winner takes out over $430,000 in prize money.

2022 The Metropolitan winner No Compromise

2022 The Metropolitan winner No Compromise. Photo: Steve Hart.

Held on Epsom Handicap Day that features three Group 1 races The Metropolitan Handicap was first run in 1863 and has held elite level status since 1979. Originally called the Great Metropolitan Stakes it was run on the Labour Day holiday on the first Monday in October until 2004. Many top stayers have enjoyed success in The Metropolitan over the years including Magic Hurricane (2015), Railings (2005), Ming Dynasty (1978) and Redcraze (1956).

Each spring The Metropolitan winner is exempt from ballot for the following autumn’s $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes race in Sydney.

The winner of the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) race run a fortnight earlier meanwhile earns a The Metropolitan ballot exemption and Herculian Prince (2010) followed by the fellow Tulloch Lodge-raced Just Fine (2023) are the latest to do the double.

The Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) also offers the winner a The Metropolitan ballot exemption. In 2023 Spirit Ridge ran second in both the Newcastle Gold Cup and The Metropolitan when nearly scoring an upset in the latter at 40/1 after a huge run.

This season The Metropolitan Handicap ran on Saturday, October 5, 2024 as part of Epsom Handicap Day in Sydney and was won in a thrilling late battle by the Chris Waller-trained Land Legend ($7.50). 

2024 The Metropolitan Handicap Results

The official The Metropolitan 2024 results and race finishing order will be provided below once the race takes place on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

Land Legend (red silks) and Zardozi (blue silks) fight it out in the 2024 The Metropolitan results in Sydney

Land Legend (red silks) and Zardozi (blue silks) fight it out in the 2024 The Metropolitan results in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.

  • 1st: #14 Land Legend
  • 2nd: #10 Zardozi
  • 3rd: #21e Unusual Legacy

Land Legend ($7.50) dug deep to salute by the barest of margins when denying Zardozi victory and surviving a subsequent protest to claim the 2024 The Metropolitan win in Sydney. Jockey Reece Jones secured his first Group 1 success aboard the potential Spring Cups-bound Chris Waller-trained import who he guided to a barnstorming and thrillingly close photo showdown win over the Zac Lloyd-ridden James Cummings-trained mare Zardozi.

2024 The Metropolitan Odds

The season’s updated The Metropolitan 2024 betting odds and links to our markets will be available below so make sure you stay tuned for access to the best Group 1 Randwick racing odds online.

Early market betting odds on the 2024 The Metropolitan 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.

The Metropolitan Race Info

  • Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024
  • Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
  • Distance: 2400m
  • Conditions: Handicap
  • Status: Group 1
  • Prize Money: $750,000
  • First Run: 1863
 

The Metropolitan Betting

The Metropolitan Handicap betting markets open as soon as the nominations for the mile and a half classic close in late August each Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. Futures betting on Group 1 races like The Metropolitan give you the chance to lock in juicy prices on potential runners.

Many punters however prefer to wait until the field is released and The Metropolitan odds are often led by horses that ran well in races like the Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup, the Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality or Caulfield’s Group 3 Naturalism Stakes.

Horses that come off nice lead-up runs in Sydney, are well-weighted in The Metropolitan weights and older gallopers traditionally sit at the top of The Metropolitan odds each season.

Just Fine ($1.75 in 2023) was the last The Metropolitan favourite to salute for the punters.

The Metropolitan Handicap Field

The Metropolitan field has a capacity of 18 starters but hadn’t had the maximum number of runners line up on race day since 2005 when Railings won from barrier 14 of 18 until 2020 when Mirage Dancer saluted.

The final field of The Metropolitan acceptances is out on the Tuesday before the race runs on the Saturday and is considered a nice lead-up for Melbourne-bound hopefuls that could back-up in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup. The Metropolitan nominations meanwhile close in early September with up to 100 runners making up the early entries.

Come Play With Me | Photo: Steve Hart | Ladbrokes

2019 The Metropolitan winner Come Play With Me. Photo: Steve Hart.

Horses come into The Metropolitan field via a number of different lead-up races, a number of which offer a ballot exemption to the winner into the Group 1 including the Newcastle Gold Cup. The last galloper to complete the Newcastle Cup – The Metropolitan double without another run in between was Glencadam Gold (2012).

A fortnight prior to the Newcastle Gold Cup, the Listed Wyong Gold Cup (2100m) also serves as a potential early The Metropolitan lead-up race and The Verminator (2011) was the last to do the double.

Rosehill’s Group 3 Premier’s Cup (1900m) run in late August is another good early The Metropolitan lead-up race and recent horses to do the double include Railings (2005), Glencadam Gold (2012) and Magic Hurricane (2015).

2024 The Metropolitan Field

The official The Metropolitan 2024 Final Field & Barrier Draw is set for release the Tuesday of race week and will be published in full below, so stay tuned to see what spring stayers make the starting line-up in the mile and a half feature.

A capacity final field is gathered for Saturday’s 2024 The Metroplitan handicap in Sydney including Chris Waller’s three-length Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality winner from last weekend First Light on the quick back-up. 

2024 The Metropolitan Nominations & Weights

Early nominations for The Metropolitan 2024 are taken by Racing NSW on Monday the 9th of September, 2024 followed by the official The Metropolitan weights on September 16. 

The 2024 The Metropolitan nominations attracted 75 hopeful stayers led in betting by Joe Pride’s Rosehill Guineas and ATC Derby runner-up from the autumn Ceolwulf and lightly raced French import Eliyass now with the Waterhouse/Bott stable who won the Group 3 Premier’s Cup on debut down under. 

The Metropolitan 2024 weights have been confirmed with last year’s Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup double champion, Without A Fight, allocated the 61kg top-weight.

  Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Ballot Weight True Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 20x11x611x WITHOUT A FIGHT (IRE) G 8 Anthony & Sam Freedman 1 61kg 61kg   118
2 75x5356x81 BUCKAROO (GB) G 6 Chris Waller 2= 57kg 57kg   110
3 310x0213x4 KALAPOUR (IRE) G 8 Kris Lees 2= 57kg 57kg   110
4 x5x110x27x PLACE DU CARROUSEL (IRE) M 6 Anthony & Sam Freedman 2= 55kg 55kg   110
5 74x274313x BOIS D’ARGENT (GB) G 8 Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald 5= 56.5kg 56.5kg   109
6 666x01540x HUETOR (FR) G 8 Peter Snowden 5= 56.5kg 56.5kg   109
7 319x513x2x ROYAL CHAMPION (IRE) G 7 Anthony & Sam Freedman 5= 56.5kg 56.5kg   109
8 4x331891x0 POPTRONIC (GB) M 6 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 8 54kg 54kg   108
9 101x3568x9 MILITARY MISSION (IRE) G 7 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 9= 55.5kg 55.5kg   107
10 92311x07x0 PENNYWEKA (NZ) M 5 Ciaron Maher 9= 53.5kg 53.5kg   107
11 11x211x1x1 ELIYASS (FR) G 6 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 11= 55kg 55kg   106
12 305x11404x SERPENTINE (IRE) G 8 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 11= 55kg 55kg   106
13 86x2555x72 HINGED M 6 Chris Waller 11= 53kg 53kg   106
14 28221x90x4 ADELAIDE RIVER (IRE) H 5 Kris Lees 14= 54.5kg 54.5kg   105
15 1110x85x05 JUST FINE (IRE) G 7 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 14= 54.5kg 54.5kg   105
16 23x3x211x5 QUE TEMPESTA (IRE) G 6 Ben, Will & JD Hayes 14= 54.5kg 54.5kg   105
17 17x034021x DENY KNOWLEDGE (IRE) M 7 Anthony & Sam Freedman 14= 52.5kg 52.5kg   105
18 008x06212x ALEGRON G 6 Bjorn Baker 18= 54kg 54kg   104
19 872x6442x8 ATHABASCAN (FR) G 6 John O’Shea & Tom Charlton 18= 54kg 54kg   104
20 6x66228x61 CEOLWULF (NZ) G 4 Joseph Pride 18= 54kg 54kg   104
21 49621x00x8 CLEVELAND (IRE) H 7 Kris Lees 18= 54kg 54kg   104
22 06933×7552 DUKE DE SESSA (IRE) G 6 Ciaron Maher 18= 54kg 54kg   104
23 21x0570x07 FRANCESCO GUARDI (IRE) G 7 Chris Waller 18= 54kg 54kg   104
24 246×785111 GOLDEN PATH (NZ) G 5 Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) 18= 54kg 54kg   104
25 21x0132x66 ZARDOZI M 4 James Cummings 18= 52kg 52kg   104
26 9791x18x46 POST IMPRESSIONIST (IRE) G 6 Anthony & Sam Freedman 26 53.5kg 53.5kg   103
27 1151x33x74 CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD (IRE) G 6 Kris Lees 27= 53kg 53kg   102
28 x1116x84x2 MURAMASA G 5 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 27= 53kg 53kg   102
29 2211626×63 TRUST IN YOU (NZ) G 6 Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley 27= 53kg 53kg   102
30 090x0005x8 EL BODEGON (IRE) G 6 Chris Waller 30= 52.5kg 52.5kg   101
31 024×550482 LUNCIES (GB) G 8 Kris Lees 30= 52.5kg 52.5kg   101
32 x28x4x8x11 POINT KING (IRE) G 6 Anthony & Sam Freedman 30= 52.5kg 52.5kg   101
33 37x7291x65 SIR LUCAN (IRE) G 7 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 30= 52.5kg 52.5kg   101
34 858x58610x FANCY MAN (IRE) G 7 Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald 34= 52kg 52kg   100
35 x00x3150x3 GEAR UP (IRE) G 7 Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald 34= 52kg 52kg   100
36 130x0656x3 FUTURE HISTORY (GB) G 7 Ciaron Maher 36= 51.5kg 51.5kg   99
37 1x513x00x8 OKITA SOUSHI (IRE) H 7 Ciaron Maher 36= 51.5kg 51.5kg   99
38 x510x41x0x STAR OF INDIA (IRE) G 6 Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald 36= 51.5kg 51.5kg   99
39 1x2755x1x0 LAND LEGEND (FR) G 5 Chris Waller 39= 51kg 51kg   98
40 5x23622x44 MOSTLY CLOUDY (IRE) G 6 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 39= 51kg 51kg   98
41 21625×0031 REDSTONE WELL (IRE) G 6 Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald 39= 51kg 51kg   98
42 25916×0008 INTERPRETATION (IRE) G 7 Ciaron Maher 42 50.5kg 50.5kg   97
43 3x10x162x4 JENNILALA M 5 Ciaron Maher 43= 50kg 50kg   96
44 0x88520x23 MANZOICE G 5 Chris Waller 43= 50kg 50kg   96
45 50x9190x09 SUIZURO G 5 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 43= 50kg 50kg   96
46 2420×01222 TOURISTIC (GB) G 6 Peter Snowden 43= 50kg 50kg   96
47 1x7x211123 BERKSHIRE BREEZE (IRE) G 6 Ciaron Maher 47 50kg 50kg   95
48 1×37162117 DASHING DUCHESS (NZ) M 5 Symon Wilde 48 50kg 50kg   93
49 728x766x07 BRAYDEN STAR (GB) G 6 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 49= 50kg 50kg   92
50 5x31123x8 SAINT GEORGE (GB) H 5 Ciaron Maher 49= 50kg 50kg   92
51 525×761072 WYCLIF (GB) G 8 Ciaron Maher 49= 50kg 50kg   92
52 11155×6 IMMEDIACY (NZ) G 4 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 52 50kg 50kg   88
53 61605x483x SHAIYHAR (IRE) G 6 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 53 50kg 50kg   87
54 66×5114513 STRATHTAY (NZ) G 5 Chris Waller 54 50kg 50kg   86
55 70x468x858 CANBERRA LEGEND (IRE) G 5 Chris Waller 55= 50kg 50kg   85
56 416x00x843 RAF ATTACK (NZ) G 4 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 55= 50kg 50kg   85
57 13x05580x4 SUNSETS G 4 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 55= 50kg 50kg   85
58 x211x41x31 UNUSUAL LEGACY (NZ) G 5 Chris Waller 58 50kg 50kg   84
59 42×0651011 MATUSALEM G 4 Chris Waller 59 50kg 50kg   83
60 40x871x315 ETNA ROSSO (IRE) G 5 Chris Waller 60 50kg 50kg   82
61 22113×0713 LAUDING (NZ) G 5 Ciaron Maher 61 50kg 50kg   81
62 x25058x001 CONVENER (FR) G 6 Ciaron Maher 62 50kg 50kg   80
63 1x12x33267 AGE OF SAIL (GB) G 6 Kris Lees 63 50kg 50kg   78
64 211x4225x3 QUANTUM CAT (USA) G 5 Chris Waller 64 50kg 50kg   77
65 375117×044 FIRST LIGHT (GB) G 7 Chris Waller 65= 50kg 50kg   76
66 533310×116 MEDATSU (NZ) G 4 Chris Waller 65= 50kg 50kg   76
67 21x766x805 UP AND UNDER (FR) G 5 Chris Waller 65= 50kg 50kg   76
68 13×3561737 KAPAKIRI G 5 Chris Waller 68 50kg 50kg   75
69 115x8x9 WALTHAM (GB) G 5 Matthew Smith 69 50kg 50kg   74
70 6234520252 KUREDER (NZ) G 5 Chris Waller 70= 50kg 50kg   73
71 2x51719x97 RATTLE AND HUM (IRE) G 5 Michael Freedman 70= 50kg 50kg   73
72 x6128159x6 AHURIRI (NZ) M 4 Chris Waller 72 50kg 50kg   72
73 7811×523 CAMPALDINO (NZ) G 4 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 73= 50kg 50kg   69
74 111x068x63 WHISKY ON THE HILL (GB) G 5 Michael Moroney & Glen Thompson 73= 50kg 50kg   69
75 4x1x9027x6 MISTERKIPCHOGE (NZ) G 4 Chris Waller 75 50kg 50kg   64
Table Credit: Racing Australia.

The Metropolitan Handicap Tips

The Metropolitan tips are often a mixed affair with the race know to attract a big field.

Winners of the race in recent years have come via a host of different lead-ups and the only last start winners to back up and take out The Metropolitan since Railings (2005) are Glencadam Gold (2012) and Just Fine (2023).

Just Fine was Gai Waterhouse’s ninth champion in the event making Waterhouse-trained runners a good The Metropolitan Handicap tip each spring.

Other key The Metropolitan betting tips include looking for horses weighted 55.5kg and under and those coming off a Sydney lead-up run.

2024 The Metropolitan Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive The Metropolitan 2024 tips and Randwick exotic betting selections will be detailed for punters below the week of Epsom Handicap Day.

  • To Win: #11 Future History ($8 at time of publish) – BET NOW

The Metropolitan features a competitive field of stayers, with Future History emerging as a promising value bet third-up for top trainer Ciaron Maher. The seven-year-old has been in consistent form building to a race like this and comes off a narrow loss in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes over 2000m at Caulfield when boxing on well. He will appreciate the extra distance coming to Sydney now, looks well placed and rated by the stable, and will be airborne coming right back in weight. Has an apprentice without Group 1 experience in the saddle which is the only question mark. Still, an attractive horse at a good price for a master trainer.

The Metropolitan Handicap Form Guide

The Metropolitan Handicap form guide lists all of the final acceptors, their barriers, jockeys, trainers and allocated weights. The winning weight range in the race over the past decade ranges from a light 50 kg to 56kg that Opinion (2014) carried to victory for trainer Chris Waller.

Junoob originally won the 2014 race but was later disqualified for a failed drug test. The race favourites meanwhile aren’t always the most likely to win in this spring major with just three saluting since 2005 with plenty of long-priced roughies scoring an upset including Newport (40/1 in 2008) and The Verminator (20/1 in 2011).

The Metropolitan form has stacked-up in other elite level races many times over the years including in 2021 with the winner Montefilia running a next-up fourth in the Caulfield Cup results before returning in the autumn of 2022 to win the Ranvet Stakes.

The Metropolitan Form Facts

  • Mirage Dancer (2020), Foundry (2017), Seville (2013) and Newport (2008) are the only The Metropolitan winners from 2008 – 2024 to come off a non-Sydney lead-up race.
  • Since 2005 just three horses have come off a victory before winning The Metropolitan including the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Kingston Town Stakes winner Just Fine in 2023.
  • Favourites have a poor recent record in The Metropolitan results with only four saluting from 2006-2024.
  • Since Railings (2005) the only The Metropolitan winner younger than five-years-old was Montefilia (4YO mare in 2021).
  • Trainer Gai Waterhouse holds the record with nine The Metropolitan winners as of 2024.

2024 The Metropolitan Form

A link to our detailed The Metropolitan 2024 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

The Metropolitan Handicap Results

The Metropolitan race results display the exact finishing order of all the starters, any scratched horses, the winning margin, time, weight and starting price of each galloper.

In recent years The Metropolitan Handicap results have been dominated by Sydney-trained horses coming off lead-up runs in New South Wales. Favourites only have an average record in The Metropolitan results of the past decade, with the last to salute for the punters being Just Fine (2023).

Notable recent The Metropolitan winners include Coco Cobanna (2000), Glencadam Gold (2012), Sir John Hawkwood (2016), and Montefilia (2021).

Montefilia (2021) is the last The Metropolitan winning mare.

Just Fine holds the current The Metropolitan race record winning in 2023 in a time of 2 minutes 26:11 seconds.

Past The Metropolitan Winners

Recent The Metropolitan winners and placegetters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.

Year Placegetters Winning Time
2024 Land Legend Zardozi Unusual Legacy 2:27.47
2023 Just Fine Spirit Ridge Kalapour 2:26.11 (R)
2022 No Compromise Le Don De Vie Realm Of Flowers 2:38.13
2021 Montefilia Entente Harpo Marx 2:27.79
2020 Mirage Dancer Mugatoo Angel Of Truth 2:27.52
2019 Come Play With Me Gallic Chieftain Sir Charles Road 2:30.61
2018 Patrick Erin Brimham Rocks Sikandarabad 2:29.6
2017 Foundry Big Duke Chocante 2:27.7
2016 Sir John Hawkwood Antonio Giuseppe Allergic 2:27.4
2015 Magic Hurricane Beaten Up Havana Cooler 2:28.5
2014 Junoob Opinion Araldo 2:26.5
2013 Seville Julienas Sneak A Peek 2:32.1
2012 Glencadam Gold Kelinni Reuben Percival 2:29.7
2011 The Verminator Hawk Island Lamasery 2:33.4
2010 Herculian Prince Mourayan No Wine No Song 2:29.9
2009 Speed Gifted Lodge The Deeds Fiumicino 2:35.1
2008 Newport Bianca Get Up Jude 2:33.0
2007 Race Not Run  –  –
2006 Tawqeet Activation Vanquished 2:31.1
2005 Railings Run Rita Run Men At Work 2:28.5
2004 County Tyrone Itemise Don Raphael 2:33.6
2003 Bedouin Daneborogh Bodie 2:34.4
2002 Victory Smile Piachay Dress Circle 2:31.3
2001 Dress Circle Danyon Homewrecker 2:29.4
2000 Coco Cobanna Pasta Express Citra’s Prince 2:44.3

FAQ

When is The Metropolitan 2024?

Saturday, October 5, 2024

What is the prize money for The Metropolitan 2024?

$750,000

Where is The Metroplitan 2024?

Randwick Racecourse, Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031.