Looking this year’s Sapphire Stakes betting odds, field and race day tips? The experts at Neds have put together everything you need to know.

Sapphire Stakes Winners (Fasika) | Photo: Steve Hart | Neds

The Sapphire Stakes is a Group 2 race for fillies and mares held at Randwick Racecourse in April as part of ‘The Championships. Run on Day 2, which traditionally takes place on the second Saturday of April, the race is a key support act on the program headlined by the Group 1 $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

A 1200m sprint race, the Sapphire Stakes offers $300,000 in prize money and is conducted at set weights plus penalties.

The Sapphire Stakes was inaugurated in 1998 and gained Group 2 status in 2007.

Some of the better female gallopers out of the race may continue onto the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) back at the track the following week and Atlantic Jewel (2012) was the last to do the double.

The Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) in Adelaide in late April or early May is another good next-up option for Sapphire Stakes graduates and that double was last completed by Secret Agenda (2017).

The 2022 Sapphire Stakes winner Bella Nipotina returned that spring and won Melbourne’s Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.

The 2023 Sapphire Stakes winner Zapateo ran third in both the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes and The Goodwood in Adelaide that prep before returning in 2024 to win Sydney’s Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m).

Sapphire Stakes 2024 – quick information

  • Race Day: Saturday, April 13th, 2024
  • Track Location: Randwick Racecourse
  • Track Surface: Turf
  • Track Direction: Right-handed
  • Race Distance: 1,200 metres
  • Weight Conditions: Set Weights + Penalties
  • Qualification: Fillies & Mares; 3YOs & Upwards
  • Type: Thoroughbred
  • Grade: Group 2
  • Operator: Australian Turf Club
  • Prize Purse: $300,000
  • Inaugural Race: 1998
  • 2024 Sapphire Stakes Winner: Wee Nessy

Sapphire Stakes 2024 RESULTS

The official 2024 Sapphire Stakes results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday April 13, 2024. 

  1. #3 Wee Nessy
  2. #15 Ballroom Bella
  3. #7 Miss Hellfire

Sapphire Stakes Betting 2024

New Ways to Bet at neds

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

How To Bet On The Sapphire Stakes in 2024

  1. Login at neds.com.au
  2. Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
  3. Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
  4. Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on Sapphire Stakes Betting above).
  5. Select the horse(s) for the race.

sapphire stakes 2025 Odds

Early market betting odds on the 2025 sapphire 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.

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Timezone: all times are in Australian Eastern Standard Time

Which Horse Will Win The Sapphire Stakes in 2024

The best way to pick which filly or mare will win the Sapphire Stakes in 2024 is to take into account their lead-up form from the autumn, assess the barriers and look for the proven Group performers in Sydney. 

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

  • Returning Runners: Looking for mares who have previously contested the race can be key with dual champion White Moss (2019-20) having previously run third in 2018, while Fasika ran second in 2020 before her 2021 success.

sapphire Stakes Favourites 2024

Early favourites in 2024 Sapphire Stakes betting include the James Cummings-trained Group 3 winner Red Card chasing a third win on the trot, the ultra-consistent Tashi from the Snowden stable coming off a second to subsequent TJ Smith Stakes winner Chain Of Lightning in the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes, and the in-form Saltaire

Zapateo ($2.30 in 2023) was the last Sapphire Stakes favourite to win.

sapphire Stakes 2024 Field

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

The Sapphire Stakes 2024 field features a quality line-up of fillies and mares with the James Cummings-trained last start Group 3 winner Red Card chasing her third win on the trot leading the latest markets.

sapphire Stakes 2024 Tips

Favourite: #1 Red Card ($2.70 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Best Bet: #4 Tashi ($6.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Best Roughie: #11 Miss Faberge ($81 at time of publish) – BET NOW

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

CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2024 THE CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 2 PREVIEW & TIPS

Sapphire Stakes Race Day 2024

The 2024 Sapphire Stakes takes place as part of Day 2 of ‘The Championships’ at Royal Randwick running on Saturday April 13th, 2024.  The meeting is headlined by four Group 1 events with the running of the:

sapphire stakes Barrier Draw 2024

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

Sapphire Stakes Nominations 2024

20234 Sapphire Stakes nominations close at 11:00am (AEDT) on Monday the 8th of April, 2024.

Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Ballot Weight True Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 11x1476x11 RED CARD M 4 James Cummings 1 55kg 105
2 92x14821x4 GHAANATI M 4 Peter & Paul Snowden 2 54kg 99
3 x27415x078 QUEEN OF THE BALL M 4 Michael Freedman 3 55.5kg 96
4 x43957x329 C’EST MAGIQUE M 4 Grahame Begg 4= 54kg 93
5 82224x0x33 WEE NESSY M 4 Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) 4= 54kg 93
6 23412×1212 TASHI M 4 Peter & Paul Snowden 6 54kg 92
7 5x43911x04 MUMBAI MUSE F 3 Michael Freedman 7= 54kg 87
8 0300x6498x PIPPALI M 6 Jason Coyle 7= 54kg 87
9 7122×33126 MISS HELLFIRE M 4 Peter & Paul Snowden 9 54kg 85
10 7903x5375x DALCHINI M 5 Lee & Cherie Curtis 10= 54kg 84
11 624x7223x3 SALTAIRE F 3 John O’Shea 10= 53kg 84
12 514881356x MIRRA VIEW M 5 Peter & Paul Snowden 12= 54kg 83
13 x8264x6348 RAINBIEL M 6 Joseph Pride 12= 54kg 83
14 20×1521144 MISS FABERGE M 4 John Sargent 14= 54kg 80
15 11x61548x6 SHESALLSHENANIGANS F 3 Simon Zahra 14= 53kg 80
16 7x1122x433 BALLROOM BELLA F 3 Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou 16 53kg 78
17 3×31928311 EVERYONE’S A STAR M 4 Marc Chevalier 17 54kg 71
18 49×3249212 WOLVES M 5 Benjamin Smith 18 54kg 66

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

sapphire stakes Weights 2024

Set weights plus penalties conditions apply to this race. Final weights are announced at 4 PM on Tuesday the 9th of April, 2024 with the official 2024 Sapphire Stakes weights on the final acceptors to be published in our above Sapphire Stakes Field section.

2024 Sapphire Stakes Top-Weight:

  • #1 Red Card (55kg)

Sapphire Stakes Acceptances 2024

2024 Sapphire Stakes final acceptances must be declared before 9 AM on Wednesday the 10th of April, 2024 and will be published in our above Sapphire Stakes Field section. 

Sapphire Stakes Jockeys 2024

The final riders announcement is at 12 PM on Wednesday, 10th of April, 2024 with the official 2024 Sapphire Stakes jockeys to be published in our above Sapphire Stakes Field section. 

sapphire Stakes Scratchings 2024

2024 Sapphire Stakes scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Saturday, the 13th of April, 2024. 

  • #5 Mumbai Muse (6)

sapphire Stakes Prize Money 2024

The 2024 Sapphire Stakes prize purse is worth $300,000 in total, distributed from places first through to tenth.

Place Prize Money
1st $170,700
2nd $56,400
3rd $27,450
4th $13,350
5th $7,350
6th $3,750
7th $3,750
8th $3,750
9th $3,750
10th $3,750

sapphire Stakes Race Number 2024

The 2024 Sapphire Stakes race number is scheduled as Randwick Race 10 at 5:10pm (AEST) on Saturday the 13th of April, 2024. There are ten races in total that day at Randwick Racecourse. 

sapphrie Stakes Form Guide 2024

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

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2024 SAPPHIRE STAKES FORM GUIDE

sapphire Stakes Live 2024

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

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

Radio: Radio Sport National

Free to air television: 7 Network

Streaming: Racing NSW

sapphire Stakes Winners

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

YEAR WINNER 2ND 3RD TIME
2024 Wee Nessy Ballroom Bella Miss Hellfire 1:09.04
2023 Zapateo Never Talk Princess Grace 1:11.2
2022 Bella Nipotina Tricky Gal Belluci Babe 1:14.5
2021 Fasika Entriviere Wandabaa 1:09.8
2020 White Moss Fasika Bangkok 1:11.8
2019 White Moss Irithea Winter Bride 1:09.0
2018 Quilista Ravi White Moss 1:09.3
2017 Secret Agenda Missrock Artistry 1:13.2
2016 Two Blue Secret Agenda Brook Road 1:10.8
2015 Avoid Lightning Griante Fine Bubbles 1:12.1
2014 Cosmic Endeavour Avoid Lightning Belle De Coeur 1:10.7
2013 Arinosa Miss Stellabelle Forarainyday 1:10.5
2012 Atlantic Jewel Mid Summer Music Ladys Angel 1:08.9
2011 Hurtle Myrtle Kimillsy Marquardt 1:10.6
2010 Renaissance Beaded Jersey Lily 1:10.5
2009 Court Belong To Many Cajou 1:10.8
2008 Belong to Many Tenant’s Tiara Fritz’s Princess 1:11.1
2007 Fire Song Whoever Splashing Out 1:12.9
2006 Coolroom Candidate Imana Shalimar Sky 1:10.6
2005 Glamour Puss With My Wild Queen 1:12.0
2004 Recurring Fair Embrace Cataclysm 1:10.4
2003 Fatoon Provokes Miss Helterskelter 1:11.4
2002 Fair Embrace Spinning Hill Hot Riff 1:09.2
2001 Spinning Hill Nanny Maroon Marlina 1:10.3
2000 Spinning Hill Snippets’ Lass Heather 1:09.7