The Invitation Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2025

The Invitation is an invite-only race that is run at a distance of 1,400m for fillies and mares 3YO+. The race is run under set weights and penalties and in 2024, the race was officially granted Group 2 status. This event is different in that it is by invitation only, for horses from Australia and New Zealand.

The Invitation is made to 12 starters by a panel under the guidance of Racing NSW. Up to two emergency runners can also be declared. The prize money on offer certainly helps in attracting top-class horses, trainers and jockeys to New South Wales rather than participate in the Racing Victoria Spring program, a battle that continues to develop.

The race will be held at Randwick Racecourse, which is one of the top tracks in the country. If you follow the big races of NSW or the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival, you will know it is on the same day and track as the $2 million Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes over 2,000m.

On top of this, The Invitation also takes place on Cox Plate Day, which is run in Melbourne, at Moonee Valley Racecourse. The Cox Plate is one of the biggest races on the Australian calendar and there is a whopping $5 million up for grabs.

This page on The Invitation covers all the information you could ever need to know about the race. We go through information like our top tips for the race, details on horse racing betting for the race, all the latest results and so much more. We also update this page regularly, so you always have the latest information.

Before we kick things off with our tips for The Invitation, it is worth noting the significance of the announcement to Spring Carnival Racing in NSW, as there were also large increases in prize money for several races including the Group 2 Hill Stakes and the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes both doubling from $500,000 to $1 million. 

But the icing on the cake was The Invitation gained a prize purse of $2 million. There is now a Spring program of eight straight weeks of $1 million or more prize money races. We break down the prize money for The Invitation below:

The team at OnlyRacing prides themselves on giving their loyal readers some of the best free racing tips going around. We celebrate the wins just as hard and not only do we provide tips for all the key races on the calendar, but we also provide Randwick tips for readers to feast their eyes on.

More information about the field for The Invitation will be provided closer to race day. When we have all the information required, our experts will get cracking with their tips. For The Invitation, we will provide three tips; our best bet, next best and best roughie. This means that no matter the type of bettor you are, you’ll find something that tickles your fancy.

Our tips for The Invitation aren’t available just yet, but you can take a look at the runners we liked for the 2024 race here:

The Invitation Best Bet - Magic Time

Talk about an open field! We have three runners currently listed between $3.90 and $4.00. So, who do I have on top? Well, I think it’s time for some magic and I’m siding with Magic Time for The Invitation in 2024. The multiple Group 1 winner finished fourth in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes last time out, to begin her prep.

Trainer Grahame Begg has stated it’s the Grand Final for the mare, so you know he will have her fit and ready to go. She loves this track and distance and is a very versatile horse, I’m actually surprised she doesn’t have slightly shorter odds - you are currently getting $3.90 on PlayUp for her. She is class and I think she’ll be the one to beat. 

The Invitation Next Best - Zougotcha 

If anyone can give Magic Time a run for her money, I think it has to be Zougotcha. After a dominant Autumn Racing Carnival, the mare ran well in the Group 1 Winx Stakes, only beaten by 0.1L to finish second. Zougotcha is currently on the second line of betting, with odds of $4.00 at PlayUp.

Her last run in the 7 Stakes left a lot to be desired but she has been back at the trials and she gets a tongue tie for the first time, so hopefully the last start run was just a blimp on the radar. Decent barrier as well, jumping from gate five and she is another that has a lot of class.

The Invitation Best Roughie - Makarena 

Didn’t really like the look of some of the bigger roughies in this one, so I’ve sided with Makarena, who is currently paying $9.00 with PlayUp. The 4YO has certainly gone unloved in the market and I understand why she isn’t closer to the favourite, but $9.00 does seem pretty good value to me.

If one of the top runners doesn’t bring their A-game or is unlucky, Makarena is the kind of horse that is good enough to capitalise. Didn’t do a lot last time out in the Alan Brown Stakes, but she got stuck wide with no cover, so I’m putting a line in that one. We know what she can do when she is at her best, considering she won the Group 2 Golden Pendant.

Betting on The Invitation can be a fun experience, especially if you end up backing a winner! For The Invitation, or any horse race for that matter, there are important things you need to know, so you can make the most out of your betting experience.

The team here at OnlyRacing have been betting on horse racing for many years now. Over that time, we have developed a simple strategy for deciphering the complex world of betting, in particular picking a bookie. 

At the end of the day, it comes down to two things:

1. Which bookie is going to offer you the best value for betting with them on feature races such as The Invitation,racing promotions may come into play here. 
2. Which are your preferred markets or bets that you wish to place on the race.

So, you are trying to extract the most profit from your bets, if there are bonus bets on win odds for runners coming second, third or even fourth, then you have some additional cover that could be worth exploring. With these types of promotions, it’s usually with the compromise of possibly lower odds being available from those bookmakers.

Compare the odds for your picks across as many available betting sites as you can check or are already a member. For reference, we have a bookmaker review page that includes a pros and cons list of all the best Australian betting sites that offer racing markets. 

Additionally, our betting sites' reviews feature in-depth reviews of specific bookmakers that we care to highlight. Some of these bookmakers include PlayUp, PalmerBet, and Winnersbet. Bet on whichever available Australian horse racing betting site offers you the best price for your preferred bets on races. 

Another option is to simply bet with whichever bookie you are used to, or rather, most comfortable with. They may or may not offer the best odds, but it is a bookmaker that you know well and you can easily navigate their platform to place bets.

There are so many different horse racing betting apps, but we aim to make the process easy for you. It’s also worth considering opening up multiple accounts with different bookies, as you’ll then have the ability to jump on different promotions and more.

The field for The Invitation is determined by invite only. We will know more about the runners that will line up for The Invitation closer to race day. As the race is by invitation only, we have come to expect a high-quality field, filled with the best fillies and mares Australia and New Zealand have to offer.

One way to get a sneaky peak at the runners who might be making an appearance in the final field is to check out the odds for the race. If they are available, the odds will showcase the runners who are currently more favoured in the market and therefore more likely to get a spot in the race.

While we all wait until closer to race day for the final field to be confirmed, take a look back to see which runners lined up in The Invitation in 2024:

For The Invitation in 2024, we saw the typical field of 12 runners confirmed, with two emergencies in case there were any pre-race scratchings. In the end, we didn’t see any pre-race scratchings, so all 12 original runners took their spots in the starting barriers.

We see scratchings happen all the time in racing, it’s an unfortunate way of life. There are a few reasons why a horse may be scratched and it can sometimes come out of the blue. This is why it’s a good idea to check the field regularly, especially if you’ve placed a bet on the race.

Something else that you should check is the barrier draw. The bigger the field, the more influence the barrier draw will have on shaping how the race plays out. There are also some barriers that better suit a particular runner’s racing style. 

It’s always a good idea to put together or look into a form guide for each horse race you want to bet on. For The Invitation form guide, it’s a little trickier because the race doesn’t have a lot of history. This means there isn’t a lot of stats and data to base decisions on. Nonetheless, the team at OnlyRacing have done the best they can!

We’ve gone through all the available data and will continue to go through the data each year. Eventually, patterns will emerge about the type of horse that wins this race and while this doesn’t 100% confirm the next winner for the race, it can certainly help point you in the right direction. Check out all The Invitation form guide and indicator information we’ve found!

Some of the important form guide information you should look into include firstly, the barrier draw and projected race tempo. We are likely to see a capacity field of 12 runners each year, and there isn’t a lot of distance until the home turn at Randwick for the 1,400m start. This means tempo is important to look into.

As The Invitation is a Group 2 race, it’s a good idea to look for runners who are at stakes-class level (at the least). Runners should have a proven record at both Randwick and the 1,400m distance. It could be worth checking out runners who have previously performed well (or won) at Group 1 level.

Due to the timing of the event, there will likely be many different form line rabbit holes to go down. Winning form is obviously good form, so look at runners who are coming into The Invitation with a lot of confidence. 

Two Group 1 races may act as an ideal lead-up to this race, runners who perform well in one of these races may be in good stead to back it up in The Invitation. Check out runners who come from either the Flight Stakes or the Epsom Handicap, both are raced at Randwick over the 1,600m.

The Invitation is run under set weights and penalties conditions, so it may also pay to check out runners who have had success under these conditions in the past. It’s a good idea to check out older mares, as they likely won’t have a weight penalty like they would if they were running under WFA conditions.

The Invitation is by invite only and so even though the race is still one of the newer ones on the calendar, we have already come to expect some top-notch horses competing. Only the best of the best can go on to win The Invitation. 

As The Invitation has only been around for a handful of years, we haven’t had to make any tough decisions on which horses to mention in this section and which ones to leave out. We’re going to talk about all of them! Check out more information on The Invitation horses below:

Icebath - 2021

Icebath was the inaugural winner of The Invitation, winning the race in 2021. The mare amassed over $5 million in prize money throughout her career and had a record of 39:5-9-7, which included a Group 1 victory in the Empire Rose Stakes. If you want to learn more about the Empire Rose Stakes and other key races, check out our Group One races list!

Promise Of Success - 2022

Promise Of Success was successful in The Invitation in 2022, winning by 0.2L. In her career, she has won over $1 million in prize money and has a record of 24:5-4-2. While she is unplaced in three attempts at Group 1 level, she has won on one occasion at Group 2 level, in the Emancipation Stakes.

Espiona - 2023

The winner of The Invitation in 2023, Espiona, has a current career record of 24:7-2-4 and this includes a victory at Group 1 level after she won the Coolmore Classic. She has also finished third in a Group 1 on four occasions and has a total of over $3 million in career prize money so far.

Belclare - 2024

The Invitation was won by Belclare in 2024. Belclare was a massive $26 roughie to win The Invitation and the 7YO ended up winning by 1.2L. At the time of writing, Belclare has a career record of 39:12-6-0 and almost $2 million of prize money in the bank. Belclare is a multiple Group 1 winner, with both her Group 1 victories coming in New Zealand.

If you want to bet on The Invitation, understanding the odds is vital. The Invitation odds will tell you which runners are more favoured in the market. However, it is important to remember that even if a runner has shorter odds and is therefore more favoured in the market, it doesn’t guarantee they will win.

The first market that will open up for The Invitation will be the Fixed Win/ Place market. At this stage, PlayUp, our favourite bookie, has not yet released their market for The Invitation. We will keep an eye on things for you and bring you all the odds details when we can.

As we get closer to race day, more horse racing markets will open up. This means you’ll have more options available for you to bet on. The odds in any market will always be changing, so if you see a price you like, it’s a pretty good idea to jump on it while you can.

Many factors influence a change in the odds and different bookies can have slightly different factors, which is why you may see different odds for the same runner or market. It’s a good idea to also check what stage the market is in. If the Fixed Win/ Place market is listed as “Before Noms”, you’ll get your stake back if your runner doesn’t make the final field.

The Invitation odds for the race in 2025 aren’t available just yet. However, you can take a look to see how the odds shaped up for the race in 2024 here:

*Odds correct as of 24/10/2024.

There certainly isn’t a long history for The Invitation, with the race being created in 2021. Despite the race’s short history, we have still seen several high-quality fillies and mares take part. The field for The Invitation is set to just 12 runners and when it comes to gaining entry into the race, it is by invite only.

There is a cool $2 million in prize money on offer for this race, which makes it one of the richest races strictly for fillies and mares in the Southern Hemisphere. Along with The Invitation, Racing NSW brought in a couple of other changes, to keep up with Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival, which is one of the biggest horse racing carnivals.

Racing NSW has added several new races to the calendar during Spring, throwing a lot of prize money around as well, all to compete with Melbourne. The race is placed around The Everest and The Golden Eagle, which ensures the best jockeys, trainers and horses stick around in NSW for a few weeks.

Looking at the results of all editions of The Invitation so far, jockey Kerrin McEvoy won the first three editions of the race and then in 2024, we saw jockey Tyler Schiller break McEvoy’s reign. The winners of The Invitation so far include; Belclare (2024), Espiona (2023), Promise Of Success (2022) and Icebath (2021). In 2024, the race was granted Group 2 status.

As the history of The Invitation continues to develop and evolve, we will add more information to this section. We can’t wait to see how The Invitation continues to grow and the type of runners who opt to take part in this key race.

We’ve got all The Invitation results that you’ve been looking for. No matter if it’s right after the race and you want to know who won, or you just want to relive all the action, we’ve got you covered. This results section provides information on the finishing order of the entire field as well as a full race replay.

In 2024, we saw massive roughie, Belclare, win The Invitation with odds of $26. The 7YO is a multiple Group 1 winner, with two Group 1 victories across the ditch. She finished 1.2L ahead of the pre-race favourite, Magic Time.

Wrapping up the top three was Makarena, who jumped from barrier one and finished 1.8L off the pace. In the end, The Invitation was run in a time of 1:20.74 and there was a total of 8.5L that split the entire field.

See where every single runner in The Invitation finished below:

Want to relive all the action as it happened in The Invitation? Check out the full race replay video below:

The Invitation has only been running since 2021 and each year we crown a new winner who walks away with the lion’s share of the prize money on offer. Check out every single winner of The Invitation in the table below:

The Invitation is one of the newer races on the calendar, so naturally, people have a lot of questions about it! We’ve gone through and answered all the most common questions people have about The Invitation in our FAQs section below: