Empire Rose Stakes Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2025

The Empire Rose Stakes stands as a key event within the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, shining brightly amidst a sea of thrilling horse races. Held at the renowned Flemington Racecourse, its stature is validated by its prestigious Group 1 status and it has become synonymous with showcasing the best of female thoroughbreds.

Each year, the Empire Rose Stakes draws contenders from every corner of the country. The Empire Rose Stakes, run over 1,600m of the distinguished Flemington turf, attracts top-class female thoroughbreds, competing under weight for age conditions. 

With a notable $1 million prize purse up for grabs, the race is a beacon for trainers, jockeys and the entire racing fraternity. The race takes place on one of the biggest days of racing in the Spring Racing Carnival. Including the Empire Rose Stakes, there are six key races on this day.

We see three key races at Flemington Racecourse (the Empire Rose Stakes, the Victoria Derby and the Coolmore Stud Stakes) and three key races at Rosehill Racecourse (The Golden Eagle, the Rosehill Gold Cup and the Russell Balding Stakes). With all this racing, it’s no wonder many think Flemington and Rosehill are among the top tracks in Australia.

OnlyRacing’s Empire Rose Stakes page has every aspect of the race covered. No matter if you are looking for horse racing betting tips or want to know the field for the upcoming race, we’ve got you covered! We update this page multiple times a year, so you’ll always get the most up-to-date information.

One of the things that makes a Group 1 so special is the prize money attached to it. For the Empire Rose Stakes, there is an eye-watering $1 million in the line, which is split between all the top finishers. More about the prize money breakdown can be found below:

One of the things we do and do well at OnlyRacing is provide free racing tips! We’ve got tips coming out of our ears and you’ll be pleased to know that we provide tips for every single Group 1 race on the calendar. If there’s no Group 1 racing, you don’t need to fret because we also have Flemington tips articles.

Our tips for the 2025 Empire Rose Stakes aren’t available just yet. We are waiting until race week, when all the runners are confirmed, to put together our set of tips for the Empire Rose Stakes. When the time is right, our experts will produce three tips for the Empire Rose Stakes, their best bet, next best and best roughie.

Seeing that you’re already here, take a look at the runners that caught the eye of our experts in 2024:

Empire Rose Stakes Best Bet - Orchestral

We have ourselves an open field, with four of the 13 runners in the Empire Rose Stakes listed at odds of $7.00 or less and for my best bet, I’m going with the runner listed at odds of $7.00, Orchestral. Held up at a critical point last time out in the Toorak Handicap, so I’m putting a line through that one and hoping for more luck this time.

In the Toorak Handicap, once she did see some free air, she ran on strongly and that’s what I like to see! That was only her second run back since Autumn, so she’ll be all the fitter for that run under her belt. Gets a wide barrier, but with the help of JMac, I think she’s good enough to overcome that.

Empire Rose Stakes Next Best - Amelia's Jewel

I would be silly not to include Amelia’s Jewel in my set of tips for the Empire Rose Stakes. The 5YO is currently on the second line of betting with PlayUp, at odds of $6.00. Hasn’t won so far this year, which is somewhat of a concern, but she is a Group 1 winner, so we know she has what it takes. 

She’s been competitive but just hasn’t been able to produce the goods. Last time out, we saw her finish fifth in the King Charles III Stakes and she’s had a lot of run under her belt so far this prep, so she’ll be coming into this one very fit and she’s back against her own sex as well. She should be right in the finish in the Empire Rose Stakes on Saturday.

Empire Rose Stakes Best Roughie - Alsephina 

Not the biggest roughie going around, but at $10, I think there’s still some value there. Decent prep so far, with two third places and a win under her belt and last time out, she put in an excellent performance in the Toorak Handicap, finishing third. She had a wide gate that time out and had to make up ground early. 

Gets barrier six here, so there is a lot more room for improvement in my eyes. Blake Shinn jumps back in the saddle and the pair have a good relationship, with Shinn winning on Alsephina two runs back in the Group 2 Stocks Stakes. She’s a horse on the up and certainly worth keeping an eye on.

The Empire Rose Stakes promises to be a premier Group 1 race held at Flemington Racecourse. With so many betting sites in Australia to choose from, we aim to simplify the selection process by spotlighting reliable options. 

We’ve got some recommendations for you but before that, it’s good to have an idea as to where your interest lies in terms of who you want to back in the race. When choosing a bookmaker, the odds they offer play a pivotal role. 

It might require some research, but comparing odds across multiple horse racing betting apps for your desired market can be very beneficial. Selecting a bookmaker with the most attractive odds can boost your potential returns. Some bookies that offer competitive odds include; PlayUp, Bet365 and Boombet.

Many Australian punters tend to stick with betting sites they've previously used, often due to user-friendly platforms or specific betting apps they prefer. If you've had positive experiences in the past, it makes sense to continue betting with a familiar provider. 

Our betting site reviews page offers insights into the reliability of each platform, helping you make an informed decision. Another key consideration is the range of betting sites bonuses available. Our OnlyRacing promotions page highlights a range of bonuses and offers from various Australian bookmakers.

Ultimately, the process of selecting the perfect bookmaker for the Empire Rose Stakes is subjective. The recommendations provided here are designed to steer you in the right direction. Most importantly, always choose a reputable bookmaker and ensure you've completed any necessary verification processes before placing bets.

Each year, we see the final field confirmed for the Empire Rose Stakes during race week. It is not race week at this stage, so we don’t yet know which runners will be fighting it out for Group 1 glory. If history is anything to go by, we will see a quality field of runners looking for a stack of prize money.

If the odds are available, it’s a good idea to check them out because it will give you an idea of the runners who are more likely to target the Empire Rose Stakes and therefore more favoured in the market. You’ll see the Empire Rose Stakes odds displayed in our aptly named “Odds” section later on this page.

While we don’t yet know the 2025 Empire Rose Stakes field, let’s take a look at the runners that lined up for the race in 2024:

For the Empire Rose Stakes in 2024, we saw a mid-sized field of 13 runners announced. There weren’t any emergencies listed either, which meant that the size of the field would be reduced if there were any pre-race scratchings. We didn’t end up seeing any pre-race scratchings, so all 13 original runners took their place in the starting barriers.

When following the Empire Rose Stakes, or any other horse race for that matter, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on scratchings. They can have a major influence in the race, especially if one of the more favoured runners is scratched. Scratchings can happen at any time, usually without warning as well.

The barrier draw is another factor to consider when looking into the final field. The bigger the field, the more influence the barrier draw has on the race as it increases the likelihood of runners getting held up at crucial points in the race. Over the years, we’ve also seen more successful barriers compared to others in the Empire Rose Stakes.

The Empire Rose Stakes form guide can help point you in the direction of the next winner if you know where to look. There’s a lot of history attached to the Empire Rose Stakes, so that means there’s a lot of data and stats to go through. If you could think of nothing worse than going through heaps of data, then you’ve come to the right place.

The team at OnlyRacing have gone through all the relevant data from the Empire Rose Stakes and found some patterns that have emerged that you should know before placing any bets. The key form indicators that we found are explained in detail below!

We usually see a mixture of form lines converging on the Empire Rose Stakes, so it can be difficult to match form up. The key races that you should look into include the Tristarc Stakes (Group 2), Tesio Stakes (Group 3) and the Alinghi Stakes (Listed).

NSW-trained runners have a solid record in the Empire Rose Stakes, so it could pay to check those runners out. In the last 24 editions of the Empire Rose Stakes, 12 NSW-trained runners have claimed victory.

We usually see mares take out the Empire Rose Stakes, with I Am A Star (in 2016) being the first filly in 20+ years to win the race. This was backed up by Shoals the following year, who also won the Empire Rose Stakes as a filly. It’s been back to normal programing since though, with mares taking out the race from 2018 until now.

It seems as though out wide is the place to be for the Empire Rose Stakes! Since 2011, we’ve only seen four winners jump from a single-digit barrier. Pride of Jenni, who won in 2023, jumped from the widest barrier we’ve seen in recent times, 16.

It’s probably a good idea to steer clear of the favourite for the Empire Rose Stakes as well. Since 2009, we’ve only seen the favourite win on four occasions. If we look more recently, four of the last five winners of the race have jumped with double-digit odds!

The Empire Rose Stakes is one of the premier Group One races on the calendar and we always see the top fillies and mares competing. This makes for excellent viewing each year for the race, but our decision of which handful of horses to feature in this section is now very difficult.

We’ve had to make some pretty brutal cuts, so hopefully you agree with at least some of the choices we’ve made! In this section, we will go into more detail about the best Empire Rose Stakes horses and discuss their other achievements in the industry. Check out all the top horses below:

Divine Madonna - 2007

With $2 million in prize money in the bank, Divine Madonna won four Group 1 races throughout her career, including the 2007 Empire Rose Stakes. She finished her career with a record of 26:8-3-4 and some of the other races she won included; the Champions Mile, the Queen of the Turf Stakes and the Toorak Handicap.

Typhoon Tracy - 2009

While Typhoon Tracy won the 2009 Empire Rose Stakes, it was 2010 that marked the biggest year of her career, she was named the Australian Racehorse of the Year and the Australian Champion Middle Distance Racehorse in that year. Some of the other key races she won included; Queen of the Turf Stakes and the Futurity Stakes.

Shoals - 2017

One of the few recent fillies to win the Empire Rose Stakes, Shoals amassed almost $3 million in prize money throughout her career. She was quite successful at Group 1 level, winning races like the Surround Stakes and the Robert Sangster Stakes.

Melody Belle - 2019

Melody Belle, the only horse to win the New Zealand Triple Crown, also tasted success across the ditch in Australia. She won the Empire Rose Stakes in 2019 and ended her career with a record of 38:19-1-6. She also was named the New Zealand Champion Racehorse of the Year in back-to-back seasons.

Colette - 2021

The lightly raced Colette had a great career and ended with a record of 25:8-5-0, which included victory in the 2021 Empire Rose Stakes. Her biggest victory by far came in The Golden Eagle, which helped boost her career prize money dramatically. She finished her career with over $7 million in prize money!

If you’re going to bet on the Empire Rose Stakes, you’re going to need to know what the odds are! The good news is that there are plenty of Aussie betting sites that will open up horse racing markets, so there are heaps of choices floating around.

This inevitably leads to two questions though:

1. Which bookie should I bet with?
2. Which market should I bet on?

It’s not a difficult question to answer, but you certainly want to get it right. We’ve got more information about this in our “Betting” section above on this page, so if you skipped over that part, make sure you scroll up to check it out!

Each bookie may offer different odds for the same runner/ market and this is why it’s a good idea to have multiple accounts, so you can swoop in and grab the better odds while they are still available. We always like to check PlayUp in particular because they are known to have some pretty competitive racing odds.

If you’re not sure when the best time to bet on the Empire Rose Stakes is, we can tell you that it is usually when the market is listed as “Before Noms”. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, you’ll get your stake back if your chosen runner doesn’t make the final field. Secondly, you’ll likely get juicer odds if you’re betting further out from the event date.

The 2025 Empire Rose Stakes odds aren’t available just yet. In the meantime, you can check out the odds of all runners in the 2024 field here:

*Odds correct as of 31/10/2024.

The Empire Rose Stakes is a relatively young event in the Australian horse racing calendar, taking place annually on Derby Day at the renowned Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. Derby Day is one of the biggest days in Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival, which is considered to be one of the top horse racing carnivals of the year.

Established in 1988, this Group 1 race has gradually cemented its place as a significant event for fillies and mares. Spanning a distance of 1,600 metres and at weight for age conditions, it is a true test of the mettle of the elite female horses. 

For many years known as the Myer Classic, the race underwent a name change in 2019. The race reverted back to the Empire Rose Stakes, the race’s registered name, in honour of the legendary mare, Empire Rose, who clinched the coveted Melbourne Cup in 1988. 

The name change also symbolised a break from the commercial sponsorship by Myer, reflecting a return to the race’s roots and a tribute to a horse that made history. Over the years, the race conditions have evolved to keep pace with the changing dynamics of horse racing. 

In 2003, the race conditions transitioned from set weights and penalties to weight-for-age, which also marked the inclusion of 3YO fillies in the competition. This change further elevated its status, eventually leading to its designation as a Group 1 race in 2004. 

This upgrade was a significant milestone, not only enhancing the prestige of the race but also augmenting the allure of Derby Day, which hosts a series of Group 1 races. The Empire Rose Stakes attracts top-notch fillies and mares from Australia and New Zealand, making it a competitive and eagerly anticipated event. 

Some notable winners over the years include Melody Belle in 2019, Shillelagh in 2018, and I Am A Star in 2016. Their victories underline the competitive spirit and the high standard of racing that the Empire Rose Stakes embodies. 

The race also serves as a stepping stone to other prestigious races. Many participants go on to compete in high-profile events such as the Group 1 Champions Mile at Flemington or the Group 1 Railway Stakes at Ascot in Perth. The progression of horses from this race to other notable competitions highlights its importance in the broader racing landscape. 

In a relatively short span since its inception, the Empire Rose Stakes has become a staple of the Melbourne Spring racing season. It not only offers a thrilling spectacle for horse racing enthusiasts but also contributes to the rich tapestry of horse racing in Australia, marking a day of competitive racing and celebration of female equine talent. 

We wish we could see into the future to tell you which runner won the 2025 Empire Rose Stakes, we’d be rich! But alas, we’ll have to wait for the race to happen to know the results. As soon as the race has been run and won, we’ll provide all the results information you’ve been looking for in this section!

The 2024 Empire Rose Stakes was won by the pre-race favourite, Atishu. The Chris Waller-trained mare finished just 0.2L in front of Amelia's Jewel. Before winning the Empire Rose Stakes, Atishu finished third in the Group 1 Might And Power Stakes.

Filling in the final minor placing was $61 roughie, Socks Nation. Socks Nation was a further 1.7L off the pace. The 2024 Empire Rose Stakes was run in a time of 1:35.93 and there was a total of 22.4L that split the first and last runners across the finishing line.

If you want to know where every runner finished in the Empire Rose Stakes, take a look at the table below:

Now the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Check out the full race replay of the Empire Rose Stakes below:

Not everyone can be a winner, in fact, there can only be one winner (or more if there’s a dead heat!). We’ve gone through and found all the recent winners of the Empire Rose Stakes and listed them below:

Before you go, if you’ve got any additional questions on the Empire Rose Stakes, this is the section for you! We’ve gone through and answered all the most common questions people have about the race. Check out the details below.