Four-year-old mare De Lightning Ridge broke one of Australia’s longest standing track records on Saturday when she claimed a sensational victory in the $150, 000 Group 2 Ascend Sales Challenge Stakes.
Prepared by Warwick Farm trainer Joseph Pride, De Lightning Ridge…
This Saturday, March 13, the $150, 000 Group 2 Ascend Sales Challenge Stakes (1000m) will run as part of the terrific line-up of races being conducted at Randwick racecourse.
The headline event at the meeting will be the $350, 000 Group…
This year the $150, 000 Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) will be conducted on Saturday March 13 at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney as part of Randwick Guineas Day.
Clarry Conners’ classy mare Court has the 2010 Challenge Stakes in her sites
Clarry…
Conducted by the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) the Challenge Stakes is a Group 2 weight-for-age thoroughbred race run at the esteemed Royal Randwick Racecourse in early March each year as part of Sydney’s Autumn Carnival.
Held on the same day as the prestigious Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m), the Challenge Stakes is a sprint feature run over 1000m and has $150, 000 in stakes on offer.
Runners may have previously contested other Group 2 weight-for-age features held at Sydney during the autumn carnival including the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) in early February or the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) three weeks earlier at Rosehill.
The Challenge Stakes is the perfect lead-up event for horses on the path to the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m), which is another weight-for-age event held at Rosehill Gardens three weeks later. Or, for genuine sprinters only the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Australian Derby Day is often the follow-up race of choice for Challenge Stakes runners.
History:
The Challenge Stakes was first run in 1906 and won by The Pet. The event has run every year since and gained its current Group 2 status in 1979 after originating as a Principal race.
A number of top sprinters have claimed Challenge Stakes victory including Snitzel (2006), Star Of Florida (2003 & 2004) and Classic Magic (1994).
