Expressway Stakes
Australia | FEATURE RACE GUIDE
History
The Expressway Stakes is a Group 2 race for open sprinters conducted by the Australian Turf Club.
The Expressway Stakes was first run in 1974 and was won by I'm Scarlet.
The Expressway Stakes is run over 1200m under Set Weights and Penalties conditions. It was worth $300,000 in 2024. It has been a Group 2 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. Was held at Randwick in 2020 due to oppressive conditions out west and again in 2024.
Appearance, Alizee, Savatiano and Mariamia are the only mares to win the race in the last 20 years.
Tie The Knot, best known as a stayer, won the Expressway Stakes in 2001 first up off a Cox Plate preparation.
Trapeze Artist scored first up in 2018 and by the end of the campaign had won Group 1s during the Championships – the TJ Smith Stakes and the All Aged Stakes.
Alizee won the Futurity Stakes following her win in 2019 while stablemate Savatiano won the Canterbury Stakes after her win in 2021 but ultimately lost that race a year later.
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), Music Magnate (2017), Trapeze Artist (2018), Alizee (2019) and Mariamia (2023).
The 2024 Expressway Stakes was won by King Of Sparta from Coal Crusher and Malkovich.
Previous Expressway Stakes Winners
| Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KING OF SPARTA (AUS) 5G I AM INVINCIBLE (AUS) - OCTAVIA (AUS) HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR (IRE) | JAMES MCDONALD | 57.5 | P & P SNOWDEN | 2 | |
| MARIAMIA (AUS) 6M TORONADO (IRE) - QUINTA LAGO (AUS) ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS) | TIM CLARK | 56.5 | JOSEPH PRIDE | 9 | |
| OVERPASS (AUS) 3C VANCOUVER (AUS) - WALKWAY (AUS) EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) | TIM CLARK | 55.0 | BJORN BAKER | 7 | |
| SAVATIANO (AUS) 6M STREET CRY (IRE) - RETSINA (AUS) REDOUTE'S CHOICE (AUS) | HUGH BOWMAN | 56.5 | JAMES CUMMINGS | 1 | |
| STANDOUT (AUS) 3C EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - BAHIA (AUS) SNIPPETS (AUS) | TOMMY BERRY | 55.5 | GERALD RYAN | 5 | |
| ALIZEE (AUS) 4M SEPOY (AUS) - ESSAOUIRA (AUS) EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) | B SHINN | 56.5 | JAMES CUMMINGS | 1 | |
| TRAPEZE ARTIST (AUS) 3C SNITZEL (AUS) - TREPPES (AUS) DOMESDAY (AUS) | TIM CLARK | 55.5 | GERALD RYAN | 6 | |
| MUSIC MAGNATE (NZ) 5G WRITTEN TYCOON (AUS) - CONCERT GIRL (AUS) DANEHILL DANCER (IRE) | K MCEVOY | 58.5 | BJORN BAKER | 2 | |
| OUR BOY MALACHI (AUS) 7G TOP ECHELON (AUS) - RUSTICATE (AUS) RUSTIC AMBER (IRE) | TOMMY BERRY | 58.5 | MICHAEL & WAYNE & JOHN HAWKES | 4 | |
| WEARY (FR) 5G ASTRONOMER ROYAL (USA) - AMERICA NOVA (FR) VERGLAS (IRE) | TOMMY BERRY | 58.5 | CHRIS WALLER | 4 | |
| APPEARANCE (AUS) 5M COMMANDS (AUS) - DISGUISE (AUS) GRAND LODGE (USA) | B SHINN | 56.5 | G H WALTER | 4 | |
| HAPPY GALAXY (AUS) 3C NADEEM (AUS) - SEVEN STARS (AUS) KING'S BEST (USA) | J FORD | 55.5 | MICHAEL & WAYNE & JOHN HAWKES | 2 | |
| RAIN AFFAIR (AUS) 4G COMMANDS (AUS) - I BELIEVE (AUS) OCTAGONAL (NZ) | C W BROWN | 58.5 | JOSEPH PRIDE | 4 | |
| CENTENNIAL PARK (NZ) 5G THORN PARK (AUS) - TREPHINA (AUS) LAST TYCOON (IRE) | C W BROWN | 58.5 | DAVID PAYNE | 3 | |
| RANGIRANGDOO (NZ) 5G PENTIRE (GB) - SHE WISHES (NZ) KENFAIR (NZ) | C W BROWN | 58.5 | CHRIS WALLER | 4 | |
| BURDEKIN BLUES (AUS) 4G SEQUALO (AUS) - WINSOME BLUE (AUS) BLUE RUN (AUS) | S SCRIVEN | 58.5 | BARRY BALDWIN | 3 | |
| PARATROOPERS (AUS) 5G COMMANDS (AUS) - CREW (AUS) SANCTION (AUS) | D NIKOLIC | 58.5 | PETER SNOWDEN | 5 | |
| MENTALITY (AUS) 3G FLYING SPUR (AUS) - SYNAESTHESIA (USA) QUIET AMERICAN (USA) | D BEADMAN | 55.5 | JOHN HAWKES | 2 | |
| COURT'S IN SESSION (AUS) 6G BUREAUCRACY (NZ) - MARKATIE COURT (AUS) SEVENTH HUSSAR (AUS) | D BEASLEY | 57.5 | G H WALTER | 12 | |
| COURT'S IN SESSION (AUS) 5G BUREAUCRACY (NZ) - MARKATIE COURT (AUS) SEVENTH HUSSAR (AUS) | HUGH BOWMAN | 57.5 | G H WALTER | 1 | |
| SPORTSMAN (AUS) 4G SUPREMO (USA) - PROFESSIONELLE (NZ) CENTAINE (AUS) | C REITH | 57.5 | GREGORY HICKMAN | 5 | |
| LONHRO (AUS) 4H OCTAGONAL (NZ) - SHADEA (NZ) STRAIGHT STRIKE (USA) | D BEADMAN | 57.5 | JOHN HAWKES | 4 | |
| ATEATES (AUS) 4M ZEDITAVE (AUS) - PARIS MISS (AUS) OPERA PRINCE (AUS) | J CASSIDY | 55.0 | GARY PORTELLI | 8 | |
| TIE THE KNOT (AUS) 6G NASSIPOUR (USA) - WHISKED (AUS) WHISKEY ROAD (USA) | P PAYNE | 57.5 | G H WALTER | 10 | |
| MR. INNOCENT (AUS) 4H MR. HENRYSEE (USA) - MISS GUILTY (AUS) KINSKI (USA) | G COLLESS | 57.5 | M R GERRARD | 8 |
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