Widden Stakes 2025

Ladbrokes Tip: The Widden Stakes serves as a nice early lead-up into the $4.96 million Golden Slipper each autumn

The Group 3 Widden Stakes is a short-distance sprint contested over 1100m at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in late January as part of the early Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival lead-up races.

The set weights plus penalties showdown is open only to two-year-old fillies and runs alongside the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) along with the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) which is the colts’ and geldings’ equivalent to the Widden Stakes.

Both the Widden Stakes and Canonbury Stakes offer $250,000 in prize money as of 2024.

Traditionally the Widden Stakes is used as a springboard for young fillies eyeing a run in that season’s upcoming Group 1 $4.96 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m).

Run and won since 1943 and gaining Group 3 status in 2014, the event is named after Widden Stud in New South Wales where many champion sires have stood including Marscay, Vain, Bletchingly, Todman, and General Nediym.

To date three fillies have completed the Widden Stakes – Golden Slipper Stakes double with Overreach (2013), Mossfun (2014), and a decade later Lady Of Camelot (2024).

In 2023 the Widden Stakes winning filly Learning To Fly backed-up from her successful debut to salute for the punters next start in the lucrative $2 million Restricted Listed Inglis Millennium (1100m) followed by a win in the Reisling Stakes before she lost her rider in the Golden Slipper that autumn.

The latest edition of the Widden Stakes ran on Saturday February 1, 2025 at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse for Golden Slipper bound fillies and saw The Playwright ($3.80) salute on the back of a lead-up fourth in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

2025 Widden Stakes Results

The full Widden Stakes 2025 results and finishing order of the Rosehill Group 3 sprint for Golden Slipper-bound fillies will be detailed below once the race takes place as a Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival lead-up.

• 1st: #1 The Playwright
• 2nd: #3 Tempted
• 3rd: #9 Snitzel Miss

The Playwright ($3.80), trained by the formidable Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, delivered a scintillating performance to win the 2025 Widden Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday. With Regan Bayliss expertly guiding her, The Playwright led from the start and held off a fierce challenge to win by a short head. The race saw her break brilliantly, setting a steady pace before being challenged in the final furlong. Bayliss’s skillful riding ensured she maintained her lead, crossing the finish line just ahead of Tempted and Snitzel Miss. Post-race, Waterhouse praised the filly’s heart and determination, hinting at a potential run in the 2025 Blue Diamond Stakes on February 22.

2025 Widden Stakes Odds

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

Widden Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday February 1, 2025
• Track: Rosehill Gardens Racecourse
• Distance: 1100m
• Conditions: Set Weights + Penalties – 2YO Fillies
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $250,000
• First Run: 1943

Widden Stakes Betting

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

Young fillies that are resuming and run well fresh, proven Rosehill performers, sprinters with previous form over the 1100m distance and runners coming off any earlier Black-Type Sydney assignments sit high up the Widden Stakes odds.

Many two-year-olds may be on debut in the Widden Stakes, so those with strong lead-up trials are often at shorter odds. Learning To Fly (2023) was the last debutant Widden Stakes winner.

Favourites have a solid recent record in the race with Away Game ($2.10 in 2020) and Lady Of Camelot ($1.60 in 2024) the latest Widden Stakes favourites to salute.

Widden Stakes Field

The Widden Stakes race field features a line-up of promising young fillies either coming off a summer run or kicking off their new season campaigns.

If not resuming racing, eligible fillies in the Widden Stakes field may have contested the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) on the Gold Coast in mid-January and Away Game (2020) was the last to do the double.

The Playwright (4th in 2025) was the last Magic Millions 2YO Classic graduate to back-up and win the Widden Stakes.

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

2025 Widden Stakes Field

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

The Widden Stakes 2025 final field features a solid line-up of untapped fillies with markets led by the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Magic Millions 2YO Classic graduate The Playwright. 

2025 Widden Stakes Nominations

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

Widden Stakes Tips

Good Widden Stakes tips include looking for in-form Sydney fillies that have previous Group form, ran well last time out if not on debut, are drawn well in the Rosehill race and have winning form over at least 1000m.

Another top Widden Stakes betting tip is to take the winner to finish in the money next start in another Golden Slipper lead-up such as the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1200m) against the colts and geldings and or the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) for fillies.

2025 Widden Stakes Tips

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

• To Win: #1 The Playwright ($3.60 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Happy to stick with the well-tried favourite from the Waterhouse/Bott yard with The Playwright coming off a credible fourth in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Winner here at Rosehill on debut last November, the Written By filly also finished third in the Group 3 BJ McLachlan at Eagle Farm. She has experience, is fit, and faces an easier field here. Barrier three. Can salute. 

Widden Stakes Form Guide

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

In recent seasons the Widden Stakes form has held-up in future autumn Group races including in 2020 when the winner Away Game running a next-up fourth in Melbourne’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) before her Golden Slipper second.

The Widden Stakes 2022 form was franked with the second placed filly Revolutionary Miss winning the Group 2 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) next-up before a second in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes in Melbourne. She also came back that spring to finish second in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).

2025 Widden Stakes Form Guide

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

Widden Stakes Results

The Widden Stakes race results have been dominated by progressive fillies lower down in the set weights plus penalties scale with Away Game (57.5kg in 2020) the first filly in over 20 years to carry more than 56.5kg to victory.

Some of the more notable Widden Stakes winners include: Triscay (1989), Econsul (2004), Churchill Downs (2006), Horizons (2009), Driefontein (2012), Overreach (2013), Mossfun (2014), the aforementioned Away Game (2020), and Lady Of Camelot (2024) who went on to win the Golden Slipper.

Past Widden Stakes Winners

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

FAQ

Who won the 2025 Widden Stakes?

The 2025 Widden Stakes was won by The Playwright trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott at a price of $3.80 with Regan Bayliss aboard from barrier three to win by 0.1 lengths in a time of 1:03.87.

When is the Widden Stakes 2025?

What is the prize money for the Widden Stakes 2025?

$250,000

Where is the Widden Stakes 2025?

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

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