The Bill Ritchie Handicap is a Group 3 race for 3yo and upward horses held each September in Sydney at Randwick racecourse during the Sydney spring racing carnival. The race is run over a distance of 1400 metres and worth $125,000 in prizemoney. The 2011 Bill Ritchie Handicap was won by Thankgodyou'rehere from Startsmeup with Miss Keepsake third.
This race was held at Rosehill for the 2011-2012 racing season and takes place on the same day as the Gr1 George Main Stakes. The winner is exempt from a ballot and penalty in the Epsom Handicap.
The Bill Ritchie Handicap is a handicap race over 1400m and can sometimes attract horses planning to progress to the Gr1 Epsom Handicap on the final day of the carnival over an extra 200 metres.
Generally won by a handy horse rather than a topliner, the Bill Ritchie Handicap has not been a great guide to the Epsom Handicap in recent times, although Captain Sonador (2010) managed to win the Epsom at his next start after running third in this race.
Races such as the Gr3 Newcastle Cameron Handicap at Newcastle and to a lesser extent the Gr2 Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill are sometimes used as lead-up races to this event.
Thankgodyou’rehere (2011) ran third in the Gr 3 Tramway Handicap over 1400m at Warwick Farm prior to winning this race and recent Bill Ritchie Handicap winners include Drumbeats (2010) and McClintock (2009).
2011 Bill Ritchie Handicap result
1. $2.25 Thankgodyou’rehere 56.0 R Quinn
2. $3.70 Startsmeup 53.0 P Hammersley
3. $31.00 Miss Keepsake 53.0 C Reith
then followed
4. $21.00 Kenny’s World 55.0 H Bowman
5. $4.40 Tom’S Rocket 53.0 C Brown
6. $41.00 Bay Window 53.0 T Berry
7. $151.00 Red Lord 53.5 K McEvoy
8. $15.00 Charing Cross 53.0 C Munce
Margins: 2 len, 2 3/4 len Time: 1:22.22
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