Underwood Stakes

Winners and Past Results

One of the important races considered a preparation for the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup during the Melbourne spring racing carnival is the Group 1 Underwood Stakes hosted by the Melbourne Racing Club held in September each year. Free $200 Bet from IASbet

Horses three years old and over travel 1800 metres of Caulfield Racecourse under weight for age conditions in a bid to prove their ability to conquer middle distances over the season. The race is worth $350,000 in prize money. The race is held on the same day as the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

The Underwood Stakes is the first Group 1 race in Melbourne during the spring carnival. Other major races of the day include the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes, Thousand Guineas Prelude, and How Now Stakes. The race is the ideal event for trainers to test their horses for their ability to stretch over the mile and step up to longer distances up to 2400 metres over the season. For punters, horses that tackle the Underwood Stakes ought to be watched closely over the season with the potential to become Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate winners and placegetters. The Yalumba Stakes is also another likely race than many horses may tackle after the Underwood Stakes.

Some of the finest gallopers to claim the Underwood Stakes in earlier times include Heroic, Phar Lap, Ajax , Big Philou, Lord, Tobin Bronze, and Rain Lover. Rubiton followed suit in 1987 while Octagonal and Tie The Knot won in 1996 and 1998 respectively. Northerly scored back to back victories in 2001-02 while Elvstroem won in 2004 and Weekend Hussler triumphed in 2008.

The Underwood Stakes was held in 1924 as a principal race with Whittier winning two consecutive titles. It became a Group 1 race in 1979 and has enjoyed the status ever since.

From 1948 the race was moved to Caulfield Racecourse, the 8 furlong was increased to 9 furlongs (approx. 1800m). This was until 1954 when it was once again increased by another furlong. Eventually in 1994 the race became a definite 1800 metre race.

2011 Underwood Stakes

Lion Tamer is now regarded as a serious Melbourne Cup contender following an impressive victory in this 1800 metre Group 1 event. The four-year-old relished the extra distance and always looked comfortable in the middle stages of the race. As they neared the turn, he charged up from midfield and maintained good speed in the straight to run down outsider Southern Speed, with Midas Touch in third.

2011 Underwood Stakes result

1. Lion Tamer
2. Southern Speed
3. Midas Touch

Then came:

4. Glass Harmonium
5. Playing God
6. Heart Of Dreams
7. Precedence
8. Scarlett Lady
9. Lights Of Heaven
10. Efficient
11. Brazilian Pulse
12. Master O'Reilly
13. Shamrocker
14. Right Of Refusal

 

Year	Winner	Status	Distance
2011	Lion Tamer	Group 1	1800m
2010	So You Think	Group 1	1800m
2009	Heart Of Dreams	Group 1	1800m
2008	Weekend Hustler	Group 1	1800m
2007	Rubiscent	Group 1	1800m
2006	El Segundo	Group 1	1800m
2005	Perlin	Group 1	1800m
2004	Elvstroem	Group 1	1800m
2003	Mummify	Group 1	1800m
2002	Northerly	Group 1	1800m
2001	Northerly	Group 1	1800m
2000	Oliver Twist	Group 1	1800m
1999	Intergaze	Group 1	1800m
1998	Tie The Knot	Group 1	1800m
1997	Always Aloof	Group 1	1800m
1996	Octagonal	Group 1	1800m
1995	Sharscay	Group 1	1800m
1994	Jeune	Group 1	1800m
1993	Runyon	Group 1	2000m
1992	Prince Salieri	Group 1	2000m
1991	Dr. Grace	Group 1	2000m
1990	The Phantom	Group 1	2000m
1989	Almaarad	Group 1	2000m
1988	Authaal	Group 1	2000m
1987	Rubiton	Group 1	2000m
1986	Bonecrusher	Group 1	2000m
1985	Tristarc	Group 1	2000m
1984	Bounty Hawk	Group 1	2000m
1983	Trissaro	Group 1	2000m
1982	Fearless Pride	Group 1	2000m
1981	Sovereign Red	Group 1	2000m
1980	My Brown Jug Waitangirua	Group 1	2000m
1979	Valley Of Georgia	Group 1	2000m
1978	So Called	Principal race	2000m
1977	Denise's Joy	Principal race	2000m
1976	How Now	Principal race	2000m
1975	Taras Bulba	Principal race	2000m
1974	Frozen Section	Principal race	2000m
1973	Scotch And Dry	Principal race	2000m
1972	Sobar	Principal race	2000m
1971	Gay Icarus	Principal race	10F
1970	Big Philou	Principal race	10F
1969	Rain Lover	Principal race	10F
1968	Lowland	Principal race	10F
1967	Future	Principal race	10F
1966	Tobin Bronze	Principal race	10F
1965	Future	Principal race	10F
1964	Contempler	Principal race	10F
1963	Havelock	Principal race	10F
1962	Aquanita	Principal race	10F
1961	Aquanita	Principal race	10F
1960	Lord	Principal race	10F
1959	Trellios	Principal race	10F
1958	Lord	Principal race	10F
1957	Syntax	Principal race	10F
1956	Ray Ribbon	Principal race	10F
1955	Cromis	Principal race	10F
1954	Flying Halo	Principal race	10F
1953	Flying Halo	Principal race	9F
1952	Ellerslie	Principal race	9F
1951	Laurie Hussar	Principal race	9F
1950	Beau Gem	Principal race	9F
1949	Beau Gem	Principal race	9F
1948	Royal Gem	Principal race	8F
1947	Attley	Principal race	8F
1946	Attley	Principal race	8F
1945	St. Fairy	Principal race	8F
1944	Amana	Principal race	8F
1944	Tea Cake	Principal race	8F
1943	Gay Revelry	Principal race	7F
1942	not held
1941	Sun Valley	Principal race	8F
1940	Ajax	Principal race	8F
1939	Ajax	Principal race	8F
1938	Ajax	Principal race	8F
1937	Young Idea	Principal race	8F
1936	Peter Fils	Principal race	8F
1935	Young Idea	Principal race	8F
1934	Hall Mark	Principal race	8F
1933	Hall Mark	Principal race	8F
1932	Liberal	Principal race	8F
1931	Phar Lap	Principal race	8F
1930	Waterline	Principal race	8F
1929	Highland	Principal race	8F
1928	Highland	Principal race	8F
1927	Royal Charter	Principal race	8F
1926	Heroic	Principal race	8F
1925	Whttier	Principal race	8F
1924	Whittier	Principal race	8F