Matron Stakes

Winners and Past Results

Held every year in March since 2002 at Flemington Racecourse by the Victoria Racing Club, the Matron Stakes is a Group 3 event run under set weight conditions with penalties, for mares aged four years and above.   Free $250 Bet

Horses travel over a distance of 1600 meters for prize money worth $150,000. Run on one of the biggest days of the Melbourne Autumn Carnival along with the Group 1 $1,000,000 Australian Cup and Newmarket Handicap, the Matron Stakes, usually finds mares tasting success or ones that are just emerging. The race suits the better females entered with no major upset recorded in its history.

The 1400 M Group 3 Mannerism Stakes held at Caulfield Racecourse in February and the 1400 M Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes held by VRC at Flemington Racecourse in March, are usually lead up races to the Matron Stakes. These races are run under the same set weight and penalty conditions with the Matron Stakes an extra 200 meters longer. Pinker Pinker was the first horse to create a double by winning the 1600 M Group 2 Angus Armanasco Stakes, held at the Caulfield track in February, before winning the Matron Stakes in 2011.

Mares after the Matron Stakes usually travel to the Sydney Autumn Carnival and races such as the 2600 meter Group 2 AJC Chairman's Handicap held at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney every April. In 2009, second placed Divine Rebel went on to win the AJC Chairman's Handicap, and then place second in the 3200 meter Group 1 Sydney Cup, and repeated the feat in 2010.

Response in 2010 won this event after placing 2nd in the Tabcrop Kewney Stakes and went on to place 9th in the Queen of the Turf Stakes. Later she was runner up in both the Cockram Stakes and Let's Elope Stakes, before going on to win the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

Other notable winners were Translate in 2008 and Ruling Eyes in 2004. Pinker Pinker in 2011, is one of the notable mares to win several Group races after her victory in the Matron Stakes which include the 1400 M Group 2 Let's Elope Stakes at Flemington, the 1600 M Group 1 Epsom Handicap at Randwick and finished the season with a major victory in the WS Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse.

2011 Matron Stakes

Pinker Pinker was well supported and didn't disappoint despite being trapped on the rail for most of the race. Pinker Pinker finally found some space in the straight and prevailed in a thrilling three-way finish to win by a short head over Platinum Passion, with Gail not far back in third.

2011 Matron Stakes result

1. Pinker Pinker
2. Platinum Passion
3. Gail

Then came:

4. Stole
5. Lady Lynette
6. Storm Burst
7. Exceptionally
8. Well Rounded
9. My Emotion
10. Hold For Applause
11. Mayneda Strategy
12. Culminate