Grand Prix Stakes

Winners and Past Results for the Grand Prix Stakes.

The Grand Prix Stakes is a Group 3 event for three year old horses held during the Brisbane Winter carnival in Queensland annually at Eagle Farm Racecourse.

It is organised by the Brisbane Racing Club in late May or early June and considered to be an important middle distance event for promising stayers.

Run over 2200 meters, under set weight conditions, the Grand Prix Stakes offers prize money worth $250,000 and is held usually on one of the biggest days in the racing calendar alongside the Group 1 Doomben 10,000. Established in 1974, this race has a long history and has provided a number of highlights since its inception.

Eagle Farm Racecourse is located in the suburb of Ascot , 7 km from Brisbane 's Central Business District. The track is 28 metres wide, 2027 meters in circumference and consists of a 434 meter straight. The track hosts five Group 1 events, six Group 2 events, and five Group 3 events, over the year. Considered to be Queensland 's premier track and the main venue for races during Brisbane 's Winter Carnival, Eagle Farm is controlled by Brisbane Racing Club. The club was the result of the merger of the Queensland Turf Club and the Brisbane Turf Club in 2009. Used for flat racing, and sporting a grass surface with a wood fiber and sand composite underlay, the course is well known to be an all-season course.

The Grand Prix Stakes is considered by many to be the direct lead up event for the Group 1 Queensland Derby, which is run at the same carnival, a fortnight later. The event is run over 2400 meters, under the same conditions and for the same age group as the horses competing here. Even with it being such a perfect event, only Half Hennessy in 2003, and Ice Chariot in 2006, have completed a Grand Prix Stakes / Queensland Derby double. The closest to join this group in recent history is Kutchinsky in 2010. He came into the Grand Prix Stakes from winning the Super Vobis 3-Y-O Handicap, held at Flemington Racecourse a fortnight earlier and then went on to win this race and placed second in the Queensland Derby.

The 2010 runner up, The Hombre came in from winning the Group 3 Rough Habit Stakes at Doomben a fortnight earlier. Many of the horses competing here come from Sydney and Melbourne, as well as a large number from across South East Queensland. Previous winners who have made their mark are Schillaci in 1992, Conair in Secret in 2002, and Sirmione in 2007.