Missile Stakes 2021

Ladbrokes Tip: The Missile Stakes is a starting point for Group 1-bound sprinters in the spring

The Missile Stakes is a Group 2 sprint race held at the very start of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse* in early August. It is the headline race at the meeting that also features the $150,000 Listed The Rosebud (1200m) for three-year-olds heading towards the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m).

*Note: The 2021 Missile Stakes Day program ran at Royal Randwick due to COVID. 

Run under weight-for-age conditions, the Missile Stakes is contested over 1200m and offers $200,000 in total prize money. Recently upgraded from its previous Group 3 status, it is the first Group race of the new racing season in Sydney.

The bulk of the runners in the race are kicking off their campaigns and heading towards tougher assignments in Sydney and Melbourne over the coming weeks / months including Caulfield’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) or the new opening elite-level of the season, the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) in Sydney. The Show County Quality on Winx Stakes Day is also a potential next-up option for Missile Stakes graduates.

Recently the 2020 Missile Stakes winner Eduardo went on to frank the form the following year winning Sydney’s Group 1 The Galaxy and Brisbane’s Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in 2021.

The Missile Stakes also now serves as a key early lead-up into the $15 million The Everest held in October.

The latest edition of the Missile Stakes took place on Saturday August 7, 2021 at Royal Randwick (moved from Rosehill) and was won by the Michael Costa-trained Phobetor. 

2021 Missile Stakes Results

The official Missile Stakes 2021 results and finishing order will be detailed below once the race is run and won on Saturday August 7, 2021.

• 1st: #5 Phobetor
• 2nd: #6 Chat
• 3rd: #7 Fasika

Lightly-raced six-year-old from the Gold Coast stables of Michael Costa, Phobetor ($5.50) improved on a lead-up Ramornie Handicap second at Grafton to beat a small but class field home in the 2021 Missile Stakes results including surprise runner-up Chat ($13) and the beaten favourite Fasika ($3.20) who led the field before being run down inside the final 100m.

Missile Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday August 7, 2021
• Track: Rosehill Gardens Racecourse (Royal Randwick in 2021 due to COVID)
• Distance: 1200m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age (Three-years-old & Upward)
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $200,000
• First Run: 1978

Missile Stakes Betting

Horses with proven ability at the 1200m sprint distance and a good Sydney race record feature high-up the Missile Stakes odds each spring.

Of the resuming runners in the field, the best in Missile Stakes betting are those with a nice record first-up, while the in-form winter runners coming to the end of their campaigns are also handy in markets each season.

Alizee (2019) was the latest first-up champion in the Missile Stakes. Alizee was also the odds-on favourite in Missile Stakes betting saluting for the punters and was joined by Eduardo ($2.30 in 2020) as the latest favourites to get the job done.

2021 Missile Stakes Odds

The top Missile Stakes 2021 odds will be provided below as soon as betting on the Group 2 race at in Sydney opens.

Missile Stakes Field

The Missile Stakes field can feature a capacity of 18 starters but rarely reaches the limit. In fact, in recent years the Missile Stakes final field has drawn diminutive line-ups including just eight runners in 2017, ten in 2018, only five in 2019 and just six in 2020 following seven scratchings as the track was rated a Heavy (9). In 2021 just seven horses lined-up in small but classy Missile Stakes field.

Fit winter types can also feature in the Missile Stakes line-up and boast the edge over the resuming sprinters. Many horses make their four-year-old debuts in the Missile Stakes field having performed well over the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival in races like the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) as three-year-olds. In 2018 the Missile Stakes winner Pierata won first-up after a Randwick Guineas second last time out. He would also go on to run two Group 1 placings in the VRC Classic (2018) at Flemington and The Galaxy (Rosehill) in 2019 before his Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) win at Randwick in April of 2019.

Missile Stakes nominations close the Monday before the race with final acceptances and the barrier draw released on the Wednesday.

The Missile Stakes field features a classy line-up of sprinters and middle distance gallopers, the bulk of which are first-up off a winter spell. It is the first Group race of the season and many runners have bigger targets coming up including Randwick’s Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m), another weight-for-age event.

2021 Missile Stakes Field

The official Missile Stakes 2021 final field and barriers will be provided in full below the week leading-up to the race as soon as acceptances are taken by Racing NSW.

Just seven runners remain in the 2021 Missile Stakes field following the early withdrawal of Hellenism and betting is dominated by Joe Pride’s returning Sapphire Stakes mare Fasika drawn the rails first-up.

2021 Missile Stakes Nominations

The Missile Stakes 2021 early nominations close the Monday of race week with the full list of potential runners to be published below.

The 2021 Missile Stakes nominations (extended until 11:00am Tuesday) feature just 10 early entries led by Chris Waller’s returning Group 1 All Aged Stakes winner last time out Kolding and the Joe Pride-trained Sapphire Stakes winning mare Fasika.

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Missile Stakes Tips

Looking for the proven first-up sprinters with form in tougher company are good Missile Stakes betting tips.

Other important tips to look at when making your Missile Stakes selections include keeping an eye out for runners with winning form at the Rosehill (Randwick in 2021) track and those suited at weight-for-age.

Any smart three-year-olds in the Missile Stakes field that ran well over the autumn in races like the Randwick Guineas (1600m) also make a nice Missile Stakes tip. In 2018 the Missile Stakes winner Pierata finished second in the Randwick Guineas earlier that year.

2021 Missile Stakes Tips

Our insider Missile Stakes 2021 tips and Group 2 race selections will be listed below the week of the race so stay tuned for the runners to back in the spring lead-up this season.

• To Win: #1 Kolding ($5 at time of publish) 

Good first-up price of Chris Waller’s star galloper, last seen winning the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) in the autumn. Small field so the barrier is a non-issue, but does give a bit of weight away. Deserves that however as a $6.3 million earner who is still in form. Two trials to bring him on and excellent Randwick record. If he shows up fresh, can kick off his spring with a win. His first-up record isn’t as awful as it looks with excuses last time returning.

Missile Stakes Form Guide

The Missile Stakes form guide features all the essential information including the saddlecloth numbers, barriers, jockeys, trainers and recent runs of the horses in the field.

The Missile Stakes form has stacked up in other good spring Group races over the years including the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m), which has been recently renamed to the Winx Stakes and elevated to a Group 1 event.

In 2013 Rain Affair won the Missile Stakes before a third in the Warwick Stakes next time out. In 2011 Pinwheel ran third in the Missile before a Warwick Stakes victory and came back in 2012 to complete the Missile Stakes – Warwick Stakes double.

The best out of the Missile Stakes can also go onto Group 1 company during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. In 2014 Sweet Idea won the Missile Stakes before finishing second to Dissident in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield next time out. That same year the Missile Stakes third placegetter Rebel Dane also ran third next start in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in Victoria.

The Missile Stakes form was franked in 2018 when the champion Pierata went on to run third that spring in Melbourne’s Group 1 VRC Classic (1200m) over the Cup Carnival, second in the following year’s Group 1 the Galaxy (1100m) in Sydney and first in the 2019 All Aged Stakes results at elite-level.

2021 Missile Stakes Form Guide

A link to our detailed Missile Stakes 2021 form guide will be available below after the field is announced for the $200,000 August feature.

Missile Stakes Results

The Missile Stakes results have been dominated by local Sydney sprinters running first-up for the season. Notable recent Missile Stakes winners include Eduardo (2020), Godolphin’s classy mare Alizee (2019), Pierata (2018), Sweet Idea (2014), Rain Affair (2013 and 2011), Pinwheel (2012) and Dance Hero (2005).

Missile Stakes Winners