Winx won this very race so the 2024 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday is a must watch.
2024 PHAR LAP STAKES - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Phar Lap Stakes is a Group 2 race for three-year-olds conducted by the Australian Turf Club at Rosehill.
The Phar Lap Stakes is run over 1500m at set weights with colts and geldings carrying 56.5kg and fillies 54.5kg.
The Phar Lap Stakes was first run in 1973 and is named after the legendary Phar Lap, probably the most famous horse in Australian racing history. Rosehill is a fitting venue for a race named in Phar Lap's honour as he won his first race in Australia at Rosehill after he arrived from New Zealand.
The Phar Lap Stakes has been run over 1500m at Rosehill every year with the exception of 2008 when it was run over 1550m at Canterbury.
The Phar Lap Stakes weight scale has varied since its inception. From 1973 to1984 colts and geldings carried 54kg and fillies 51kg; from 1985 to 2002 colts and geldings carried 55.5kg and fillies 52.5kg; and in 2003 and 2004 colts and geldings carried 56.5kg and fillies 53.5kg. The current scale of 56.5kg for colts and geldings and 54.5kg for fillies has applied since 2005.
The Phar Lap Stakes is programed to suit three-year-olds building to a variety of autumn carnival feature races including the Doncaster Mile, Rosehill Guineas, Vinery Stud Stakes and ATC Australian Derby or Oaks. The Tulloch Stakes and Carbine Club Stakes also suit Phar Lap Stakes runners.
The 2024 Phar Lap Stakes was worth $300,000 prizemoney.
The classic-winning filly Toltrice won the first Phar Lap Stakes in 1973. The other fillies to win the Phar Lap Stakes have been Arborea (1994), Maitland Gold (2001), Only Words (2004), Shania Dane (2005), Colorado Claire (2012), Winx (2015), Foxplay (2017), Unforgotten (2018), Verry Elleegant (2019), Funstar (2020), Hungry Heart (2021) and Zougotcha (2023).
Chris Waller has taken a similar path with all his good fillies in recent years. Winx, Foxplay, Unforgotten, Verry Elleegant, Funstar, Hungry Heart and Zougotcha all won this and won major G1 races.
Other notable winners of the Phar Lap Stakes include Imagele, Cheyne Walk, Blockbuster, Luskin Star, Marwong, Solar Circle, Kaaptive Edition, Brave Warrior, Mr Innocent, Thorn Park, Apache Cat, Heart Of Dreams, Tickets and Toydini.
The 2023 Phar Lap Stakes was won by Zougotcha from Glint Of Silver and Brosnan.
