Ladbrokes Tip: The Golden Slipper is a key Percy Sykes Stakes lead-up race

The Percy Sykes Stakes was upgraded to a Group 2 feature race for the first time in 2017 and is part of a bumper day of racing at Royal Randwick for Day 2 of ‘The Championships’ each Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

Officially registered and previously known as the Keith Mackay Handicap in honour of former AJC Chairman Keith Mackay, the event is now run under set weights plus penalties by two-year-old fillies. It takes place on the second Saturday of April each year alongside four Group 1 races – the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Sydney Cup, Queen Of The Turf Stakes and Australian Oaks.

Since being added to The Championships series of races the Percy Sykes Stakes has increased dramatically in prestige and prize money and now offers a total of $600,000 in stakes. The key lead-up into the race is the $3.5 million Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m).

The 2020 edition of the Percy Sykes Stakes had a reduced total stakes of $500,000 on offer due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

The latest edition of the Percy Sykes Stakes took place on Saturday April 11, 2020 and was won by Golden Slipper runner-up Away Game. 

Percy Sykes Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday April 11, 2020
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 1200m
• Conditions: 2YO Fillies – Set Weights + Penalties
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $600,000 ($500,000 in 2020 due to COVID-19)
• First Run: 1960

2020 Percy Sykes Stakes Results

The complete Percy Sykes Stakes 2020 results and finishing order will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday April 11, 2020.

• 1st: #2 Away Game
• 2nd: #9 Vangelic
• 3rd: #3 See You Soon

Magic Millions Classic winning filly Away Game added another feature race win to her two-year-old record with the $3.20 favourite saluting for the punters in the 2020 Percy Sykes Stakes results. The very tough Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained filly franked the Golden Slipper form as she relished a drop in grade to improve on a second in the world’s richest race for two-year-olds to take out the Group 2 event on Day 2 of The Championships by one and a half lengths.

Percy Sykes Stakes Betting Odds

Percy Sykes Stakes betting is open the week of the race and is led by in-form young fillies that have previous winning form on their records over the 1200m distance.

Graduates out of the Golden Slipper field usually also dominate the Percy Sykes Stakes odds each autumn, with barriers also playing an important part in determining the favourites because of the Randwick straight.

Golden Slipper runner-up and that summer’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner on the Gold Coast, Away Game ($3.20 in 2020) was the last favourite in Percy Sykes Stakes betting to salute.

2020 Percy Sykes Stakes Odds

The latest Percy Sykes Stakes 2020 odds and betting markets will be available below once the field is announced the Tuesday before the race so stay tuned to view the prices on your favourite two-year-old fillies.

Percy Sykes Stakes Field

Each autumn the Percy Sykes Stakes field continues to attract a better class of fillies lured by the lucrative prize money that includes $348,000 for the connections of the Percy Sykes Stakes winner.

In 2020 only $287,000 was on offer for the winner with the reduced prizemoney across all The Championships’ races due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Most of the fillies in the Percy Sykes Stakes field, which runs at a capacity of 14 starters, are Golden Slipper graduates dropping back down in class for a final run of the season before heading out to the paddock to mature ahead of a three-year-old campaign in the spring.

Away Game (2nd in 2020) was the last Golden Slipper graduate to win the Percy Sykes Stakes next race.

Streama (2011) is one of the most notable Percy Sykes Stakes winners having gone on to win four Group 1 races later in her career. Photo Credit: Daniel Costello.

2020 Percy Sykes Stakes Field

The official Percy Sykes Stakes 2020 field of final acceptances is released on the Tuesday of race week with the full line-up of two-year-old hopefuls to be published below.

The 2020 Percy Sykes Stakes final field attracted 14 juveniles with the Magic Millions Classic winning filly Away Game the favourite in barrier six coming off a Golden Slipper second.

• Scratchings: #8 Sancy (14) 

2020 Percy Sykes Stakes First Acceptances

The early Percy Sykes Stakes nominations close in February followed by the official first acceptances a month out from the race.

The 2020 Percy Sykes Stakes first acceptances feature 85 two-year-old fillies including last start Golden Slipper runner-up Away Game.

Percy Sykes Stakes Tips

The key Percy Sykes Stakes tips are to look out for fillies proven over the 1200m and coming off a last start win. It is always hard to bet against a filly in good form, so Percy Sykes Stakes betting tips favour the up-and-comers who won their lead-up races.

Other Percy Sykes Stakes tips include checking the price of Golden Slipper graduates set to enjoy the step down in grade and those with Randwick form who can handle the straight at the end of the race.

2020 Percy Sykes Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive Percy Sykes Stakes 2020 betting tips will be detailed right here the week of the race so stay tuned for the fillies to back and sack in your The Championships Day 2 punting.

• To Win: #2 Away Game ($3.20) 

Simply too much class and form around this favourite to bet against. The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Magic Millions 2YO Classic winning filly has been nothing short of brilliant her entire career and can’t see why that can’t continue here. Certainly she’s been up a long time, but she looks the type that simply loves a lot of racing. Group 3 winner here over 1100m by a big margin in early February before the very brave Group 1 Blue Diamond fourth in Melbourne when narrowly beaten. Returned to Sydney when runner-up in the Group 1 Golden Slipper. If she hasn’t peaked, she’ll be winning this.

Percy Sykes Stakes Form Guide

The Percy Sykes Stakes form guide details crucial race data including the starting barriers, jockeys and lead-up runs of the fillies in the Group 2 sprint field. When doing the Percy Sykes Stakes form look out for runners that won their lead-up race, are drawn close to the rails at Randwick and whose record shows a win over the 1200m distance.

2020 Percy Sykes Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Percy Sykes Stakes 2020 Form Guide will be available below the week of the race.

Percy Sykes Stakes Results

The Percy Sykes Stakes results in the past decade have been dominated by nice types and Golden Slipper graduates.

Notable recent Percy Sykes Stakes winners include subsequent four-time Group 1 winner Streama (2011), Eloping (2014) and Missrock (2016). The 2017 Percy Sykes Stakes winner Shoals franked the form with her subsequent Thousand Guineas second and Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) win that spring.

Percy Sykes Stakes Winners