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.
| 10. Yorkshire (1) J: Zac Lloyd54kg 111x0T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton | ||
| 9. Arctic Glamour (15) J: Tom Sherry54kg x00x1T: Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | ||
| 16. Melody Again (3) J: Winona Costin53kg 11x84T: Scott Singleton | ||
| 4. Accredited (12) J: Andrew Adkins56kg 32x22T: Joseph Pride | ||
| 22. Gallant Star (16) J: Reece Jones54kg 24x24T: Brett Robb | ||
| 8. Mchale (9) J: Jay Ford54.5kg x2085T: Chris Waller | ||
| 1. Robusto (2) J: Tim Clark59.5kg 177x7T: Bjorn Baker | ||
| 7. Konasana (6) J: Regan Bayliss54.5kg x80x0T: Chris Waller | ||
| 18. Xidaki (4) J: Rachel King53kg 970x3T: Peter Snowden | ||
| 13. You Wahng (8) J: Tyler Schiller53.5kg 3051xT: Kris Lees | ||
| 19. Jojo Was A Man (5) J: Braith Nock53kg 5x090T: John P Thompson | ||
| 2. Waterford (14) J: Tommy Berry58kg 01006T: Chris Waller | ||
| 14. Shadizi (7) J: Kerrin McEvoy53.5kg x7946T: Chris Waller | ||
| 12. Phearson (10) J: Jean Van Overmeire54kg 644x0T: Brad Widdup | ||
| 11. Touristic (13) J: William Stanley54kg 1744xT: Peter Snowden | ||
| 23. Altivo (11) J: Alysha Collett53kg 030x8T: M, W & J Hawkes |
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.
The 2024 Festival Stakes also produced that year’s The Ingham winner with Robusto improving on his second in the Group 3 to take out the lucrative Sydney summer showdown.
Festival Stakes 2025 – Quick Information
- Race Day: Saturday November 29, 2025
- 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
- 2025 Festival Stakes Winner: Yorkshire
festival Stakes 2025 Results
The official 2025 Festival Stakes results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday November 29, 2025.
- #10 Yorkshire
- #9 Arctic Glamour
- #16 Melody Again
Yorkshire ($2.70F) produced a powerful comeback performance to salute for the punters in the 2025 Festival Stakes results at Rosehill. Trained by John O’Shea and Tom Charlton and ridden by Zac Lloyd, the five-year-old Snitzel gelding dictated terms from the front in the Group 3 1500 metre contest and never looked back.
The victory was particularly significant given that just two weeks earlier Yorkshire had failed badly in The Hunter when favourite, later diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia. After passing veterinary checks and returning to full health, he showed his true ability with a bold, all-the-way win that confirmed his class.
Already a multiple winner before The Hunter flop, Yorkshire’s Festival Stakes triumph marked his most important black-type success to date and secured him favouritism for next month’s $2 million The Ingham at Randwick, Sydney’s premier summer mile.
Festival Stakes Betting 2025
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 2025
- Login at neds.com.au
- 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 Festival Stakes Betting above).
- Select the horse(s) for the race.
Which Horse Will Win The Festival Stakes in 2025
The best way to pick which horse will win the Festival Stakes in 2025 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 2025
Favourites in Festival Stakes 2025 betting include Snitzel five-year-old Yorkshire who has won six of his nine starts to date and the Joe Pride trained The Hunter runner-up Accredited.
Ranier ($6EF), Ellsberg ($2.40 in 2021) and Yorkshire ($2.70 in 2025) 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 2025 Field
The official 2025 Festival Stakes field of final acceptances is announced the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below.
The Festival Stakes 2025 final field features a capacity line-up of middle-distance summer gallopers including the consistent Yorkshire drawn the rails for Zac Lloyd and Accredited coming off a Group 2 The Hunter second placing.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Robusto
J: Tim Clark
T: Bjorn Baker |
2177x7 | G | 2 | 59.5kg | |
|
2. Waterford
J: Tommy Berry
T: Chris Waller |
x01006 | G | 14 | 58kg | |
| 3. Territory Express (22) Scratched: | |||||
|
4. Accredited
J: Andrew Adkins
T: Joseph Pride |
132x22 | G | 12 | 56kg | |
| 5. Darnation (14) Scratched: | |||||
| 6. Port Lockroy (15) Scratched: | |||||
|
7. Konasana
J: Regan Bayliss
T: Chris Waller |
4x80x0 | M | 6 | 54.5kg | |
|
8. Mchale
J: Jay Ford
T: Chris Waller |
0x2085 | G | 9 | 54.5kg | |
|
9. Arctic Glamour
J: Tom Sherry
T: Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou |
6x00x1 | M | 15 | 54kg | |
|
10. Yorkshire
J: Zac Lloyd
T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton |
2111x0 | G | 1 | 54kg | |
|
11. Touristic
J: William Stanley
T: Peter Snowden |
41744x | G | 13 | 54kg | |
|
12. Phearson
J: Jean Van Overmeire
T: Brad Widdup |
0644x0 | G | 10 | 54kg | |
|
13. You Wahng
J: Tyler Schiller
T: Kris Lees |
33051x | M | 8 | 53.5kg | |
|
14. Shadizi
J: Kerrin McEvoy
T: Chris Waller |
0x7946 | G | 7 | 53.5kg | |
| 15. Pounce (18) Scratched: | |||||
|
16. Melody Again
J: Winona Costin
T: Scott Singleton |
x11x84 | M | 3 | 53kg | |
| 17. Mare Of Mt Buller (17) Scratched: | |||||
|
18. Xidaki
J: Rachel King
T: Peter Snowden |
7970x3 | G | 4 | 53kg | |
|
19. Jojo Was A Man
J: Braith Nock
T: John P Thompson |
x5x090 | G | 5 | 53kg | |
| 20. Magnatear (23) Scratched: | |||||
Festival Stakes 2025 Tips
Favourite: #10 Yorkshire ($3.20 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Best Bet: #4 Accredited ($8 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Best Roughie: #13 You Wahng ($23 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Our exclusive 2025 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 2025 FESTIVAL STAKES DAY PREVIEW & TIPS
Festival Stakes Race Day 2025
2025 Festival Stakes Day takes place on Saturday the 29th of November 2025 at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse.
The key support races on the Festival Stakes Day program include the Listed ATC Cup (2000m) and Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m).
Festival Stakes Barrier Draw 2025
The 2025 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 2025
2025 Festival Stakes nominations close at 11 AM on the Monday of race week.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6x59132x22 | ACCREDITED | G | 6 | Joseph Pride | 101 |
| 2 | x112x030x8 | ALTIVO (GB) | G | 7 | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes | 81 |
| 3 | x70x2660x4 | AMENABLE | G | 6 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | 101 |
| 4 | 575x6x00x1 | ARCTIC GLAMOUR | M | 5 | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | 100 |
| 5 | 150405016x | BACIO DEL MIST (NZ) | M | 8 | Lee & Cherie Curtis | 81 |
| 6 | 10232×7653 | BRUDENELL | G | 6 | Kris Lees | 103 |
| 7 | 111x125x14 | CLEAR THINKING (GB) | M | 6 | Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich | 100 |
| 8 | 5x0125x6x0 | DARNATION (IRE) | M | 5 | Ciaron Maher | 104 |
| 9 | 89900050×0 | ELLIPTICAL | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 90 |
| 10 | 61x1424x24 | GALLANT STAR | G | 6 | Brett Robb | 88 |
| 11 | 20320×9006 | GREBENI | G | 6 | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | 90 |
| 12 | 2x4162x623 | HOLLYWOOD HERO (NZ) | G | 6 | Bjorn Baker | 88 |
| 13 | 7619x5x090 | JOJO WAS A MAN | G | 8 | John Thompson | 92 |
| 14 | 7x59x85631 | KINTYRE | G | 5 | Gary Portelli | 92 |
| 15 | 31144x80x0 | KONASANA | M | 5 | Chris Waller | 102 |
| 16 | 6324×31561 | MAGNATEAR | G | 6 | Richard & Will Freedman | 92 |
| 17 | 3x321359x8 | MARE OF MT BULLER | M | 5 | Chris Waller | 94 |
| 18 | 03x10x2085 | MCHALE | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 98 |
| 19 | 3330x11x84 | MELODY AGAIN | M | 6 | Scott Singleton | 97 |
| 20 | 1438×121 | MERIDIANA (NZ) | M | 4 | John Sargent | 84 |
| 21 | x4850644x0 | PHEARSON | G | 8 | Brad Widdup | 92 |
| 22 | x897x00078 | PORT LOCKROY | H | 5 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 100 |
| 23 | 03199248×8 | POUNCE (USA) | M | 5 | Chris Waller | 98 |
| 24 | 22x02177x7 | ROBUSTO | G | 6 | Bjorn Baker | 108 |
| 25 | 1x1x0x7946 | SHADIZI (FR) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 96 |
| 26 | 6250x00x30 | TERRITORY EXPRESS | G | 6 | Paul Niceforo | 103 |
| 27 | 774841744x | TOURISTIC (GB) | G | 7 | Peter Snowden | 94 |
| 28 | 1x64x01006 | WATERFORD (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 105 |
| 29 | 030x7970x3 | XIDAKI | G | 5 | Peter Snowden | 94 |
| 30 | 311x2111x0 | YORKSHIRE | G | 5 | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | 97 |
| 31 | 1x1733051x | YOU WAHNG | M | 4 | Kris Lees | 100 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Festival Stakes Weights 2025
Quality handicap conditions apply to this race. The lowest handicap weight allowed is 54 kg. Final 2025 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.
Private Eye (60.5kg in 2024) was the last Festival Stakes topweight to win.
2025 Festival Stakes Topweight:
- #1 Robusto (59.5kg)
Festival Stakes Acceptances 2025
2025 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 2025
The final riders must be announced by 12 PM on the Wednesday of race week, and the official 2025 Festival Stakes jockeys will be published in our above Festival Stakes Field section.
Festival Stakes Scratchings 2025
2025 Festival Stakes scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Saturday the 29th of November 2025.
Festival Stakes Prize Money 2025
The 2025 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 2025
The 2025 Festival Stakes race number is scheduled as Rosehill Race 8 at 4:45pm (AEDT) on Saturday November 29, 2025. There are ten races in total that day at Rosehill Racecourse.
Festival Stakes Form Guide 2025
The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can below for a link to our full 2025 Festival Stakes form guide following final acceptances.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 FESTIVAL STAKES FORM GUIDE
Festival Stakes Live 2025
You can watch or listen to the 2025 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Yorkshire | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Zac Lloyd | 54kg | 1:29.36 |
| 2024 | Private Eye | Joseph Pride | Nash Rawiller | 60.5kg | 1:30.46 |
| 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 |
How do I bet on the 2025 Festival Stakes?
Login at neds.com.au
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 Festival Stakes Betting).
Select the horse(s) for the race.
Which horse will win the 2025 Festival Stakes?
The best way to pick which horse will win the Festival Stakes in 2025 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.