Villiers Stakes

Winners and Past Results.

The Villiers Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 2 Australian open handicap horse race. FREE $200 Bet

It is contested over a distance of 1600 metres and is held annually at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in December during the Spring Racing Carnival.

Prize money for the Villiers Stakes is worth $150,000.

The Villiers Stakes is held just before Christmas each year and usually attracts a good quality field.

Runners contesting the Villiers Stakes could have earlier contested the Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup over 1600 metres, an open handicap event raced in November. Other races leading upto this event include the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap over 1400 metres at Randwick on George Main Stakes Day, or the Group 2 Shannon Stakes over 1600 metres at Rosehill Racecourse in September.

In 1892 was when the first Villiers Stakes was run and was won by Two Up. The race started out as a principal race run over six furlongs. The distance of the event was increased in 1902 to eight furlongs until 1972 when the distance was changed to metric to 1600 metres.

The race was elevated to Group 3 status in 1979 then in 1986 it was elevated to a Group 2 race.

In the long history of the Villiers Stakes, 2007 was the only time the race was not run and this was due to the equine flu.

2011 Villiers Stakes

Monton did it the hard way in winning this Group 2 handicap event. Starting from barrier 18, Monton raced well wide and without cover throughout, and looked to be struggling at the halfway mark. Coming into the straight, the gelding was still wide but showed lots of fight, joining the fray up front as they raced for home and going clear just before the post, beating Kontiki Park and King Lionheart to record a courageous win.

2011 Villiers Stakes result

1. Monton
2. Kontiki Park
3. King Lionheart

Then came:

4. Miss Keepsake
5. Lightinthenite
6. Alexander Of Hales
7. Fibrillation
8. New Day Rising
9. Altered Boy
10. Erewhon
11. Tindal
12. Shadowfax
13. Viva Las
14. Lebrechaun
15. Without Compromise
16. Zara Dancer