Underwood Stakes

Race Preview

The Underwood Stakes is held annually at Caulfield racecourse in Melbourne and will this year be the first Group 1 race on the cards, along with the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. It is a Weight for Age race held over a distance of 1800 metres and carries prize money worth $350,000.

It was first run in 1924 and was upgraded to Group 1 status in 1979. Some brilliant horses have been victorious in this race with notable winners including Northerly (2001-02), Intergaze (1999), Tie The Knot (1998), Octagonal (1996) Ajax (1938-40), Phar Lap (1931) and more recently Weekend Hustler and El Segundo.

The Underwood is the first Weight-for-age race of the carnival over a mile, so proves to be a good guide to the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate later in Spring. So You Think won this last year before going on to win the Cox Plate.

Spotting Winners

When analysing this race it pays to keep a close eye on follow up races held a few weeks earlier such as the Memsie Stakes and Makybe Diva Stakes, as these two races have produced over 20 winners between them who have gone on to win the Underwood.

King's Rose won the 2011 Memsie Stakes ahead of Heart Of Dreams and Red Colussus. Littoriio prevailed in the 2011 Makybe Diva Stakes ahead of Glass Harmonium and Midas Touch.

No Filly has ever won the Underwood Stakes, while no 3-year-old colt or gelding has won the race since Sobar in 1972. Tristarc was the last mare to win the race way back in 1985.

Previous Underwood Stakes Winners