Looking for this year’s Australia Stakes betting odds, field and form guide? The experts at Neds have put together everything you need to know before this year’s race.

Australia Stakes, Moonee Valley Racecourse

Run over 1,200 metres, the Australia Stakes is a Group 2 race taking place at Moonee Valley Racecourse in late January on a Friday night twilight meeting each summer.

With a $350,000 prize purse, this weight-for-age sprint serves as a key lead-up into the Group 1 features of the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival. 

Starting out as a Listed race, this race was made a Group 3 race in 1990, followed by an upgrade to Group 2 status in 1994.

This race is a key lead up into the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) held at Caulfield the following month and the great mare Black Caviar (2012) followed by Streets Of Avalon (2021) nearly a decade later are the latest horses to do the double. 

More recently Marabi won the Australia Stakes as the odds-on favourite in 2022 before a next-up victory in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) on Blue Diamond Stakes Day.

The 2024 Australia Stakes produced that year’s Australian Guineas winner Southport Tycoon who improved on his second to Veight in the Group 2 lead-up to claim the mile classic. Veight meanwhile won the Australia Stakes in 2024, finished fourth in that year’s CF Orr, second in the Australian Guineas, and then saluted in Sydney’s Group 1 George Ryder Stakes.

Australia Stakes 2025 – Quick Information

  • Race Day: Friday January 24, 2025
  • Track Location: Moonee Valley Racecourse
  • Track Surface: Turf
  • Track Direction: Left-handed
  • Race Distance: 1,200 metres
  • Weight Conditions: Weight for age
  • Qualification: Three-year-olds and over
  • Type: Thoroughbred
  • Grade: Group 2
  • Prize Purse: $350,000
  • Inaugural Race: 1989
  • 2025 Australia Stakes Winner: Schwarz

australia stakes 2025 RESULTS

The official 2025 Australia Stakes results will be available below once the race takes place on Friday January 24, 2025.  

  1. #5 Schwarz
  2. #2 Steparty
  3. #9 Apache Song

Last year’s Group 2 Missile Stakes winner Schwarz ($4.20) delivered a dominant performance to win the 2025 Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night, leading from start to finish and securing a two-length victory under the lights with Blake Shinn aboard the John O’Shea & Tom Charlton trained Zoustar entire.

Australia Stakes Betting 2025

New Ways to Bet at neds

There are many different ways to bet on the Australia Stakes in 2025, and we have included some of the most popular options below:

Bet Type How To Place This Type Of Bet In This Year’s Australia Stakes
Win Bet Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s Australia Stakes.
Place Bet Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s Australia Stakes. Pays less than a win bet, but offers safer odds.
Each-Way Bet If your runner finishes 1st in the Australia Stakes, you will collect both the Win and the Place dividend. If your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd you will collect the Place dividend.
Quinella Bet You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in any order, within the Australia Stakes, in order to win the Quinella.
Exacta Bet You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within the Australia Stakes to win the Exacta.
Trifecta Bet You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within the Australia Stakes to win the Trifecta.
First Four You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within the Australia Stakes to win the First 4.
Quadrella Bet (Quaddie) You must select the winners of four nominated races to win the Quaddie. This means you would have to select three other races apart from the Australia Stakes, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie.

How To Bet On The Australia Stakes in 2025

  1. Log in at neds.com.au
  2. Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
  3. Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on Australia Stakes Betting above).
  4. Select the horse(s) for the race.

Australia Stakes 2025 Odds

Early market betting odds on the 2025 Australia Stakes will be displayed below once available. Odds are subject to fluctuation. For current odds on all of our live markets, please visit neds.com.au.

BET NOW
Timezone: all times are in Australian Eastern Standard Time

Which Horse Will Win The Australia Stakes in 2025

The best way to pick which horse will win the Australia Stakes in 2025 is to take into account any early summer lead-up form, previous Group 2 or higher performers, and those with a good race record at the track. 

Additional factors to consider when picking the Australia Stakes winner include: 

  • Single Figure Fancies – Mourinho ($41 in 2015) was the last Australia Stakes winner to salute at double-figures.
  • First-Up Factor – First-up runners with a good fresh record have a strong strike-rate in the Australia Stakes with Streets Of Avalon (2021), Veight (2024), and Schwarz (2025) the latest first-up runners to salute.

Australia Stakes Favourites 2025

Favourites in 2025 Australia Stakes betting include the Ciaron Maher trained Manikato winner from the spring Southport Tycoon resuming, lightly raced Zoustar four-year-old Schwarz, and the ultra-consistent Steparty last seen running second in the $2 million The Ingham in mid-December. 

Marabi ($1.80 in 2022), Jigsaw ($3.10 in 2023), and Veight ($2.15 in 2024) are the last Australia Stakes favourites to win.

Australia Stakes 2025 Field

The official Australia Stakes 2025 field of final acceptances is announced on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below. 

The Australia Stakes 2025 final field features a diminutive but smart line-up of autumn bound sprinters led in betting by Ciaron Maher’s odds-on Group 1 winner Southport Tycoon resuming.

Australia Stakes 2025 Tips

Favourite: #1 Southport Tycoon ($1.90 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Best Bet: #3 It’sourtime ($7 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Best Roughie: #7 Title Fighter ($26 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Our insider 2025 Australia Stakes tips will be detailed above the week of the race and a full betting preview available on the Neds Blog.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2025 AUSTRALIA STAKES DAY PREVIEW & TIPS

Australia Stakes NIGHT 2025

The 2025 Australia Stakes takes place as the feature event at Moonee Valley Racecourse on Friday the 24th of January 2025. 

Australia Stakes Barrier Draw 2025

The 2025 Australia Stakes barrier draw will be released to the public a few days before the race and published in our above Australia Stakes Field section. 

Australia Stakes Nominations 2025

2025 Australia Stakes nominations close at 12:00 PM on the Monday of race week. 

Australia Stakes Weights 2025

Weight for age conditions apply to this race. Final 2025 Australia Stakes weights will be announced by 4:00 PM on the Monday of race week with weights on the final acceptances to be published in our above Australia Stakes Field section.

Australia Stakes Acceptances 2025

Final 2025 Australia Stakes acceptances must be declared before 9:30 AM on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in our above Australia Stakes Field section.

Australia Stakes Jockeys 2025

The final riders announcement is at 1:00 PM on the Wednesday of race week with the official 2025 Australia Stakes jockeys to be published in our above Australia Stakes Field section.

Australia Stakes Scratchings 2025

2025 Australia Stakes scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Friday the 24th of January 2025. 

Australia Stakes Prize Money 2025

The 2025 Australia Stakes prize purse is worth $350,000 in total, distributed from places first through tenth.

Place Prize Money
1st $210,000
2nd $63,000
3rd $31,500
4th $15,750
5th $8,750
6th $7,000
7th $7,000
8th $7,000

Australia Stakes Race Number 2025

The 2025 Australia Stakes race number is scheduled as Moonee Valley Race 7 at 9:15pm (AEDT) on Friday the 24th of January 2025. There are eight races in total that evening at Moonee Valley Racecourse.

Australia Stakes Form Guide 2025

The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can check below for a link to our full 2025 Australia Stakes Form Guide following final acceptances. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 AUSTRALIA STAKES FORM GUIDE

Australia Stakes Live 2025

You can watch or listen to the 2025 Australia Stakes live, across the following mediums.

Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)

Free to air television: Channels 78 (and 68 in regional areas)

Radio: Radio Sport National

Streaming: Racing.com

Mobile: Neds App

Australia Stakes Winners

Winners of the Australia Stakes going back to the year 2000 are displayed in the table below.

Year Winner Trainer/s Jockey Weight Time
2025 Schwarz Jonn O’Shea & Tom Charlton Blake Shinn 58.5 kgs 1:10.46
2024 Veight Tony & Calvin McEvoy Damian Lane 55 kgs 1:09.64
2023 Jigsaw Cindy Alderson Daniel Moor 58.5 kgs 1:09.75
2022 Marabi Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Ben Allen 56.5 kgs 1:11.42
2021 Streets Of Avalon Shane Nichols Zac Spain 58.5 kgs 1:10.06
2020 Scales Of Justice Lindsey Smith Dean Yendall 58.5 kgs 1:09.77
2019 Whispering Brook Darren Weir Mark Zahra 56.5 kgs 1:09.84
2018 Thronum David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Mark Zahra 58.5 kgs 1:10.48
2017 Malaguerra Peter Gelagotis Ben Melham 58.5 kgs 1:09.29
2016 Holler John O’Shea Craig Williams 55 kgs 1:10.96
2015 Mourinho Peter Gelagotis Vlad Duric 58.5 kgs 1:09.95
2014 Richie’s Vibe Tony Vasil Damien Oliver 58.5 kgs 1:10.96
2013 Sea Lord Stephen Brown Luke Currie 58.5 kgs 1:10.50
2012 Black Caviar Peter Moody Luke Nolen 56.5 kgs 1:09.44
2011 Whitefriars Rick Worthington Jim Cassidy 58.5 kgs 1:09.66
2010 Black Caviar Peter Moody Luke Nolen 53 kgs 1:10.18
2009 Lucky Secret Tony Vasil Danny Brereton 58.5 kgs 1:11.22
2008 Let Go Thommo Simon Zahra Steven King 58.5 kgs 1:10.80
2007 El Segundo Colin Little Damien Oliver 58.5 kgs 1:11.23
2006 California Dane Lee Freedman Noel Callow 54 kgs 1:09.81
2005 Super Elegant Tony Vasil Greg Childs 57.5 kgs 1:10.59
2004 Vocabulary Mick Price Danny Nikolic 55 kgs 1:11.50
2003 Yell John Hawkes Darren Gauci 54 kgs 1:10.32
2002 Royal Code David Hall Steven Arnold 54 kgs 1:11.01
2001 Piavonic Tony Noonan Nash Rawiller 55 kgs 1:11.80
2000 Slavonic Mick Price Brett Prebble 57.5 kgs 1:12.10

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