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Many a top quality horse begins their Autumn here as we see in the race history of the 2018 Expressway Stakes run at Rosehill on Saturday.

Appearance was a mare winner but few others have done so. The mares look strong in the nominations of the 2018 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

2018 EXPRESSWAY STAKES - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The Expressway Stakes is a Group 2 race for open sprinters conducted by the Australian Turf Club at Rosehill.

The Expressway Stakes was first run in 1974 and was won by I’m Scarlet.

The Expressway Stakes is run over 1200m under Weights For Age conditions. It is worth $200,000 in 2018. It has been a G2 race from 1979.

The race has been differing in distances but settled at 1200m from 2005.

The Expressway Stakes has been run at all four of Sydney’s metro tracks at some stage.

Appearance is the only mare to win the race in the last decade.

Tie The Knot, best known as a stayer, won the Expressway Stakes in 2001 first up off a Cox Plate preparation.

Notable winners of the Expressway Stakes include Zephyr Bay (1975), Luskin Star (1978), Kingston Town (1980), Sheraco (1983), Sir Dapper (1984), Diamond Shower (1987), At Sea (1988), Groucho (1989), Potrero (1991), Joanne (1992), Soho Square (1994), Saintly (1996), Mr Innocent (2000), Tie The Knot (2001), Lonhro (2003), Court’s In Session (2005/2006), Mentality (2007), Paratroopers (2008), Rangirangdoo (2010), Rain Affair (2012), Appearance (2014) and Music Magnate (2017).

The 2017 Expressway Stakes was won by Music Magnate from Kuro with Ball Of Muscle third.