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Last year’s Adrian Knox Stakes run at Randwick on Saturday produced a good one.

Duais has gone on to much bigger things and the 2022 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday could do the same.

2022 Adrian Knox Stakes: Nominations

2022 ADRIAN KNOX STAKES - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The Adrian Knox Stakes is a Group 3 race for three-year-old fillies conducted by the Australian Turf Club at Royal Randwick.

The Adrian Knox Stakes was previously known as the Princess Handicap and was first run in 1948. It became the Adrian Knox Stakes in 1987 when it was named in honour of former Australian Jockey Club chairman and Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia Adrian Knox (1863-1932).

The Princess Handicap/Adrian Knox Stakes was first run over seven furlongs from 1948 until 1959. The distance was one mile from 1960 until 1972 and has been run over 2000m since 1973 when it became a key lead-up race to the AJC Oaks over 2400m.

The Adrian Knox Stakes was a Listed Race from 1980-1985 and has been Group 3 since 1986.

The Adrian Knox Stakes is run under quality handicap conditions with a maximum topweight of 61kg and provides the winner with ballot exemption for the ATC Oaks (2400m) at Randwick.

The 2022 Adrian Knox Stakes was run at Royal Randwick on the first day of The Championships for prizemoney of $200,000.

Since 1948, 16 fillies have won the Princess Handicap/Adrian Knox Stakes and AJC/ATC Australian Oaks double in the same season including 10 since the Adrian Knox Stakes distance went to 2000m.

Amazingly the 2020 edition saw the exact same trifecta go on to the Oaks one week later and run same order.

The winners of the double have been Persist (1949), Edelweiss (1954), Sabah (1955), Jane Hero (1964), Light Fingers (1965), Lowland (1968), Leilani (1974), Starzaan (1983), Our Sophia (1985), Just Now (1986), Circles Of Gold (1995), Republic Lass (2002), Wild Iris (2004), Rena's Lady (2007), Royal Descent (2013) and Colette (2020).

Brothers Edward Cummings (with Duais in this race) and James Cummings cleaned up the 2021 Day 1 of The Championships winning 1 and 3 races respectively.

Other notable winners of the Adrian Knox Stakes include Bareme's Image, With Respect, Áffectionate, La Grisette, Of Two Cities, Market, Chaleyer, Lee's Bid, Lady Agnes, Seto Flowerian, Eureka Jewel, Lady Mulan, Crafty Irna, Arabian Gold and Duais.

The 2021 Adrian Knox Stakes was won by Duais from Bargain and Flexible.