Kingston Town Stakes

KINGSTON TOWN STAKES

Every year the Sydney Spring Carnival is host to a great range of exciting racing events. Held from August through until December the state of New South Wales sees some fantastic race days conducted by the two governing race bodies the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) and the Sydney Turf Club (STC).

In mid September the prestigious Rosehill Gardens Racecourse holds the Theo Marks Stakes Day, which sees the Gr.2 Theo Marks Stakes, Gr.3 Research Stakes and the Gr.3 Kingston Town Stakes light-up the track.

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The Kingston Town Stakes is a staying race for horses three-years-old and up run under quality handicap conditions over 2000m.

With stakes set at $100,000 it is the first group race of the carnival at this distance and is a real test for the eager contenders who have come via some of the shorter distanced events.

Good guides for the Kingston Town Stakes include Gr.3 Premier’s Cup (1800m) held a fortnight before at Rosehill. In the past many horses have finished in the top three at the Premier’s Cup before taking victory in the Kingston Town Stakes including Mr Martini (2006) and Stormhill (2005).

Entries tend to be consistently handy stayers, and although the higher quality horses are not often part of the field for this event, there are still top-level betting opportunities on the Kingston Town Stakes!

Runners from the Kingston Town Stakes may continue on to the Gr.3 Colin Stephen Quality Handicap, held on George Main Stakes Day that is raced under the same conditions but is a step up in distance at 2400m.

Entries may also have their sights set on the more lucrative and higher stakes races held at the end of the carnival on the Epsom Handicap Day. A number of great Gr.1 races are held at Randwick at this meeting in early October including the Epsom Handicap (1600m) and The Metropolitan (2400m).

The Kingston Town Stakes is an excellent lead-up to these other handicap events for three-year-olds and up, and punters should keep an eye on the winner and placegetters in the Kingston Town when getting in on the lively betting action these other races provide.

In 2005 the runner-up in the Kingston Town Stakes, Railings, went on to win the Colin Stephen Quality, The Metropolitan and later on the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup.

Also, as many trainers choose to run their horses in The Metropolitan as a lead-up to the illustrious Melbourne Cup in November, the Kingston Town may in fact produce a Cup winner in the process!

History

Inaugurated in 1948, the race was originally registered under the name the STC Cup and was a principal race run over 12 furlongs.

The race distanced was changed to 2400m in 1972, when Australia was adopting the metric system. For one year in 1979, the race was known as the STC Gold Cup, this is also the year the event reached Group 3 status.

The following year in 1980 saw the first win by the legendary Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee Kingston Town. He followed this win up the next year as well in 1981, when the status of the race elevated to a Group 2 event.

From 1984 the event was called the Kingston Town Stakes. In 1990 the race status was demoted back to a Group 3 event, and for one year was run over 1900m.

The next year saw the race distance change again to 2000m.

For three years, 1992-1994 the race name became the Kingston Town Quality Handicap, before reverting back to the Kingston Town Stakes in 1995.

The Kingston Town Stakes is the perfect race to bet on in the lead-up to the end of the Sydney Spring Carnival and the start of some of the esteemed Victorian Spring Carnival events. So make the most of this opportunity and place your bet through one of the many online bookmakers offering attractive odds on the Kingston Town Stakes!

Kingston Town Stakes – Race Information

• Date: Mid September
• Track Location: Rosehill Racecourse, Sydney
• Track Distance: 2000m
• Race Type: 3YO & Over – Quality Handicap
• Weights: Low 53kg – High 61kg
• Race Status: Group 3
• Stakes: $100 000
• First Run: 1948

Kingston Town Stakes – Recent Winners & Results