Eclipse Stakes

Winners and Past Results

A Group 3 race held at Sandown Racecourse every November in Victoria, Melbourne is the popular Eclipse Stakes.  FREE $250 Bet That Can't Lose

The event is generally held at the end of the Melbourne spring racing carnival and it also provides one last chance to many jockeys, horses and trainers to win the big money.

The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 3 event and is a race held under open handicap conditions. Handicap conditions attract a wide range of horses to compete together for the huge amount of prize-money. The Eclipse Stakes race, hosted by the Melbourne Racing Club is run over a distance of 1800 metres with prize money worth $125,000 on offer. Earlier, Eclipse Stakes was scheduled after Sandown Classic Day but recently, in 2011 it was moved before the Sandown Classic Day to create a card with four group races.

Earlier on, the Eclipse Stakes was a listed race between 1934-1996 and was elevated to Group 3 in 1997. As earlier said, the Eclipse Stakes is held at Sandown Racecourse, so let's study some features and peculiarities of the Sandown Racecourse. The Sandown Racecourse was built as early as 1965 and is considered by many as the only metropolitan racecourse ever built in the 20th century. The Victoria Amateur Turf Club (VATC), first administered the Sandown Racecourse.

There are four main types of races which are being held at Sandown Racecourse and they are: Sandown Classic, under weight for age conditions for covering a distance of 2400 metres, Sandown Guineas, under set weights conditions for covering a distance of 1600 metres, Sandown Stakes, under handicap conditions for covering a distance of 1500 metres and last but not the least, is the Eclipse Stakes, held under handicap conditions for covering a distance of 1800 metres. The Eclipse Stakes is the last group race of the spring racing carnival in Melbourne .

The middle distance race generally attracts those horses coming from longer races held during the Flemington Carnival.

The Eclipse Stakes also attracts those jockeys who earlier participated in the Group 3 Matriarch Stakes on Emirates Day. The long and straight Sandown Racecourse test a horse's mettle in the long run and this race is particularly suitable for horses who have the staying ability to stretch over a mile.

Recently, Rothero won in 2011, followed up by Viking Hero in 2010 and Bashful Girl in 2009 in Eclipse Stakes race events.

2011 Eclipse Stakes

Rothera has been in poor recent form, but a dead track and a little extra ground seemed to make all the difference in this Group 3 event. Caught three deep in the early stages of a slow run race, Rothera was pushed forward from the 1400 metre mark and was right in contention as they came into the straight. The gelding got the break he needed with 300 to run, jumping clear and beating Folding Gear home by just over a length, with Ulundi running on well for third.

2011 Eclipse Stakes result

1. Rothera
2. Folding Gear
3. Ulundi

Then came:

4. Lord Pyrus
5. Extra Zero
6. Ginga Dude
7. Majestic Music
8. Platinum Passion
9. Belgietto
10. Riceman
11. Erewhon