Robert Sangster Stakes Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2025

The Robert Sangster Stakes, or The Sangster, as it is also known, is a weight-for-age sprint race for fillies and mares aged 2YO and over. It is one of the biggest Group One races at Morphettville Racecourse each year. The Australasian Oaks takes place at the same track and is raced on the same day as the Robert Sangster Stakes.

In 2006, the race became the only Group 1 race for fillies and mares at a distance of 1,200m. It was the same year that the race was moved to April after authorities rescheduled the Adelaide Cup Carnival to Autumn.

There is a bit of racing that happens each year at Morphettville Racecourse and this is why the racecourse is considered one of the top tracks in the country. Some of the other Group 1 racing that takes place at this track include; the South Australian Derby and The Goodwood.

We usually see some quality sprinters head to Adelaide for the Robert Sangster Stakes. The horse racing carnival is perfectly placed in the Australian calendar, as it is right after Sydney’s Autumn Carnival but just before Queensland’s Winter Carnival. 

Back in 2005, the race was renamed the Robert Sangster Stakes after horse racing owner and breeder Robert Sangster, who passed away in 2004. Robert Sangster was the principal of the Swettenham Stud and contributed in many ways to the Australian horse racing industry.

We will go into more detail about the history of the Robert Sangster Stakes in our “History” section later on this page. We will also cover topics like the best Robert Sangster Stakes tips, betting and odds information, as well as form guide, field and results. OnlyRacing.com.au is the place to be for all your Robert Sangster Stakes information!

Who doesn’t love money? We know we do! While we wish we could have a little slice of the prize money on offer for the Robert Sangster Stakes, we don’t own any racehorses (yet!). Check out the breakdown of the prize money below:

It’s certainly the best section on the page if you ask us, the Robert Sangster Stakes tips section! Here, we have all the horse racing tips you could ever need on the Robert Sangster Stakes. 

If you’re looking for more than just Robert Sangster Stakes tips, we’ve got you covered as well. The experts here at OnlyRacing also provide daily horse racing tips. Yep, that’s right! No matter the type of tips you’re looking for, we’ve got you covered, no need to go anywhere else.

At this stage, our 2024 Robert Sangster Stakes tips are not available as our experts are waiting until race week, when the final field is confirmed, to get cracking. Our experts need important information about the field to provide accurate tips for the race.

We know you came here for tips, so tips you shall receive! While you wait for race week to roll around, take a look at our expert tips below for the race in 2024 and judge for yourself how our tipster did. Check out our expert’s Robert Sangster Stakes tips below:

Robert Sangster Stakes Best Bet - Benedetta

I’m finding it difficult to split Benedetta and Estriella, but considering Benedetta is currently listed at a price of $8.50 and Estriella at $2.90, I’m leaning towards Benedetta because there’s heaps more value. The mare is a last-start winner in the R N Irwin Stakes, which is one of the best lead-up races.

She does her best work at 1,200m distances, so I’m happy to see her get what she is looking for in the Robert Sangster Stakes. She’s a winner at the track and I think she will be there at the finish. Crazy high odds in my mind, so I’ll be going for her to win outright and then a little something on the place.

Robert Sangster Stakes Next Best - Estriella 

Putting the current $2.90 favourite as my next best for the Robert Sangster Stakes on Saturday. She is a classy filly and has had some epic wins of late in Flemington. She looks to be a star sprinter and could easily get the job done. She is looking comfortable and like she belongs at this level.

I think she could be onto bigger and better things if she wins this, so there’s an extra incentive. Potentially even a run in The Everest could be on the cards if she can win this race. I think it’s 50/50 between her and Benedetta, but there’s more value for Benedetta, which is why she is my best bet.

Robert Sangster Stakes Best Roughie - Passive Aggressive

Passive Aggressive was my best roughie last year and I’m sticking with her again this year. She is just under double-digits at the moment, currently listed at $9.50. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her shorten between now and Saturday, so my advice is to get on while the price is still this good.

Her first up run was out of this world, defeating Zapateo. Her next run was okay, in The Galaxy, but that was a step up in class, so I can sort of forgive that run. She’s had a month's break, which I think suits her perfectly. She should be fit and ready to go. On top of this, she draws well to suit her run style, it could very well all line up for her on Saturday!

Betting on the Robert Sangster Stakes should be a fun experience. If you learn the basic ins and outs, hopefully, it will be a successful experience as well! The team at OnlyRacing have been betting on horse racing for many, many years now and we have picked up some strategies along the way.

We think it’s a good idea to bet on several different markets on various betting apps. When trying something new, you never know, you might end up finding your new favourite bet type! 

However, it is important to do your research on each market, so you fully understand what you are betting on.

Some of the main markets that you could potentially try out on Robert Sangster Stakes Day include:

• Fixed Win/ Place bets on your favourite runner or runners in the Group 1 race itself, or even across the whole card at Morphettville Racecourse.
• Quinella/ Trifecta/ First Four in the Robert Sangster Stakes.
• Quaddie at Morphettville Racecourse (remember, there are two Group 1 races at the track on the same day).
• A multi bet across several races at Morphettville Racecourse or even other tracks on the same day.

You’ll find that there may be more markets available on the Robert Sangster Stakes, but the ones listed above are some of the most common. Some specific horse racing betting sites will offer something a little different for the Robert Sangster Stakes.

If you’d like to learn more about all the different Australian betting sites that are available to bet with, we have listed all the top bookies on our bookie reviews page. We provide comprehensive reviews, so you’ll find all the information you could ever need about each bookie.

One of the other things we recommend is opening accounts with multiple bookmakers. This makes it much easier to find the best betting sites bonuses and betting promotions. You’ll also find that different bookies may have different odds for the same market or runner. So, if you’re not shopping around, you may not be getting the best value possible.

Some of the bookies we think you should check out, if you haven’t already include BetGalaxy, PuntGenie and BetProfessor. These three bookies are some of the best betting apps going around and are certainly worth seeing the full range of their offerings. 

There are plenty more bookies in Australia though, so if you’re already a customer with the three bookies listed in the paragraph above, scroll up to our “Betting Sites” section. We have many more bookies listed there for you to take a peek at.

As soon as we can, we will bring you all the Robert Sangster Stakes field information. The final field will be announced the week of the race, so we have to wait a little longer until we know exactly which horses will be fighting it out for Group 1 glory.

Along with the field, we will also provide current odds for the race, if available. Checking out the odds will provide you with some guidance on which runners are more favoured in the market. The runners with the shorter odds are more likely to take part in the Robert Sangster Stakes and be successful.

So, let’s get stuck in, shall we? Check out check out the field that lines up for the race in 2024 below:

Just like in 2023, we saw a field of 14 line up for the Robert Sangster Stakes in 2024. There aren’t any emergencies listed, but that didn’t end up mattering as there weren’t any pre-race scratchings. This means that all the original 14 runners took their place in the race.

If you haven’t been around horse racing for very long, it’s important to note that scratchings are fairly common. Even in races like the Robert Sangster Stakes where there is a lot of prize money available. Scratchings can happen anytime before the race and there are several reasons as well, like if the runner is acting up at the gate and the on-site vet recommends the horse to be scratched.

As well as keeping an eye on scratchings, something else to look into when studying the final field is the barrier draw. A lot of factors come into play when it comes to the barrier draw. Some barriers are more successful than others, so it pays to look into the barrier stats for the Robert Sangster Stakes specifically.

Now, you could do the Robert Sangster Stakes form yourself, going through pages upon pages of information and data. Or, you could let us do the heavy lifting for you and help point you in the right direction. With a race that has been around as long as the Robert Sangster Stakes has, there is a lot of information to look into.

The Robert Sangster Stakes form guide will cover all the key pieces of information and we’ve found some interesting patterns that have emerged over the years. So, if you want to bet with your head and not your heart, check out the Robert Sangster Stakes form indicators below!

The Robert Sangster Stakes has moved around date-wise in recent years, this makes it difficult to line up lead-up races. However, the traditional lead-up race held at Morphettville Racecourse is the Group 3 R N Irwin Stakes. Climbing Star finished second in the R N Irwin Stakes before winning the Robert Sangster Stakes in 2024.

Mares that are visiting from out of state seem to have a solid record in the Robert Sangster Stakes. Look for runners that performed well in Melbourne or Sydney under weight-for-age conditions. Wide barriers seem to have some success, with 13 winners jumping from a double-digit barrier since 2007.

The most successful age of Robert Sangster Stakes are 3YOs and 4YOs. Since 2004, we have seen seven 3YOs win the race and in the last 16 years, we’ve seen eight 4YOs win the race. It certainly pays to check out runners at this age!

In terms of the success of favourites, we must report that favourites have a terrible record in the Robert Sangster Stakes. Since 2007, we have seen just two favourites go on to win the race, the last of which was Black Caviar in 2012.

The Robert Sangster Stakes always brings out the best fillies and mares the country has the offer. The race is highly competitive which means only the best horses can go on to win the race. We’ve got through all the Robert Sangster Stakes horses and hand-picked a few to feature in this section.

With a race that has been run as long as the Robert Sangster Stakes has, we had to make some difficult choices on which horses get a spot on our list. See if your favourite filly or mare made our list! Check out the best Robert Sangster Stakes horses below:

Alinghi - 2005

Alinghi won the 2005 Robert Sangster Stakes and finished her career with a record of 18:11-2-3. She was also named the 2005 Australian Champion Three-Year-Old Filly and amassed over $4 million in prize money! Some of the other key races that she won throughout her career included; the Newmarket Handicap, the Thousand Guineas and the Blue Diamond Stakes.

Black Caviar - 2012

Obviously, we are going to mention Black Caviar! The great mare won the Robert Sangster Stakes in 2012. She won many awards throughout her career and was honoured in several different ways. She has a Group 1 race named after her, the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes and in 2023, she was first in the World Thoroughbred Rankings.

Shoals - 2018

Shoals won three Group 1s throughout her career including the 2018 Robert Sangster Stakes. She won almost $3 million in prize money thanks to her career record of 15:7-4-1. The other two Group 1 races she won were the Empire Rose Stakes and the Surround Stakes.

Snapdancer - 2022

Snapdancer is a multiple Group 1 winning horse, winning both the Robert Sangster Stakes as well as the Memsie Stakes. In both her Group 1 wins, jockey Ethan Brown was onboard. She has won seven races out of 20 she competed in, which helped her win over $2 million in prize money.

When it comes to the Robert Sangster Stakes odds, there are plenty of options available to you. We always think it is a good idea to look around at all the different bookies to see what odds they are offering for the market/ runner you want to bet on.

All the best  horse racing betting apps will open up markets for the Robert Sangster Stakes before the race each year. This means it’s easy to get your bets on and shop around for the best odds. While a bookie might be offering certain odds at one point in time, there is no guarantee those odds will still be offered at a later point.

You’ll notice that the odds are always changing in horse racing markets, so if you see a price you like, it’s a good idea to get on straight away. Better to be safe than sorry! You should also take note of the state of the market, if it is listed as “Before Noms”, we think this is a great time to bet because if your chosen runner doesn’t make the final field, you’ll get your cash back.

You’ll also find that the sooner you bet on the race, the more likely it is that you’ll get higher odds for each runner. This is usually because there is more uncertainty on how the runner will perform between the time you bet on them and the time of the race. So, if you’ve got a hot tip for the Robert Sangster Stakes, it pays to get on as soon as you can!

While the market isn’t available for the race in 2025, check out the 2024 Robert Sangster Stakes odds of the entire field below, thanks to PlayUp, taken just a couple of days before the race:

*Odds correct as of 26/04/2024.

The Robert Sangster Stakes takes place each year during Adelaide’s Autumn Racing Carnival, which is placed perfectly between Sydney’s Autumn Racing Carnival and Queenland’s Winter Racing Carnival. With so many horse racing carnivals, horse racing fans can watch quality racing pretty much every weekend!

The first edition of the Robert Sangster Stakes took place in 1983 and was won by Ranee’s Palace. The race was initially run under set weights and penalties conditions up until 1990. After that, the race was run under the conditions we see today, weight-for-age.

Throughout the years, there have been many name changes for the Robert Sangster Stakes. In fact, there have been six race name changes, all of which you can find below:

• 1983-2004: Swettenham Stud Stakes
• 2005-2009: Robert Sangster Stakes
• 2010-2014: Sportingbet Classic
• 2015: William Hill Classic
• 2016-2018: Ubet Classic
• 2019 onwards: Robert Sangster Stakes

Along with name changes, there have been many updates to the status of the Robert Sangster Stakes. The race initially began as a Special Race, but it only took one year to be upgraded to a Listed Race in 1984. It was quickly upgraded again to a Group 3 race in 1986 where it stayed until 2004 when it was upgraded to a Group 2. The Robert Sangster Stakes gained Group 1 status in 2005.

The race record was claimed in 1999 by Dantelah in a time of 1:07.9. In terms of other records, Lee Freedman and Mick Price both hold the record as the trainer with the most wins in the Robert Sangster Stakes, with three wins apiece. Damien Oliver is the jockey with the most success in the race, with three wins to his name.

The Robert Sangster Stakes is just one Group 1 race that takes place each year at Morphettville. So, if you want to learn more about the different races to be run at this track, or any track for that matter, you should check out our Group One races list. We have over 100 races for you to read about!

Each year, as soon as the Robert Sangster Stakes has been run and won, horse racing fans who weren’t lucky enough to catch the race live will be online searching for the results. We have all the Robert Sangster Stakes results you are looking for including the finishing position of every runner in the field along with a full race replay!

The 2024 Robert Sangster Stakes saw a double-digit odds winner, Climbing Star, who jumped with odds of $26. The mare finished second in the R N Irwin Stakes before winning the Group 1. In second place was Learning To Fly, who was also listed in double-digit odds and was just 0.3L behind the leader.

Benedetta finished in third place and was only 0.4L off first place. In 2024, the Robert Sangster Stakes was run in a time of 1:09.75 and there was just a total of 8L that separated the first and last runner across the finishing line.

Take a look at where each runner in the Robert Sangster Stakes finished below:

As promised, we have included the full race replay of the Robert Sangster Stakes, so you can easily relive all the epic action. Check out the video below:

There have been many amazing Robert Sangster Stakes winners over the years. If you’re interested in knowing more about some of the most recent winners of the race, check out the table below:

While we have endeavoured to answer all questions you may have about the Robert Sangster Stakes, we know we might have missed some. Hopefully, this Robert Sangster Stakes FAQs section will pick up the slack! Check out all the common FAQs for the race below: