Speed everywhere in the Challenge Stakes run at Randwick on Saturday.
All that Everest form comes from this race. Will it be the case again in the 2022 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday?
2022 Challenge Stakes: Nominations
2022 CHALLENGE STAKES - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Challenge Stakes is a Group 2 race run under weight-for-age conditions by the Australian Turf Club that has been part of the Sydney racing calendar for more than 100 years.
The Challenge Stakes was first run in 1906 and is Sydney's most prestigious 1000m sprint race. Only once, in 2012 when run over 1100m at Rosehill, has the Challenge Stakes not been run over five furlongs or 1000m.
From 1906 to 2001 inclusive the Challenge Stakes was run at Randwick. From 2002 to 2006 the Challenge Stakes was run at Warwick Farm and has since been run at Randwick from 2007-2010, Rosehill in 2012, Warwick Farm in 2013 and Randwick since 2014.
The Challenge Stakes was run under handicap conditions from 1906 until 1979 when it became a weight-for-age event. The weight carrying record for the Challenge Stakes when a handicap was 10 stone three pounds (65kg) carried by The Hawk in 1925.
The Challenge Stakes was traditionally run in January and for many years was the feature race on Randwick's Australia Day program. Since 2003 the Challenge Stakes has been incorporated into the revamped Sydney autumn carnival agenda and serves as a key lead-up for sprinters preparing for the G1 Galaxy (1100m) and G1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m).
There have been two triple winners of the Challenge Stakes. Razor Sharp won the Challenge Stakes in 1982, 1983 and 1984 and At Sea followed him in 1985, 1986 and 1987.
Another eight horses have won the Challenge Stakes twice – Golden Hop (1913/14), High Caste (1940/1942), Felbeam (1945/46), San Domenico (1949/50), Gay Gauntlet (1967/1969), Cangronde (1997/98), Star Of Florida (2003/04) and English (2016/17).
Other notable winners of the Challenge Stakes include Caesar, Yaralla, True Leader, Tarien, Dubbo, Wenona Girl, Time And Tide, Zephyr Bay, Crimson Cloud, Snippets, Show County, Spanish Mix, Moss Rocket, Easy Rocking, Bomber Bill, Snitzel, Spark Of Life, Hay List, Rain Affair, Snitzerland, Miracles Of Life, Redzel, Nature Strip and Eduardo.
Only two horses have won the Challenge Stakes/Galaxy double (Playbill/Snippets) while Ab Initio and Nature Strip are the winners of the Challenge Stakes/TJ Smith Stakes double since the latter race was introduced in 1997.
The 2022 Challenge Stakes had prizemoney of $500,000.
The track record at Randwick was smashed in the Challenge Stakes by Eduardo in 2021 when he ran 55.20.
The 2021 Challenge Stakes was won by Eduardo from Nature Strip and Bella Vella.
Racing & Sports has our FREE RACING BLACKBOOK so you can follow these runners plus any others that catch your eye right around Australia and the world.
Login at the top of this screen or register for access to our enhanced form, ratings and your own Blackbook with email alerts before and after the race – ALL FREE!
