Auraria Stakes

Winners and Past Results for the Auraria Stakes.

The South Australian Jockey Club hosts the Group 3 Auraria Stakes at the Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide every year.

It is held in honour of the 1895 Melbourne Cup winner, Auraria.

Run over a distance of 1800 meters, the race carries prize money worth $120,000 for the winner.

The Auraria Stakes is for three year old fillies run under set weight and penalties condition which also features other major events such as the Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes and the Sires Produce Stakes. 

The Auraria Stakes has some of the local average and above average fillies storm the tracks which include the 2011 winner, Shylight, La Volta in 1998, Yvonne in 2003, Dane Beltar in 2004, and Devil Moon in 2007.

Since its inception in 1944 many middle distance gallopers have lifted the trophy beginning with Chariot who won the inaugural race. It was a principal race until 1980 when it achieved Group 3 status. The 2011 Auraria Stakes was run as the Schweppervescence Stakes in which Glenn Boss steered the David Brideoake-trained Shylight to victory by a nose from Southern Speed.

Many classy fillies move on to test their abilities in the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes and Group 1 Australasian Oaks over a distance of 2000 meters. Many of them go on to become handy mares and boost sales at the June’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale at the Gold Coast.

The Auraria Stakes is the perfect lead up to the Queensland Oaks later in the season. Some may enter the race after a good showing in the Bint Marscay Handicap at Sandown.

The 2008 Auraria Stakes winner, Moment in Time, was among the most versatile fillies to win races over a variety of distances including 1400m, 1600m, 1800m, 2600m, and 2800m.

The Auraria Stakes is the first of three South Australian races for fillies over the autumn carnival, followed by the Group 1 Australasian Oaks and the South Australian Oaks which is now called the SA Fillies Classic run over a distance of 2400 meters. The last horse to claim the Auraria/Australasian Oaks double was Grand Echezeaux, trained by Lee Freedman, in 2000.