Epsom Handicap

Winners and Past Results for the Epsom Handicap.

One of the popular Group 1 events held annually at the Randwick race track is the Epsom Handicap.

The race, hosted by the Australian Turf Club, is held each year early in October during the spring racing carnival in Sydney. The Epsom Handicap is an open race held over a distance of 1600 metres under handicap conditions. This race is a premier handicap event of the season with $1,000,000 at stake for the winners.

The Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes which is open for 3 year olds, the Metropolitan Handicap, and the Flight Stakes for 3 year old fillies are also held on the same day.

The first Epsom Handicap event was organised in 1863 and was won by a horse named Dundee. The race has a rich history with many of the strongest milers and stayers etching their name on the trophy.

The race was named after the famous Epsom Downs race course in the South of England where the classic three year old Epsom Derby has been contested since 1780.

The Epsom Handicap was originally run over a distance of eight furlongs but when the metric system was introduced in 1972 the distance was changed to its present 1600 metres.

Due to the top quality runners being attracted to the event annually, in 1979 it was elevated from a Principal Race to Group 1 status. One surprising fact to note here is that in its history, there were 6 runners who have won back-to-back which include Masquerade in 1882 &1883, Melodrama in 1907 & 1908, Chatham in 1932 & 1933, Toi Port in 1963 & 1964, Super Impose winning in 1990 & 1991 and finally Desert War winning in 2004 & 2005.

The winner of the 2011 Epsom Handicap, Secret Admirer, was placed fourth in the Group 2 Shannon Stakes over a distance of 1500 metres at Rosehill Racecourse, prior to picking up the $500,000 prize here at Randwick. Horses that perform really well in this event often get an opportunity to tackle other races like the Group 2 Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day later in the month.

Some of the winners of this event are: Secret Admirer in 2011, Captain Sonador in 2010 and Rock Kingdom in 2009.

The Epsom Handicap is an excellent form guide for the rest of the spring racing carnival with many horses targeting the Caulfield Guineas, Toorak Handicap, Crystal Mile, Myer Classic, and Hawkesbury Gold Cup. Most importantly, top performers are likely to head for the million dollar Emirates Stakes run over the same distance during the spring carnival.