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Last year was a top edition of the RN Irwin Stakes run at Morphettville on Saturday.

Gytrash won it from Sunlight. This lot have a bit to live up to in the 2021 RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville on Saturday.

2021 RN Irwin Stakes: Nominations

2021 RN IRWIN STAKES - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The RN Irwin Stakes is a Group 3 race conducted by the South Australian Jockey Club at Morphettville racecourse in Adelaide.

The RN Irwin Stakes is run under weight-for-age conditions and is named after a former chairman of the South Australian Jockey Club. It is the only weight-for-age Group race run during the Adelaide autumn carnival.

The RN Irwin Stakes was first run as the Gothic Sprint over five furlongs from 1955-1959 under handicap conditions and as the Gothic Stakes over six furlongs/1200m from 1960 to 1974.

It became a WFA event under its current title of the RN Irwin Stakes in 1975 when the distance became 1100m.

In 1980-81 it was held over 1450m at Victoria Park, 1982-1985 was run again over 1200m, in 2001 (Victoria Park) and 2002 (Cheltenham) the distance was 1000m.

The RN Irwin Stakes was originally run in January but was moved to the autumn as part of the changes to the Adelaide Cup carnival in 2006 and serves as an important lead-up race to Adelaide's major sprint race, the Group 1 Goodwood Handicap.

The RN Irwin Stakes was a Group 2 race from 1980 to 1990 and has been Group 3 since 1991.

The 2021 RN Irwin Stakes at Morphettville was for prizemoney of $127,250.

Only two sprinters have won the Irwin Stakes/Goodwood double – Sleep Tight (1958) and Bomber Bill (2003).

The RN Irwin Stakes has been won by 12 fillies and mares since it became a WFA event in 1975.

Viddora won in 2017 then was second in the Sangster, second in the Moir, fourth in the Manikato and won the Winterbottom – all at G1 level. She came back to get redemption in the Moir after that.

Gytrash bolted away in 2020 coming off an outstanding Melbourne Autumn winning the G1 Lightning and placing in the Newmarket and William Reid Stakes. He continued the form in the Spring.

The last 3YOs to win the RN Irwin Stakes are Regal Kiss (filly, 2002) and Kenvain (colt, 1994).

There have been three dual winners – Fileur, Scorn Bold and Stand By Me.

Notable winners of the RN Irwin Stakes include Contempler, Fileur, Sanderae,  Eastern Court, Idolou, Toltrice, Lipman, Stormy Rex, Ducatoon, Galleon, Red Tempo, Rory's Jester, Redelva, Jet Fighter, Beau George, Street Ruffian, Kenvain, La Baraka, Sports, Bomber Bill, Super Elegant, Leone Chiara, Here de Angels, Augusta Proud, We're Gonna Rock, Driefontein, Viddora and Gytrash.

The 2020 RN Irwin Stakes was won by Gytrash from Sunlight and Home Of The Brave.