On Saturday while wild weather lashed Flemington in Melbourne, Sydney’s Warwick Farm racecourse enjoyed a spectacular day of racing headlined by Theseo’s sensational victory in the $300, 000 Group 1 Patinack Chipping Norton Stakes.
Theseo ($7) upset trainer Chris Waller’s plans…
Racing returns to Sydney’s Warwick Farm racecourse this Saturday when the track hosts the coveted $300, 000 Group 1 Patinack Farm Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) for the first time in three years.
14 terrific gallopers have made the final field for…
Sydney’s picturesque Warwick Farm Racecourse is gearing up for this Saturday when the coveted Chipping Norton Stakes Day will take place. The Chipping Norton Stakes has been run at the Royal Randwick for the past two years, but returns to…
The Sydney Autumn Carnival sees all of the state’s best group racing take place. The first Group 1 race of the New Year in Sydney is the Chipping Norton Stakes, which indicates one thing – the beginning of the big betting opportunities!
The $300 000 Chipping Norton Stakes is a weight-for-age Group 1 race run over 1600 meters held in early March.
The Chipping Norton Stakes is conducted at the Warwick Farm racecourse and is the only race day of the Sydney Autumn Carnival held there.
However, in 2009 the prestigious Royal Randwick racecourse was the location for the race, governed by the same club as Warwick Farm, the AJC.
From 2010 the location has gone back to Warwick Farm.
It is the feature event held on the Chipping Norton Stakes Day and other races held on this day include the Group 2 Surround Stakes and the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes.
Betting on the Chipping Norton Stakes is hugely popular as it is the only Group 1 race of the day, and the first of the carnival, attracting lots of interest from the punters keen to place a wager on a quality class race. If you are wanting to get in on the action of this first high stakes race in the autumn, then one of the best lead-up events to keep an eye on is the Apollo Stakes, a Group 2 race run over 1400m held a fortnight before the Chipping Norton.
Since 1994 the Apollo Stakes has imparted nine placegetters in the Chipping Norton, including three winners. The last horse to win both races in the same season was Grand Armee in 2005.
The fact that the Chipping Norton Stakes is held at the start of the Sydney Autumn Carnival is a big advantage for punters wanting to place a bet on the future carnival races. The winners and placegetters in the Chipping often go on to succeed in the other exciting autumn events; including the elite Doncaster Handicap and Sydney Cup, two of the carnival’s central Group 1 races from which winners of the Chipping Norton Stakes are exempt from ballot.
The Chipping Norton has a long history of length and status changes since its inception in 1925.
Originally held over 10 furlongs (approx. 2000m), from 1972 -1979 the length was increased to 2100m, before finally being shortened to the distance it is today of 1600m.
From 1925-1979 the Chipping Norton was registered as a Principle race. Then for five years during 1980-1985 the race enjoyed its new Group 2 status, before finally being instated as a Group 1 race from 1986 onwards.
As the status of the race increased, so too did the quality of competing horses and some notable winners in recent years include star gallopers Lonhro (2003), Octagonal (1997) and Super Impose (1991 & 1992).
The horse to with the most success in the Chipping is Tie The Knot, who was first over the line an incredible four years in succession from 1999 – 2002. The list of greats continues further back with the superstar of Australian racing, Phar Lap, claiming his Chipping Norton Victory in 1930.
So start the New Year in Sydney off with a big win and place your bet on the first group one race of the Autumn Carnival, the Chipping Norton Stakes; it might just be the beginning of your winning streak!
