Canterbury Stakes

Winners and Past Results

The Canterbury Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 2 Australian horse race for horses aged three years old and upwards at weight for age. FREE $250 Bet

The Group 2 race is held at the Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney on the same day as Group 1 Ranvet Stakes and Coolmore Stud Classic.

Horses compete for prize money worth $175,000 and prove their ability to handle weight for age conditions. The other plus point for the winner is a ballot exemption in the George Ryder Stakes. The race attracts an above average field of gallopers with some of the biggest names passing through the Canterbury Stakes. This includes Gai Waterhouse trained More Joyous whose winning streak of 10 wins from 11 starts continued in the 2011 Canterbury Stakes, only failing to make a clean sweep in the Cox Plate. Setting the pace right from the start More Joyous ran on unchallenged to win by a huge margin of three lengths. Prior to entering the race, the wily mare won the Group 1 Futurity Stakes in style and remained a strong contender for the 2011 champion sprinter of the year which went to Black Caviar.

The Group 1 George Ryder Stakes held on Golden Slipper Stakes day serves as a warm up for some of the horses leading up to the Canterbury Stakes. Quick Flick was the last horse to score a Canterbury/George Ryder Stakes double in 1998.

Horses first took to the track in the Canterbury Stakes in 1929. Held as a principal race, a horse named Amounis is recorded as the first winner. Holdfast literally held on to the trophy for the next three years from 1930-32. San Domenico was the next to pick up two titles in 1950-51 followed by At Sea in 1988-89. The race was awarded Group 2 status in 1979.

Among the outstanding sprinters to win the Canterbury Stakes include Manikato in 1982, Miss Kariba in 1995, Shogun Lodge in 2001, Dance Hero in 2005, and Hot Danish in 2010. Love Conquers All, second in 2011, ran a spirited race in the Doomben 10000 losing only by a nose to Beaded. He also finished as runner up in the George Ryder Stakes and the $2 million Doncaster Handicap at Randwick Racecourse as well.

2011 Canterbury Stakes

Star mare More Joyous turned this event into nothing more than a one horse race, setting the pace from the outset and strolling to the easiest of wins without facing a challenge. Love Conquers All finished three lengths back in second and Demerit was a distant third.

2011 Canterbury Stakes result

1. More Joyous
2. Love Conquers All
3. Demerit

Then came:

4. Rangirangdoo
5. Empires Choice