Turnbull Stakes

Winners and Past Results

The Turnbull Stakes is Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Australian horse race run under set weights with penalties conditions. FREE $200 Bet

It is contested over a distance of 2000 metres and is held annually at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne in October during the Spring Racing Carnival.

Prize money for the Turnbull Stakes is worth $500,000.

The Turnbull Stakes was a Group 2 event up until 2005 when Makybe Diva won, and the race was then elevated to Group 1 status.

The race is the first quality 2000 metre event of the spring and gives staying types a chance to race over a more suitable middle distance with races lik the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup in mind. The Turnbull Stakes is a great lead up race to the Yalumba Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield Racecourse the following week and the Caulfield Cup (2400m) two weeks later.

In recent years the Turnbull Stakes has supplied four Melbourne Cup winners, four victors in the Caulfield Cup and eight WS Cox Plate successes.

The first Turnbull Stakes was run in 1948 and was named for Mr Richard Turnbull who was VRC Chairman at that time. Prior to that it was ran under several different names including October Stakes, September Stakes and Royal Park Stakes, with the first running in 1865 being won by The Sign. It has been a 2000m event since the 1972 running as a metric race.

Since its beginning, only two horses have won the Turnbull stakes more than once and they are Vo Rogue (1987 & 1988) and Comic Court (1949 & 1950).

Lee Freedman, one of the most prolific Melbourne Cup trainers, is also one of the most successful trainers in the Turnbull Stakes, and his wins in this race account for a number of his Group 1 victories. Some notable winners of the Turnbull Stakes include Rising Fast (1954), Galilee (1968), Super Impose (1989), Let's Elope (1991), Naturalism (1992), Doriemus (1996), Northerly (2001) and Elvstroem (2004).

2011 Turnbull Stakes

December Draw turned in a top staying performance which promises even bigger prizes ahead. The six-year-old enjoyed a good early run, not far behind the leader Glass Harmonium, and really got into his work as they came in to the straight where he looked every inch a winner. Glass Harmonium fought back strongly however and December Draw had to call on all his stamina and class to regain the lead and claim a narrow win. Playing God was two lengths back in third.

2011 Turnbull Stakes result

1. December Draw
2. Glass Harmonium
3. Playing God

Then came:

4. Southern Speed
5. Rekindled Interest
6. Absolutely
7. Shamrocker
8. Efficient
9. Raffaello
10. Precedence
11. Extra Zero
12. Linton