Southern Cross Stakes
Looking for this year’s Southern Cross Stakes betting markets, race day tips and odds? The experts at Neds have put together everything you need to know before this year’s race.
Run over 1,200 metres in February at Rosehill Gardens, the Southern Cross Stakes is a quality handicap sprint open to horses aged three-years-old and over.
It was previously held a little later in the month at Randwick on Apollo Stakes Day but has moved forward to head its own feature meeting as of 2024 at Rosehill Gardens.
The Group 3 event is a nice early starting point for gallopers eyeing tougher races over the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and can serve as a potential lead-up to the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick. Le Romain (2017) and Lady Laguna (2024) are the latest to do the Southern Cross – Canterbury Stakes double.
The 2021 Southern Cross Stakes winner Masked Crusader went on to finish runner-up in the Canterbury Stakes, win Melbourne’s Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) and finish second in the TJ Smith Stakes that autumn. His spring was also impressive and headlined by a second in the world’s richest turf race – the now $20 million The Everest (1200m).
Southern Cross Stakes 2025 – Quick Information
- Race Day: Saturday, February 1, 2025
- Track Location: Rosehill Racecourse
- Track Surface: Turf
- Track Direction: Right-handed
- Race Distance: 1,200 metres
- Weight Conditions: Set weights (plus penalties)
- Qualification: Three-years-old and older
- Type: Thoroughbred
- Grade: Group 3
- Operator: Australian Turf Club
- Prize Purse: $250,000
- Inaugural Race: 1940
- 2025 Southern Cross Stakes Winner: Willaidow
southern cross stakes 2025 RESULTS
The official 2025 Southern Cross Stakes results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday February 1, 2025.
- #5 Willaidow
- #3 Iowna Merc
- #2 Brudenell
Willaidow ($4.40), trained by Marc Conners and ridden by Tyler Schiller, showcased remarkable tenacity to win the 2025 Southern Cross Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday. In a thrilling finish, Willaidow edged out Iowna Merc by a head, with Brudenell finishing third. The race was a true test of grit, as Willaidow fought off multiple challenges down the straight, displaying incredible resilience. Post-race, Conners praised Willaidow’s fighting spirit, noting how the gelding always finds another gear on race day despite his lackluster track work. Schiller echoed these sentiments, calling Willaidow a “bulldog” for his relentless drive to win. Looking ahead, Conners mentioned there are plenty of options for Willaidow, with a focus on races around 1,400 to 1,500 metres.
Southern Cross Stakes Betting 2025
There are many different ways to bet on the Southern Cross 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 Southern Cross Stakes |
|---|---|
| Win Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s Southern Cross Stakes. |
| Place Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s Southern Cross Stakes. Pays less than a win bet, but offers safer odds. |
| Each-Way Bet | If your runner finishes 1st in the Southern Cross 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 Southern Cross 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 Southern Cross Stakes to win the Exacta. |
| Trifecta Bet | You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within the Southern Cross Stakes to win the Trifecta. |
| First Four | You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within the Southern Cross 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 Southern Cross Stakes, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie. |
How To Bet On The Southern Cross Stakes in 2025
- Log in at neds.com.au
- Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
- Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
- Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on Southern Cross Stakes Betting above).
- Select the horse(s) for the race.
Southern Cross Stakes 2025 Odds
Early market betting odds on the 2025 Southern Cross 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.
Which Horse Will Win The Southern Cross Stakes in 2025
The best way to pick which horse will win the Southern Cross Stakes in 2025 is to take into account their previous Sydney racing form, assess the barrier draw and look for the class Group performers in the mix.
Additional factors to consider when picking the Southern Cross Stakes winner include:
- Favourites – The shorter-priced runners, many down in grade off Group 1 runs the previous campaign, do well in this race.
- Boys’ Club – The mares have a fairly ordinary strike-rate in this race with just three saluting since 2010 most recently Eckstein (2019) and Lady Laguna (2024).
Southern Cross Stakes Favourites 2025
Favourites in 2025 Southern Cross Stakes betting include the flying Accredited for Joe Pride chasing win number four on the trot, the Bjorn Baker trained Disneck who also comes off a winning hat-trick, and the rails-drawn Willaidow racing first-up.
Special Reward ($3 in 2020), Masked Crusader ($2.25 in 2021), Lost And Running ($2.20 in 2022), and Lady Laguna ($2.25 in 2024) are the last Southern Cross Stakes favourites to win.
Southern Cross Stakes 2025 Field
The official 2025 Southern Cross Stakes field of final acceptances is announced on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below.
The Southern Cross Stakes 2025 final field features a smart line-up of autumn bound hopefuls led by Joe Pride’s All Too Hard five-year-old Accredited coming off a hat-trick.
Southern Cross Stakes 2025 Tips
Favourite: #9 Accredited ($2.70 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Best Bet: #7 Disneck ($5.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Best Roughie: #4 Wategos ($9.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Our insider 2025 Southern Cross 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 SOUTHERN CROSS STAKES DAY PREVIEW & TIPS
Southern Cross Stakes Race Day 2025
The 2025 Southern Cross Stakes takes place at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse on Saturday the 1st of February 2025. The other key events on the card include the:
- Group 3 $250,000 Widden Stakes (1100m), and the
- Group 3 $250,000 Canonbury Stakes (1100m).
Southern Cross Stakes Barrier Draw 2025
The 2025 Southern Cross Stakes barrier draw will be released to the public a few days before the race and will be published in our above Southern Cross Stakes Field section.
Southern Cross Stakes Nominations 2025
2025 Southern Cross Stakes nominations close at 11:00 AM on the Monday of race week.
Southern Cross Stakes Weights 2025
Quality handicap conditions apply to this race. Final weights are announced at 4:00 PM on the Tuesday of race week with the official 2025 Southern Cross Stakes weights on the final acceptances to be published in our above Southern Cross Stakes Field section.
Lost And Running (61kg in 2022) is the last Southern Cross Stakes topweight to win.
2025 Southern Cross Stakes Topweight:
- #1 Hard To Say (58kg)
Southern Cross Stakes Acceptances 2025
2025 Southern Cross Stakes final acceptances must be declared before 9:00 AM on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in our above Southern Cross Stakes Field section.
Southern Cross Stakes Jockeys 2025
The final riders announcement is at 12:00 PM on the Wednesday of race week with the official 2025 Southern Cross Stakes jockeys to be published in our above Southern Cross Stakes Field section.
Southern Cross Stakes Scratchings 2025
2025 Southern Cross Stakes scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Saturday the 1st of February 2025.
Southern Cross Stakes Prize Money 2025
The 2025 Southern Cross Stakes prize purse is worth $250,000 in total, distributed from places first through tenth.
| 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 |
Southern Cross Stakes Race Number 2025
The 2025 Southern Cross Stakes race number is scheduled as Rosehill Race 8 at 4:35pm (AEDT) on Saturday the 1st of February 2025. There are ten races in total that day at Rosehill Racecourse.
Southern Cross 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 Southern Cross Stakes Form Guide following final acceptances.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 SOUTHERN CROSS STAKES FORM GUIDE
Southern Cross Stakes Live 2025
You can watch or listen to the 2025 Southern Cross Stakes live, across the following mediums.
Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)
Radio: Radio Sport National
Streaming: Racing NSW
Southern Cross Stakes Winners
Winners of the Southern Cross Stakes going back to the year 2000 are displayed in the table below.
| Year | Winner | Trainer/s | Jockey | Weight | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Willaidow | Marc Conners | Tyler Schiller | 54 kgs | 1:09.44 |
| 2024 | Lady Laguna | Annabel Neasham | James McDonald | 56 kgs | 1:08.74 |
| 2023 | Quantico | John O’Shea | Kerrin McEvoy | 55 kgs | 1:09.57 |
| 2022 | Lost And Running | John O’Shea | Hugh Bowman | 61 kgs | 1:09.54 |
| 2021 | Masked Crusader | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tommy Berry | 53.5 kgs | 1:10.62 |
| 2020 | Special Reward | Kris Lees | Brenton Avdulla | 54 kgs | 1:10.02 |
| 2019 | Eckstein | Kurt Goldman | Sam Clipperton | 54.5 kgs | 1:09.16 |
| 2018 | Kaepernick | John O’Shea | Brenton Avdulla | 55.5 kgs | 1:10.53 |
| 2017 | Le Romain | Kris Lees | Hugh Bowman | 61 kgs | 1:10.39 |
| 2016 | Big Money | Rodney Northam | Robert Thompson | 57.5 kgs | 1:09.46 |
| 2015 | Heart Testa | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 55 kgs | 1:09.61 |
| 2014 | Terravista | Joseph Pride | Jason Collett | 54 kgs | 1:08.63 |
| 2013 | Skytrain | Peter Snowden | Joshua Parr | 57 kgs | 1:13.57 |
| 2012 | No Evidence Needed | John Thompson | Joao Moreira | 55 kgs | 1:10.06 |
| 2011 | Sister Madly | Anthony Cummings | Rod Quinn | 53 kgs | 1:08.59 |
| 2010 | Kenny’s World | Graeme Murray | Corey Brown | 53 kgs | 1:11.05 |
| 2009 | Marchinski | Tracey Bartley | Grant Buckley | 53 kgs | 1:10.12 |
| 2008 | Hoystar | Peter Snowden | Danny Nikolic | 53 kgs | 1:10.09 |
| 2007 | The Free Stater | Paul Cave | James Innes | 53 kgs | 1:08.75 |
| 2006 | Collate | Allan Denham | Zac Purton | 53.5 kgs | 1:09.59 |
| 2005 | Cool Front | John O’Shea | Darren Beadman | 52 kgs | 1:10.18 |
| 2004 | Britt’s Best | Kris Lees | Larry Cassidy | 53.5 kgs | 1:10.00 |
| 2003 | Gordo | John Hawkes | Corey Brown | 54.5 kgs | 1:10.19 |
| 2002 | Lord Essex | John Hawkes | Rod Quinn | 54.5 kgs | 1:10.29 |
| 2001 | Ab Initio | John Hawkes | Larry Cassidy | 56 kgs | 1:09.00 |
| 2000 | Pimpala Prince | Gordon Yorke | Shane Treweek | 54.5 kgs | 1:09.83 |
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