Adelaide Racing Winter Carnival 2021

The Adelaide Winter Racing Carnival takes place during the month of April and May each year and is run at Morphettville Racecourse. Our Adelaide Racing Tips are from resident analyst Value Victor who is our Expert Adelaide Racing Tips analyst. Value Victor has over 25 years experience producing form for and Adelaide Racing Tips. There are 6 weeks of excellent racing during the Adelaide Racing Tips Carnival with all meetings at Morphettville Saturday Racing.

The history of the Adelaide Racing Carnival

Over the last 25 years the Adelaide Racing Carnival has waned somewhat for a couple of reasons. Firstly the Adelaide Cup was moved from May to March in an attempt to maximise the on course attendance due to inclement weather. Whilst it has probably achieved the aim to maximise attendance the quality of the race and subsequently the Carnival has suffered.

Adelaide used to find itself “perfectly“ placed, it was a solid month of Group 1 carnival racing in May wedging itself smack bang in between the Sydney Autumn Carnival and The Brisbane Winter Carnival. It was the perfect place for those horses just below the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival quality or those getting ready for Brisbane to ply their wares. However the Sydney Autumn Carnival has now been extended as has the Brisbane Winter Carnival creeping into Adelaide’s timeslot. Adelaide has lost its hold as the third most prominent state for racing.

Adelaide Racing Tips Group 1 Racing Winter Carnival

The Adelaide Racing Carnival holds its major feature race, the 3200m Adelaide Cup on the public holiday long weekend during Adelaide’s “Mad March”. However the major feature races are held during the month of May with a series of Group races as follows:

  • April 17 RN Irwin Stakes
  • April 24 Chairman’s Stakes
  • May 1 Robert Sangster Stakes and Australasian Oaks
  • May 8 Group 1 South Australian Derby Day
  • May 15 Group 1 Goodwood Stakes Day

Adelaide Racing – What To Look Forward To On The Feature Race Days

RN Irwin Stakes Day
There are two Group 2 races and a listed stakes race to kick off the Adelaide Racing Tips Autumn RN Irwin Stakes, the Auraria Stakes and the listed Redelva Stakes. The RN Irwin is a Group 3 race over 1100m and is a weight for age race worth $120,000 in prize money.The RN Irwin is often used as the key lead up race to the Group 1 Sangster Stakes and the Group 1 Goodwood Handicap.

The Auraria Stakes is run on the same day over 1800m and is a Group 3 race for fillies over 1800m. It is the key lead in race for the Group 1 Australasian Stakes and the Group 2 Queen of the South Stakes. These are both major races during the Adelaide Racing Tips Racing Carnival. Also run on this day is the Redelva Stakes is a listed race over 1050m for 3 year olds with prize money of $100,000

TAB Classic Day
TAB Classic (formerly the Robert Sangster Stakes)
One of the big Group 1’s of the Adelaide Racing Tips Autumn/Winter Carnival is the TAB Classic. This race, formerly the Sangster Stakes is now under its third name, It is a very prestigious race as it holds the title of being the only Group 1 sprint race for fillies and mares in the country. The TAB Classic becomes a highly desired race to have on the resume from a broodmare perspective. It is a feature race of our Expert Adelaide Saturday Racing Tips. The TAB Classic is a Group 1 race over 1200m with prize money of $400,000. Also held on the same day is the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks making it a Super Saturday of racing!!

Originally the TAB Classic was the  “Swettenham Stud Stakes” named after the breeding empire of Sir Robert Sangster. The race became named in his honour after his passing in 2004 and the race still carries his name in the official registry but it is now known as the TAB Classic.

The race attracts the top line fillies and mares looking for the coveted Group 1 in the pedigree. It being at weight for age race it sorts out the women from the girls so to speak. The race is a two pronged headline on “Ladies Day” being run on the same day as the Australasian Oaks for the staying 3 year old fillies. The Australasian Oaks is the other feature of the Adelaide Saturday Racing Tips with analyst Value Victor.

The positioning of the race is ideal as it allows suitable fillies and mares the opportunity for Group 1 glory after “Sydney Racing Tips The Championships” in Sydney. Despite having a hefty reduction in stake money (from $600,000 to $400,000 due to the coronavirus) this will still be a highly sought after trophy.

The 1200m start and with the class of fillies engaged history has shown it is not a disadvantage drawing a wide gate with 6 of the last 10 winners coming from double digit barriers. The great Black Caviar is a previous winner of this race. The race was a BIG upset last year with the $46 shot Bella Vella taking many by surprise!

Australasian Oaks Group 1 2000m
The Australasian Oaks (Schweppes Oaks) is the second prong to the Adelaide Racing Tips Ladies Day at Morphettville racecourse. The Group 1 Australasian Schweppes Oaks is for the 3 year old fillies over 2000m and is a major feature race for our Expert Saturday Adelaide Racing Tips with analyst Value Victor.

Australasian Oaks – a race with long history
The race has a long history first being run in 1982 when won by the great Rose of Kingston. She has gone on to be one of the great broodmares and was also an Australian Horse of the year winner. Mannerism was another very famous winner of the race in the early 90’s. Other horses to win or run well in this race and have success are Delicacy (2015) and Zarita (2008) who after winning the Oaks went on to win the SA Derby against the boys. In 2011 third placegetter Southern Speed went on to win the Caulfield Cup, so there is history that shows quality can come out of this race.

Despite the success of some horses out of this race its also fair to point out that in general the race attracts the middle distance/staying fillies who are a rung below the topliners. Many have competed over the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival “The Championships” and then are generally spelled for the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. That being said competitors out of this race can go on and target the Brisbane Oaks run a month later over the Brisbane Racing Tips Winter Carnival.

The race is a $400,000 event carrying the very much coveted Group 1 status that is coveted in the breeding world, so no doubt there will be another deserving winner in the 2021 edition and only history will tell us how strong the race turns out to be.

Tab Euclase Stakes Group 2 3yo 1200m
The TAB Euclase Stakes is a Group 2 race for 3YO’s at set weights run over 1200m at Morphettville Racecourse worth $175,000. The race attracts the topline local 3YO’s and the Group 2 status sees the interstaters make the journey. The race was won last year by Xilong for Calivin and Tony McEvoy.

 Queen Of The South Stakes Group 2 1600m
The Queen Of The South Stakes is a Group 2 race for Fillies and Mares run over 1600m at Morphettville Racecourse worth $175,000. With not many Group 2 races around the country dedicated to the Fillies and Mares this race has extra interest for the interstate raiders. The traditional lead up to this race is the Laelia Stakes (1600m) or the Auraria stakes (1800) for those fillies who didn’t stay. The race last year was won by Music Bay trained by Phillip Stokes who ran in a mile race at Caulfiled at its start before.

D.C Mckay Stakes Group 3 1100m
The D.C Mckay Stakes is a Group 3 race run under quality handicap conditions run over 1100M at Morphettville racecourse worth $120,000. This race can be either a final destination or a stepping stone to the Goodwood depending on the horses talent. The R.N Irwin stakes is often used as a lead in to this race run 2 weeks earlier. This race last year was won by Behemoth it was a big launching pad for nice improvement from the horse.

South Australian Derby Day
The South Australian Derby is when the 3 year olds are on show over the Adelaide Racing Tips Winter Carnival with the running of the gruelling 2500m event for the  stayers. We also see those horses in action who may not have made it to the staying trip and they battle it out in the Listed Adelaide Guineas (1600m) for the 3yo’s. It is also a day that we also see the youngsters stretch out over a little more ground as the 2yo’s go to battle in the Group 3 Sires Produce Stakes.

South Australian Derby a Group 1 classic over 2500m
The South Australian Derby is a Group 1 race run over 2500m for the 3YO’s at Morphettville racecourse during the Adelaide Racing Tips Winter Carnival. It presents the late maturing 3 year olds with one last chance to gather some Group 1 glory before the conclusion of the racing season that sends them into their 4 year old year.

The South Australian Derby presents the late maturing 3YO with one last chance to gather some Group 1 Glory before the conclusion of the racing season that sends them into their 4 year old year. The Derby is no doubt one of the greatest endurance tests for any 3YO 2500m for the yet fully matured horse is a big test but there is no doubt those that handle it well can go on to make their names in some of the nations most presitigous staying races.

SA Sires Produce Stakes 2 yo’s 1400m
The SA Sires Produce is a Group 3 race for the 2YO’s run at set weight conditions over 1400m at Morphettville racecourse worth $120,000. Horses generally come into this race following a run in the SA Breeders Stakes over 1200m a fortnight earlier over the Adelaide Racing Tips Carnival. It is the first race run beyond 1200m for the 2YOs over the Adelaide Carnival. In the last 5 years 4 SA Sires winners have either won or been placed in the Breeders a fortnight earlier. Rebel Raider is probably the most famous horse to win the Sires Produce over the last 20 years going on to win the Victoria Derby in the same year.

Adelaide Guineas 3 yo’s 1600m
The Adelaide Guineas is a Listed race for 3yo’s run over 1600m at Morphettville Racecourse worth $100,000. The Guineas attracts 2 different styles of horses. It will be either those horses stepping up in journey from the Listed Nitschke Stakes (1400m) run 2 weeks earlier over the Adelaide Racing Tips Winter Carnival or you will find horses dropping back in trip from possibly the Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) and failed to stay hence they don’t press on toward the Derby. What this tends to do is make it a tremendously tactical race. The horses dropping back in trip hold the fitness advantage however those going to the mile the first time may have a speed advantage. In these 2 scenarios we always prefer backing fitness over speed, so we will generally be on the horse dropping back in trip.

Goodwood Handicap Day
The “Furphy” Goodwood is clearly the feature sprint race of the Adelaide Racing Tips Winter Carnival. The race for many years was run under handicap conditions, this lead to a dilution of the talent coming to the race and as such put its Group 1 Status in jeopardy, the SAJC made the intelligent decision in 2006 to changing the Conditions of the race from a Handicap to a set weights and penalties event allowing for the topline talent to contest the race and not be forced to carrying a very heavy weight. The decision on reflection has clearly been the right decision with the race commanding Group 1 status and since the inception of the new racing conditions it has seen the race won by some rea stars of the turf including Takeover target(2009) Black Caviar (2012) and Black Heart Bart (2016).

Unlike the the other Group 1 sprint run over the 1200m at Morphettville The TAB Classic (Robert sangster stakes) barrier draws are VITALLY important in the Goodwood that attracts a capacity field of 20, with only 4 winners in the last 35 years drawn barrier 13 or worse, this is a race where you can afford to spend no extra energy so being wide is a big minus, the other problem is luck in running in the straight when strong momentum is needed its no surprise that barriers 7,8 and 9 have supplied more than 30% of the winners in the last 35 years, from this draw they can manouvre into a 1 wide position giving them the best chance.

This is a true Group 1 sprint that gains plenty of national interest with horses from South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria Sydney and Brisbane all supplying runners in recent years.

Goodwood Handicap – background
The 2020 race has been renamed the “Furphy” Goodwood but its historical name is the Goodwood Handicap. The race for many years was run under handicap conditions. This led to a dilution of the talent coming to the Adelaide Autumn/Winter Racing Carnival and as such put its Group 1 Status in jeopardy. The SAJC made the decision in 2006 to change the conditions of the race from a handicap to set weights allowing the topline talent to contest the race and not be forced to carrying a very heavy weight.

Goodwood Handicap – talent has grown
The decision on reflection has clearly been the right decision with the race commanding Group 1 status. It has seen the race won by some real stars of the turf including Takeover Target (2009), Black Caviar (2012) and Black Heart Bart (2016).

Goodwood value odds for winners
That said, the race has been a roughies value race for the winner for many years. Since the Black Caviar win in 2012, there has only been one favourite win, Black Heart Bart at $2.80 with Vega Magic second fav at $4.80. In fact only 4 favourites have won in the last 30 years. The average winning odds in recent years has been 18-1 including last years winner Despatch at 21-1 and Santa Ana Lane the year prior at a whopping 26-1.

Goodwood lead up races – tough to pick
The positioning of the Goodwood Handicap sees sprinters from right around the Country contesting the race. This is emphasised that in the last decade there have been winners come out of 9 separate lead up races in general making it a nightmare for punters to weigh up the form. This is even further emphasized with 5 of the last 10 winners starting at double figure odds, 3 of which were 30-1 or bigger. The Goodwood Handicap is a true Group 1 sprint that gains plenty of national interest with horses from around Australia all supplying runners in recent years.

RA LEE Stakes 1600m – Group 3
The R A LEE STAKES is a Group 3 Race run 0ver 1600m at Morphettville Racecourse on Goodwood day under set weights and penalty conditions worth $120,000. It’s a race generally won by a strong in form miler. The Melbourne horses who come over for the event (through either Flemington or Caulfield runs) have a teriffic record winning 8 of the last 9 editions of the race. Horses generally can go for a break out of this race and get ready for a race like the Toorak in the spring.

SA Fillies Classic 2500m – Group 3
The SA Fillies Classic is a Group 3 race for the 3YO staying fillies and is the “last hurrah” for the staying fillies to get some black type it is run on Goodwood Day. Formerly the SA Oaks this race was renamed in 2009 when the club introduced the Australasian Oaks (over 2000m). The race attracts the fillies who still have some gas in the tank after the Australasian Oaks although the honour roll is not littered with stars this race is normally won by the dead set on paced type runner, and generally because it can be an afterthought they don’t historically tend to race on with much success.

National Stakes 2yo’s 1200m – Group 3
The National Stakes is a Group 3 race for 2YO’s run over 1200m under set weight conditions run on Goodwood Day. The race attracts above average talent and can capture horses who have had a month between runs after running in the Breeders stakes or they back up after a 1400m in the Sires.

 Proud Miss Stakes 1200m – Group 3
The Proud Miss Stakes is a Group 3 race for fillies and mares run over 1200m under set weights and penalty conditions for $120,000 run on Goodwood Day. Being a black type event for the fillies and mares only the race attracts some nice interest from interstate, as an example last years race was won by the Victorian mare Humma Humma backing up from the Group 1 Tab Classic (Sangster Stakes) very much in the same fashion the previous years winner did  in Lady Cosmology who is trained in the West by Simon Miller. Being a set weights and penalties race as well allows for the better performed mares to have a weight advantage versus stake money earned.