Shannon Stakes 2021

Ladbrokes Tip: The Shannon Stakes winner may press onto the Epsom Handicap at Randwick

The Shannon Stakes is a Group 2 quality handicap race run at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse on a Saturday in late September during the annual Sydney Spring Racing Carnival.

Contested at the same meeting as the $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m), the $400,000 Group 2 Golden Pendant (1400m), the Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) and the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m),  the race is contested over 1500m and offers $200,000 in total prize money. Graduates may go on to run in tougher Sydney and Melbourne races over the spring carnival, but is it usually won by middle range gallopers as opposed to Group 1 stars.

The last Shannon Stakes runner to back-up and win the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) the following month at Randwick was the 2012 third-placegetter Fat Al. The Shannon Stakes winner is exempt from both ballot and penalty for the Epsom Handicap that season.

The race can also now serve as a potential lead-up into the lucrative $1 million The Gong held at Kembla Grange in November with Mister Sea Wolf (2019) completing the double.

The latest edition of the Shannon Stakes took place on Saturday September 25, 2021 and was won by the Chris Waller-trained roughie Yonkers ($41). 

2021 Shannon Stakes Results

The full Shannon Stakes 2021 race results and finishing order will be provided below as soon as the race is run and won on Saturday September 25, 2021.

• 1st: #6 Yonkers
• 2nd: #8 Discharged
• 3rd: #5 Reloaded

The Chris Waller-trained Yonkers ($41) got up right on the line to score an upset win over nearly all-the-way leader Discharged in the 2021 Shannon Stakes results ahead of a possible seven-day back-up into the Group 1 Epsom Handicap.

Shannon Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday September 25, 2021
• Track: Rosehill Gardens
• Distance: 1500m
• Conditions: Quality Handicap
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $200,000
• First Run: 1978

Shannon Stakes Odds & Betting

Shannon Stakes betting favours local Sydney gallopers with winning form over 1400m – 1600m, proven ability at the Rosehill and those that come off earlier Group spring runs. Graduates out of the Theo Marks Stakes at the same track a fortnight earlier usually feature high up the Shannon Stakes odds, and favourites have a solid recent record in the race.

I Am Superman ($4.60 in 2020) was the last favourite in Shannon Stakes betting to get the job done.

2021 Shannon Stakes Betting

The season’s top Shannon Stakes 2021 odds and Group 2 betting links to our Golden Rose Day markets will be provided below as soon as open.

Shannon Stakes Field

The Shannon Stakes field features a decent line-up of middle-distance runners coming off runs in similar class in Sydney earlier during the carnival. Many Shannon Stakes horses may have had a lead-up run in a race like the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m), which the 2015 winner Vashka finished seventh in. Vashka also travelled to Melbourne next start and won the Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Vashka (2015) went on to win a Group 3 on Caulfield Cup Day after success in Sydney’s Shannon Stakes that spring. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.

Another possible lead-up run is the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m), which produced the 2014 Shannon Stakes winner Rock Sturdy (2nd). That year’s third placegetter Ninth Legion came off a third in the Theo Marks Stakes.

The best out of the Shannon Stakes sometimes head to Randwick the next month for a shot at the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m). While the double hasn’t been achieved in recent times, in 2010 Sacred Choice ran third in the Shannon Stakes and Epsom Handicap. She also headed to Melbourne later that prep and won the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) – now known as the Empire Rose Stakes – at Flemington Racecourse.

The previous year saw the 2012 winner Rolling Pin run third next time out in the Epsom Handicap to Fat Al who came off a third in the Group 2 and earlier second in that year’s Theo Marks Stakes.

Shannon Stakes nominations close the Monday before the race runs on the Saturday with the field and barrier draw announced on the Wednesday.

2021 Shannon Stakes Field

The official Shannon Stakes 2021 Final Field & Barrier Draw will be published in full below the Wednesday leading-up to Golden Rose Stakes Day so stay tuned to see what gallopers line-up in the Group 2 feature.

The 2021 Shannon Stakes field features 10 middle-distance runners including the rails-drawn top weight Imaging and last start Kembla Grange winner Love Tap dropping from 59kg to just 53kg.

2021 Shannon Stakes Nominations

The Shannon Stakes 2021 Nominations are announced by Racing NSW the Monday of race week and will be published below once announced.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Shannon Stakes Tips

The Shannon Stakes betting tips that best stack-up during the spring carnival in Sydney include looking for runners proven at the track over at least 1400m, runners from the best stables in NSW and gallopers that finished in the money last start.

2021 Shannon Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive Shannon Stakes 2021 betting tips and exotic Rosehill selections on the Epsom Handicap ballot exemption-offering event will be detailed below the week of the race.

• To Win: #10  Love Tap ($3.50 at time of publish) 

Hard to bet against the favourite Love Tap who was good winning in easier grade with a big weight (59kg) last time out. Drops to just 53kg and this a definite rise in class, but the consistent Tapit grey should be flying with the weight. Group 3 winner at the track in last year’s Gloaming Stakes 12 months ago before the strong fourth in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes and looks to be stronger here.

Shannon Stakes Form Guide

The Shannon Stakes form guide details to punters all the facts and stats from the jockeys, trainers and barriers, to the horse’s records over the track / distance and their lead-up runs.

The Shannon Stakes form has stacked-up in tougher carnival features a number of times over the years including in 2015 when the third-placegetter Messene ran fourth in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) behind Winx next time out. In 2014 the Shannon Stakes third-placed Ninth Legion also ran fourth in the Epsom next time out.

2021 Shannon Stakes Form Guide

A link to our detailed Shannon Stakes 2021 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Shannon Stakes Results

The results from the past decade have been a mix between favourites and double-figure chances including Rain Drum ($13 in 2013) and roughie Yonkers ($41 in 2021) for Chris Waller.

Recent and noteworthy winners of the Shannon Stakes include Rock Sturdy (2014), Musket (2008) and Juggler (1996).

Shannon Stakes Winners