Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) 2024

Ladbrokes Tip: The Behemoth Stakes (SAJC Spring Stakes) runs in the winter each August and is an important event for returning spring hopefuls.

2023 Behemoth Stakes winner See You In Heaven. Photo: Jenny Barnes.

The Spring Stakes – now run as the Behemoth Stakes – is a 1200m sprint race contested at Morphettville Racecourse in mid-August each year by the South Australian Jockey Club (SAJC) and is not to be confused with the Newcastle Jockey Club’s 3YO Spring Stakes race held in November.

A key lead-up into the bigger and better races of the upcoming Spring Racing Carnivals, the weight-for-age event currently offers $150,000 in prize money.

Contested on the same date as Sydney’s Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m), the SAJC Spring Stakes race was first run in 1970.

Having taken place in September prior to 2006, it is now the opening Group race held in Adelaide for the new racing season.

From 1979–1997 the race held Group 2 status before being demoted to a Group 3 event from 1998 onwards.

A number of nice horses have won the SAJC Spring Stakes over the years including triple champion Redelva (1988-90) who went on to win the following year’s Group 1 William Reid Stakes in Melbourne, and recent two-time winner Behemoth (2020-21) who the race was renamed in honour of in 2023.

The next edition of the SAJC Spring Stakes takes place on Saturday, August 10, 2024 as the opening Group race in Adelaide for the new racing season and is known as the Behemoth Stakes.

2024 Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) Odds

Stay tuned for the full Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) 2024 betting markets and links to the final acceptors to be published below once odds are released.

Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) Race Info

• Current Race Name: Behemoth Stakes (since 2023)
• Date: Saturday, August 10, 2024
• Track: Morphettville Racecourse
• Distance: 1200m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $150,000
• First Run: 1970

2024 Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) Results

• 1st: TBD
• 2nd: TBD
• 3rd: TBD

The Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) 2024 results and full finishing order of the winter sprint will be published below once the race is run and won on Saturday, August 10, 2024.

Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) Betting

Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) betting is traditionally led by resuming spring-bound sprinters proven in tougher grade races.

Any horses that contested previous editions of the event sit high up the Spring Stakes odds each season, as do past Group 1 performers down in grade for their spring campaign kick-offs.

Locally-trained, older runners dominate the markets and have an outstanding recent strike-rate.

Behemoth ($2.50 in 2020 and $1.65 in 2021) followed by See You In Heaven ($2.15 in 2023) are the latest favourite in Spring Stakes / Behemoth Stakes betting to win.

Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) Field

The Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) race field attracts both end-of-season winter runners as well as spring-bound hopefuls kicking off the new season campaigns.

The Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) nominations are taken the Monday of race week with final acceptances closing on the Wednesday.

2024 Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) Field

The official Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) 2024 final field of sprinters is announced the Wednesday of race week and will be updated below once confirmed.

2024 Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) Nominations

Early nominations for the Behemoth Stakes 2024 race at Morphettville close the Monday of race week.

Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) Tips

Top Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) tips include looking for runners with a strong record over the distance (1200m), locally-trained Adelaide runners with a good strike-rate at the Morphettville track and Black-Type graduates coming off good lead-up winter runs.

Backing the male gallopers is another solid Spring Stakes betting tip as Beirut (2016) and See You In Heaven (2023) are the only mares to beat home the boys in the event since 2015, while no filly has been successful since Hartbalm (1977).

Another key Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) tip is to get behind any in-form runner prepared by Leon Macdonald who has won the event five times with: Will Fly (1998), Spice Doll (2000), El Maze (2008), Rebel Raider (2010), and most recently Dalasan (2019).

David Jolly meanwhile prepared three straight winners from 2020-22.

2024 Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) Tips

Our insider tips on the Behemoth Stakes in 2024 will be published below once the field and form guide are released.

• To Win: TBD

Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) Form Guide

The Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) form guide, released when final acceptances close on the Wednesday before the race runs that Saturday, details crucial information like the jockeys and barriers as well as the lead-up runs of the sprinters in the field.

The Spring Stakes form has stacked up in future interstate Spring Racing Carnival races a number of times in recent years.

In 2018 the SAJC Spring Stakes winner Dollar For Dollar (2018) finished second in that year’s Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m). He would also continue on to finish third in the next year’s Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) in Brisbane.

In 2019, the Spring Stakes winner Dalasan headed to Melbourne next-up and saluted in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington Racecourse. Dalasan was also runner-up in the 2020 Group 1 SA Derby, further franking the form. Scales Of Justice meanwhile improved on his 2019 Spring Stakes second to win Caulfield’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) next start.

The following year the 2020 Spring Stakes winner Behemoth went on to complete the Memsie Stakes – Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes double in Melbourne.

Behemoth also won the 2021 Spring Stakes on protest and continued on to also successfully defend his Memsie Stakes title having earlier run third in that autumn’s then $5 million The All-Star Mile.

2024 Behemoth Stakes Form Guide

A link to our complete 2024 Behemoth Stakes Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Spring Stakes / Behemoth Stakes Results

There has been four multiple SAJC Spring Stakes winners throughout history: Samist (1974-75); Redelva (1988-90); Hero Wind (1994, 1995, 1997); and most recently Behemoth (2020-21).

Behemoth (2020 and 2021) was the last horse to complete the Spring Stakes – Memsie Stakes double.

Behemoth won his second title in 2021 on protest after originally being second past the post behind Beau Rossa who was subsequently demoted to runner-up.

Sky Cuddle holds the current 1200m SAJC Sprint Stakes race record winning in a time of 1 minute 9.64 seconds in 2004.

Other noteworthy Spring Stakes winners include: Toltrice (1973), Flavour (2001), Super Elegant (2005), Royal Ida (2006), Rebel Raider (2010), Happy Trails (2012), and Dalasan (2019).

See You In Heaven (2023) was the last mare to win when taking out the first official running of the renamed Behemoth Stakes.

SAJC Spring Stakes / Behemoth Stakes Winners

Spring Stakes / Behemoth Stakes winners and place-getters dating back to 1970 are detailed in the below table.

FAQ

When is the Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) 2024?

What is the prize money for the Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) 2024?

$150,000

Where is the Behemoth Stakes (Spring Stakes) 2024?

Morphettville Racecourse, 79 Morphett Rd, Morphettville SA 5043.