Southern Cross Stakes 2025

The Southern Cross Stakes is a 1200m sprint held in early February at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

The quality handicap event currently offers $250,000 in prize money and was moved forward from Apollo Stakes Day to its own Rosehill feature meet ahead of the 2024 edition.

2024 Southern Cross Stakes winner Lady Laguna was too strong the closing stages saluting for the punters. Photo: Steve Hart.

The other key races on the Southern Cross Stakes Day card are the Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m) and the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) for two-year-olds heading towards the coveted Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m).

The race, which has been conducted at various racecourses around Sydney, was inaugurated in 1940 and gained its current Group 3 status in 1989.

Plenty of nice horses have won the Southern Cross Stakes over the years including San Domenico (1950), that year’s subsequent Melbourne Cup champion Evening Peal (1956), gun miler Gunsynd (1972), Danewin (1996), Le Romain (2017), and Lost And Running (2022).

The race attracts many horses that may return in the spring for a shot at the world’s richest turf race – the $20 million The Everest (1200m) held at Randwick in October.

The latest edition of the Southern Cross Stakes ran on Saturday February 1, 2025 at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse with the consistent Willaidow ($4.40) saluting in a tight finish.

2025 Southern Cross Stakes Results

• 1st: #5 Willaidow
• 2nd: #3 Iowna Merc
• 3rd: #2 Brudenell

Willaidow ($4.40), trained by Marc Conners and ridden by Tyler Schiller, showcased remarkable tenacity to win the 2025 Southern Cross Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday. In a thrilling finish, Willaidow edged out Iowna Merc by a head, with Brudenell finishing third. The race was a true test of grit, as Willaidow fought off multiple challenges down the straight, displaying incredible resilience. Post-race, Conners praised Willaidow’s fighting spirit, noting how the gelding always finds another gear on race day despite his lackluster track work. Schiller echoed these sentiments, calling Willaidow a “bulldog” for his relentless drive to win. Looking ahead, Conners mentioned there are plenty of options for Willaidow, with a focus on races around 1,400 to 1,500 metres.

2025 Southern Cross Stakes Odds

The Southern Cross Stakes 2025 odds will be published below as soon as markets on the Group 3 event are released so stay tuned for the top early autumn racing odds online this season.

Southern Cross Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday February 1, 2025
• Track: Rosehill Gardens Racecourse
• Distance: 1200m
• Conditions: Quality Handicap – 3YOs & Upwards
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $250,000
• First Run: 1940

Southern Cross Stakes Betting

Widden Southern Cross Stakes betting opens at bookies around the country after the field of final acceptors and barriers are out the Wednesday of race week.

Special Reward ($3 in 2020), Masked Crusader ($2.25 in 2021), Lost And Running ($2.20 in 2022), and Lady Laguna ($2.25 in 2024) are the latest favourites in Southern Cross Stakes betting to win.

Southern Cross Stakes Field

The Southern Cross Stakes race field features a line-up of good sprint types eyeing runs in tougher autumn features over the coming months.

Following a run in the Southern Cross Stakes field horses may target upcoming features including the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick during April’s ‘The Championships’.

Southern Cross Stakes nominations close the Monday before the race runs on the Saturday with the final field and barrier draw out on the Wednesday.

2025 Southern Cross Stakes Field

The official Southern Cross Stakes 2025 field of final acceptors and barriers will be published right here once released so stay tuned.

The Southern Cross Stakes 2025 final field features a smart line-up of autumn bound hopefuls led by Joe Pride’s All Too Hard five-year-old Accredited coming off a hat-trick.

2025 Southern Cross Stakes Nominations

The early Southern Cross Stakes 2025 Nominations are taken on the Monday of race week.

Southern Cross Stakes Tips

Good Southern Cross Stakes tips include looking for in-form Sydney horses that have previous Group form, ran well last time out if not first-up for the autumn season, are drawn well in the Rosehill race and have winning form over at least 1100m.

Another key Southern Cross Stakes betting tip is to stick with the favourite with the top elects boasting a strong recent record in the event.

Sticking with the more seasoned horses is also a solid betting tip for the Southern Cross Stakes as no three-year-old has won since Vital Flyer (2009).

2025 Southern Cross Stakes Tips

Our insider Southern Cross Stakes tips 2025 will be published below once the field is confirmed and betting markets released on the Group 3 sprint.

• To Win: #7 Disneck ($6 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Small but class field in the Southern Cross with a few coming off a string of wins including this Bjorn Baker trained Trapeze Artist four-year-old who looks the value chasing win number four on the trot. Up in grade but at the right track (5:2-1-0) and distance with four previous 1200m wins. Carried 57kg last time out on January 25 to win by 1.5 lengths at Randwick. On the quick back-up but will be airborne down to just 53kg with Zac Lloyd riding. Big chance.

Southern Cross Stakes Form Guide

The Southern Cross Stakes form guide details essential facts and stats like the lead-up runs of the horses in the field, their jockeys / trainers, and records at the track / distance.

In recent years the Southern Cross Stakes form has held up in bigger and better autumn races including in 2017 when the winner Le Romain went on to take out that year’s Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) on Randwick Guineas Day.

The 2021 Southern Cross form was franked with the winning horse, Masked Crusader, finishing third in that year’s Canterbury Stakes trifecta before victory in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) and second in the TJ Smith Stakes. He returned for a big spring including running second to Nature Strip in that year’s The Everest horse race.

Lady Laguna (2024) was the last horse to complete the Southern Cross Stakes – Canterbury Stakes double, and she further franked the form with a subsequent second in the George Ryder Stakes that year.

2025 Southern Cross Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Southern Cross Stakes 2025 Form Guide will be provided below following final acceptances.

Southern Cross Stakes Results

The Southern Cross Stakes race results and finishing order are known when the Group 3 is run and won at Rosehill in early February and have been dominated by the best in betting in recent years.

Lady Laguna (2024) was the last Southern Cross Stakes winning mare.

Vital Flyer (2009) was the last three-year-old Southern Cross Stakes winner.

Gunsynd holds the record of most weight carried to victory in the Southern Cross Stakes when carting in 9 st 7lbs (approx. 60.5 kg) in 1972.

Past Southern Cross Stakes Winners

Recent Southern Cross Stakes winners and placegetters going back to 2000 are detailed in the below table. 

FAQ

Who won the 2025 Southern Cross Stakes?

The 2025 Southern Cross Stakes was won by Willaidow for trainer Marc Conners at a starting price of $4.40 with Tyler Schiller aboard from barrier 1 with the horse saluting by 0.13 lengths in 1:09.44.

When is the Southern Cross Stakes 2025?

What is the prize money for the Southern Cross Stakes 2025?

$250,000

Where is the Southern Cross Stakes 2025?

Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, James Ruse Dr, Rosehill NSW 2142.

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