Craven Plate

Winners and Past Results for the Craven Plate.

The Australian Turf Club hosts the Craven Plate, a Group 3 open race at the Randwick Racecourse in October during the spring racing carnival in Sydney. 

In the Craven Plate horses travel over a distance of 2000 meters in this weight for age race that attracts prize money worth $125,000.

The Epsom Handicap and the Group 1 Metropolitan Handicap are slotted what is the biggest day of the spring carnival. Punters have a packed race card to spread their bets over other Group 1 races as well, which include the Flight Stakes and Spring Champion Stakes. The race suits staying types who compete in the last weight for age race of the spring carnival. The Group 2 Hill Stakes held at Rosehill Racecourse in September usually attracts in-form sprinters for the Craven Plate, which serves as a good form guide.

Some of the better middle distance and staying types may come via the Group 1 George Main Stakes held at Randwick a week earlier. Most recently, European import, My Kingdom of Fife, was runner up in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick before romping home in style in the 2011 Craven Plate.

The Craven Plate was first held way back in 1869 with Yattendon recorded as the first winner. It remained a principal race until 1984 and was then a listed race till it achieved Group 3 status in 1993.

Among the outstanding horses to etch their name on the Craven Plate as much as three times in its early years include The Barb, the mighty Phar Lap, Peter Pan, Tim Whiffler, Carbine, Chatham, Windbag, Duke Foote, Prince Darius, Summer Fair and many more.

As a Listed race, Hayai scored back to back victories while Mummify in 2005, Lorne Dancer in 2008, and C'est le Guerre in 2010 are among the recent winners. Following his 2005 victory, Mummify ran a spirited race carrying top weight in the Caulfield Cup right from the start but was forced into third place after shattering a sesamoid bone on his foreleg, following which he had to be euthanized.

In 2010, C'est le Guerre ran 5th in the Group 2 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington Racecourse before winning the Craven Plate.

In 2009, Miss Marielle won the Group 2 Hill Stakes at Rosehill in September prior to finishing a clear winner in the Craven Plate.

2012 Craven Plate

It was a bold ride from Hugh Bowman, going forward on Mourayan and helping Herculian Prince set a cracking early pace up front while the rest of the field tried to stay in touch. The leading pair were relentless though, opening up a big margin on the other gallopers as they neared the turn. Herculian Prince, under a hard ride, flagged in the straight but Mourayan soldiered on and when Western Symbol challenged late, the seven-year-old didn't falter, hanging on to win by a head while Dare To Dream came from a long way back, and through traffic, to register a very meritorious third place, just a neck back.

2012 Craven Plate result

1. Mourayan
2. Western Symbol
3. Dare To Dream

Then came:

4. Less Is More
5. Maules Creek
6. Class is Class
7. Herculian Prince
8. Gazza Guru
9. Ginga Dude