Looking for this year’s Festival Stakes betting odds, tips and form? The expert tipsters at Neds have put together everything you need to know on the race.

2023 Festival Stakes winner Phearson
2023 Festival Stakes winner Phearson. Photo: Steve Hart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A part of the ATC Summer fixture since 1948, the Festival Stakes is a Group 3 feature race taking place at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in late November or early December annually. 

Contested over 1500m and worth $250,000 in prize money, this quality handicap clash also offers the Festival Stakes winner a ballot exemption into the Group 2 $2 million The Ingham Stakes (1600m) – formerly known as the Villiers Stakes – run at Royal Randwick a fortnight later. 

Monton (2011) was the last galloper to take out the popular Festival Stakes – Villiers Stakes double.

In 2022 Kirwan’s Lane improved on a Festival Stakes third to win The Ingham next start.

Festival Stakes 2024 – Quick Information

  • Race Day: Saturday November 30, 2024
  • Track Location: Rosehill Racecourse
  • Track Surface: Turf
  • Track Direction: Right-handed
  • Race Distance: 1,500 metres
  • Weight Conditions: Quality Handicap
  • Qualification: Three-year-olds and over
  • Type: Thoroughbred
  • Grade: Group 3
  • Operator: Australian Turf Club
  • Prize Purse: $250,000
  • Inaugural Race: 1948
  • 2024 Festival Stakes Winner: TBD

festival Stakes 2024 RESULTS

The official 2024 Festival Stakes results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday November 30, 2024. 

  1. TBD
  2. TBD
  3. TBD

Festival Stakes Betting 2024

New Ways to Bet at neds

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

Bet Type How To Place This Type Of Bet In This Year’s Festival Stakes
Win Bet Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s Festival Stakes.
Place Bet Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s Festival Stakes. Pays less than a win bet, but offers safer odds.
Each-Way Bet If your runner finishes 1st in the Festival 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 Festival 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 Festival Stakes to win the Exacta.
Trifecta Bet You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within the Festival Stakes to win the Trifecta.
First Four You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within the Festival 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 Festival Stakes, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie.

How To Bet On The Festival Stakes in 2024

  1. Login 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 Festival Stakes Betting above).
  4. Select the horse(s) for the race.

Festival Stakes 2025 Odds

Early market betting odds on the 2025 Festival 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 Festival Stakes in 2024

The best way to pick which horse will win the Festival Stakes in 2024 is to take into account their lead-up form in similar grade races, proven Group performers, Sydney-trained gallopers and those with previous form at the distance. 

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

  • Chatham Stakes – Flemington’s Chatham Stakes has served as a credible guide to the Festival Stakes in Sydney over recent years.
  • Milers – Looking for horses proven over the mile can be an advantage in this race.
  • Class Factor – It may only hold Group 3 status but lots of quality gallopers have won the Festival Stakes, so looking for the class horse in the race can be a nice tip.

Festival Stakes Favourites 2024

Favourites in Festival Stakes 2024 betting include the in-form Ciaron Maher-trained Little Dance winner St Lawrence chasing a hat-trick, 40-start veteran Private Eye for Joe Pride, and last start Newcastle winner Uzziah carrying just 53kg. 

Ranier ($6EF) followed by Ellsberg ($2.40 in 2021) are the last favourites or equal Festival Stakes favourites to win.

There was an upset Festival Stakes result in 2023 with Phearson winning at $17 odds.

Festival Stakes 2024 Field

The official 2024 Festival Stakes field of final acceptances is announced the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below. 

The Festival Stakes 2024 final field features a bumper line-up of summer mile types led in betting by Little Dance winner St Lawrence.

Festival Stakes 2024 Tips

Favourite: #6 St Lawrence ($5.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Best Bet: #6 St Lawrence to salute for the punters (see above) – BET NOW

Best Roughie: #5 Felix Majestic ($18 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Our exclusive 2024 Festival Stakes tips will be published above the week of the race and a full betting preview available on the Neds Blog.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2024 FESTIVAL STAKES DAY PREVIEW & TIPS

Festival Stakes Race Day 2024

2024 Festival Stakes Day takes place on Saturday the 30th of November 2024 at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse.

The key support races on the Festival Stakes Day program include the Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) and Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m). 

Festival Stakes Barrier Draw 2024

The 2024 Festival Stakes barrier draw will be released to the public a few days before the race and will be published in our above Festival Stakes Field section. 

Festival Stakes Nominations 2024

2024 Festival Stakes nominations close at 11 AM on the Monday of race week. 

Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Ballot Weight True Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 6034×46658 PRIVATE EYE G 7 Joseph Pride 1 60.5kg 60.5kg 110
2 16x0140x17 MIGHTY ULYSSES (GB) G 6 Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald 2= 58.5kg 58.5kg 106
3 x8010x0180 UNCLE BRYN (GB) G 7 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 2= 58.5kg 58.5kg 106
4 x57208x8x8 HOO YA MAL (GB) G 6 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 4 57kg 57kg 103
5 0x766x1004 CHRYSAOR G 4 Chris Waller 5= 55kg 55kg 99
6 06x020x009 CONVERGE G 6 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 5= 55kg 55kg 99
7 3×08496342 FELIX MAJESTIC G 5 Gary Nickson 5= 55kg 55kg 99
8 x342332611 ST LAWRENCE (NZ) G 6 Ciaron Maher 5= 55kg 55kg 99
9 211x621x20 XIDAKI G 4 Peter Snowden 9 54.5kg 54.5kg 98
10 74132×5506 COASTWATCH G 6 Richard & Will Freedman 10 54kg 54kg 97
11 5152x203x0 COTEHELE (NZ) G 6 John O’Shea & Tom Charlton 11= 54kg 53kg 95
12 915117×007 DIAMOND DIESEL G 8 Adam Duggan 11= 54kg 53kg 95
13 3113×54940 KINTYRE G 4 Gary Portelli 11= 54kg 53kg 95
14 225×105476 ROBUSTO G 5 Bjorn Baker 11= 54kg 53kg 95
15 835387×519 KING OF THE CASTLE (NZ) G 8 Joseph Pride 15= 54kg 53kg 94
16 x062410x7x TANNHAUSER G 4 Chris Waller 15= 54kg 53kg 94
17 311x112x87 QUEUES LIKELY (GB) M 4 Bjorn Baker 17 54kg 53kg 93
18 511639x08x SO UNITED G 7 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 18 54kg 53kg 92
19 34x190x07x SNOW PATROL (NZ) G 4 Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) 19 54kg 53kg 90
20 7059x0040x SO DAZZLING (NZ) M 5 John Sargent 20= 54kg 53kg 87
21 1x4890x062 SUPER HELPFUL G 6 Barbara Joseph, Paul & Matt Jones 20= 54kg 53kg 87
22 710542×131 UZZIAH G 6 Scott Aspery 22 54kg 53kg 86
23 9115×13 WARNIE (IRE) H 4 Ciaron Maher 23 54kg 53kg 85
24 1x913x2211 NEED SOME LUCK G 4 Peter Snowden 24= 54kg 53kg 81
25 9x860686x4 PERFECT THOUGHT G 5 John Sargent 24= 54kg 53kg 81

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Festival Stakes Weights 2024

Quality handicap conditions apply to this race. The lowest handicap weight allowed is 54 kg. Final 2024 Festival Stakes weights are announced at 4 PM on the Tuesday of race week with weights on the final acceptances to be published in our above Festival Stakes Field section. 

2024 Festival Stakes Topweight: 

  • #1 Private Eye (60.5kg)

Festival Stakes Acceptances 2024

2024 Festival Stakes final acceptances must be declared before 9 AM on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in our above Festival Stakes Field section. 

Festival Stakes Jockeys 2024

The final riders announcement is at 12 PM on the Wednesday of race week, and the official 2024 Festival Stakes jockeys will be published in our above Festival Stakes Field section.

Festival Stakes Scratchings 2024

2024 Festival Stakes scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Saturday the 30th of November 2024. 

  • #13 Need Some Luck (14)

Festival Stakes Prize Money 2024

The 2024 Festival Stakes prize purse is worth $250,000 in total, distributed from places first through to tenth. There is a bonus for the winner, in the form of an exemption from The Ingham Stakes ballot.

Place Prize Money
1st $140,000
2nd $46,250
3rd $22,400
4th $11,000
5th $6,100
6th $4,000
7th $3,500
8th $3,500
9th $3,500
10th $3,500

Festival Stakes Race Number 2024

The 2024 Festival Stakes race number is scheduled as Rosehill Race 8 at 4:45pm (AEDT) on Saturday November 30, 2024. There are ten races in total that day at Rosehill Racecourse.

Festival Stakes Form Guide 2024

The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can below for a link to our full 2024 Festival Stakes form guide following final acceptances. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2024 FESTIVAL STAKES FORM GUIDE

Festival Stakes Live 2024

You can watch or listen to the 2024 Festival Stakes live, across the following mediums.

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

Radio: Radio Sport National

Streaming: Racing NSW

Festival Stakes Winners

Winners of the Festival Stakes going back to 1999 are displayed in the table below.

Year Winner Trainer/s Jockey Weight Time
2024 TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD
2023 Phearson Brad Widdup Tom Sherry 54kg 1:29.04
2022 Dajraan Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Tim Clark 53kg 1:27.96
2021 Ellsberg Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou Rachael King 53kg 1:32.04
2020 Outrageous Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Tommy Berry 54kg 1:29.25
2019 Ranier  James Cummings Kathy O’Hara 53kg 1:29.46
2018 My Nordic Hero Chris Waller Hugh Bowman 56kg 1:29.10
2017 Testashadow Gary Portelli Jason Collett 57kg 1:31.67
2016 Sweet Redemption Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Brenton Avdulla 54kg 1:29.63
2015 Mighty Lucky Fred Cowell Nathan Thomas 54kg 1:29.49
2014 I’m Imposing Chris Waller Tye Angland 55.5kg 1:28.51
2013 White Sage John O’Shea James McDonald 54kg 1:30.00
2012 Malavio Steve Englebrecht Nathan Berry 55kg 1:28.72
2011 Monton Ron Quinton Sam Clipperton 55.5kg 1:28.63
2010 Dysphonia Peter Snowden Tommy Berry 53kg 1:31.68
2009 Rabbuka Gai Waterhouse Joshua Parr 58kg 1:28.72
2008 Voice Commander Nick Olive Tye Angland 53kg 1:29.25
2007 Eremein Allan Denham Danny Nikolic 61kg 1:33.92
2006 Utzon Les Bridge Lenny Beasley 59kg 1:22.69
2005 Spirit Of Tara Gerald Ryan Jeff Penza 54kg 1:24.83
2004 Ike’s Dream John Hawkes Darren Beadman 54.5kg 1:21.82
2003 This Manshood Tim Martin Zac Purton 60kg 1:22.69
2002 This Manshood Tim Martin Lane Moloney 55kg 1:23.98
2001 Nanny Maroon Paul Englebrecht Robert Thompson 54kg 1:22.35
2000 Adam Ray Brock Justin Sheehan 58kg 1:17.02
1999 Highest Calibre Les Bridge Brad Pengelly 52kg 1:16.18