Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2021

Ladbrokes Tip: Four-year-olds have the best recent record in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes results

The Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes is a handicap clash for middle distance sprint types held at Caulfield Racecourse in late September. Having previously been run on Underwood Stakes Day each Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, the race is now the feature on its own Caulfield race meeting that also features four Group support acts including the two Guineas Prelude races – the Group 2 $300,000 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) for fillies and the Group 3 $300,000 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) for colts and geldings.

The Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) also takes place on Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Day offering the winner a Caulfield Cup ballot exemption, as does the Group 3 How Now Stakes (1200m) for mares.

Raced over 1400m and worth $1 million in prize money as of 2021 it serves as a good lead-up into the Toorak Handicap held back at the track over 1600m. Trust In A Gust (2014) was the last galloper to complete the popular Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes – Toorak Handicap double.

Inaugurated in 1951 when Jovial Lad scored the race was originally known as the Invitation Stakes and it has held Group 1 status since a 1979 upgrade. It was renamed in honour of former Victorian Amateur Turf Club chairman Sir Rupert Clarke after his death in 2005. Many notable horses have won the race including Stratum Star (2015), Moment Of Change (2012), Exceed And Excel (2003), dual Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes champ Testa Rossa (1999 & 2000) and Encosta De Lago (1996).

The Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at the same track and distance the month prior makes a nice lead-up into the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes with star South Australian galloper Behemoth (2020) the last to do the double.

The latest edition of the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes ran on Saturday September 18, 2021 and was won by underrated mare Sierra Sue.  

Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday September 18, 2021
• Track: Caulfield Racecourse
• Distance: 1400m
• Conditions: Open Handicap
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $1,000,000
• First Run: 1951

2021 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Results

The official Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Results for 2021 will be available in full below once the race is run and won on Saturday September 18, 2021.

• 1st: #7 Sierra Sue
• 2nd: #14 Dice Roll
• 3rd: #17e I’m Thunderstruck

The Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained Sierra Sue ($11) continued her rise through the grades, the mare relishing a light weight and gun ride by Daniel Moor to win the 2021 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield. 

Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Odds

Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes betting odds are usually dominated by in-form four-year-old horses in the field with four-year-olds winning all seven editions of the race from 2010 – 2018.

Wide barriers are a non-issue but a good lead-up run ensures a shorter price in the markets, especially for graduates of the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) at Flemington, which is the traditional Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes lead-up producing four winners from 2007 – 2018.

Favourites in Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes betting have a solid recent record in the race winning three times on the trot from 2012 – 2014, but there have also been notable upsets including Santa Ana Lane ($26 in 2017), European raider Jungle Cat ($11 in 2018) and Sierra Sue ($11 in 2021). 

In 2019 the favourite in Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes betting Begood Toya Mother saluted on the back of a lead-up sixth in the Memsie Stakes, while in 2020 Behemoth also won as the top fancy in betting coming off a win in the Memsie.

2021 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Odds

The season’s top Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2021 betting odds and market links to the Caulfield Group 1 will be available below once released.

The Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes final field had a capacity of 18 starters, a number the race has run at a number of times in recent years, most recently in 2015 when Stratum Star beat home 17 rivals from a wide barrier 15 draw, but now can have a maximum of 16 starters. 

Horses may come into the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes field via an earlier Group 1 spring run in the season’s opening elite level race, the Memsie Stakes.

Begood Toya Mother (6th in 2019) was the last Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner to come out of the Memsie, held at the same track and distance, before Behemoth (2020) became the first to do the double since  Regal Roller (2004).

Trust In A Gust (2014) saluted for the punters in Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes betting. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.

2021 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Field

The official Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2021 Final Field & Barriers are announced the Wednesday of race week with the full line-up to be published below.

The 2021 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes field features a capacity line-up of middle-distance stars led in betting by the rails-drawn Beau Rossa and the hulking Behemoth who ran second and first in the Memsie Stakes last start.

Scratchings Update: #3 Streets Of Avalon (14)

2021 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Nominations

The early Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2021 nominations close the Monday ahead of the event. 

Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Tips

Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes tips favour the shorties in the markets with the favourite saluting plenty of times in the past decade including three times on the trot with Moment Of Change (2012), Rebel Dane (2011) and Trust In A Gust (2014) all getting the job done for the punters, along with Begood Toya Mother in 2019 and Behemoth in 2020.

Many Sir Rupert Clarke tipsters also like to predict Craig Williams’ mount to run well as the top hoop has ridden six Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winners since 2005, most recently aboard Behemoth (2020).

Other key Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes betting tips including backing the in-form four-year-olds in the field with seven four-year-olds winning on the trot from 2010 – 2016 and only three winners having finished worse than fourth in their lead-up run from 2002 – 2021 including the internationally-trained 2018 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Jungle Cat who came off a lead-up win in Dubai’s Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) that March.

2021 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2021 betting tips will be detailed in full below the week of the race so bookmark this page for the horses to back and sack in the Sunday racing feature this spring.

• To Win: #2 Probabeel ($5.50 at time of publish) 

Going to stick with Jamie Richards’ classy mare Probabeel to go two-from-two this prep on the back of her narrow but impressive first-up victory in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes. She’s undefeated at the track chasing her fourth win at Caulfield and has a very imposing second-up record (5:4-1-0). Group 1 Futurity win here in the autumn, drawn ideally (2) and Brett Prebble is on. Can win at a decent price in an outstanding edition of the race.