UPCOMING GROUP 1 RACES
June 2013: Winter Stakes
July 2013: Nil
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The Gilgai Stakes is a Group 2 set weights and penalty race for three-year-old & upward horses held each year in early October at Flemington racecourse during the Melbourne spring racing carnival. The race is run over a distance of 1200 metres and worth $250,000 in prizemoney. The 2012 Gilgai Stakes was won by Hallowell Belle from King's Rose with Spirit Of Boom third.
Taking place on the same day as the Gr1 Turnbull Stakes, the Gilgai Stakes is run down the 1200 metre straight course at Flemington.
The Gilgai Stakes tends to attract more than handy sprinters rather than topliners and suits horses who have a preference for straight track racing. It pays to study previous track and distance form to look for horses who have form down the Flemington straight, as not all horses handle the straight track after racing around turns.
The Gilgai Stakes is an above average sprint race and winners and placegetters will most likely head towards the Gr2 Salinger Stakes on Derby Day or Gr1 Patinack Farm Classic on Emirates day which are both run down the straight course.
Hallowell Belle (2012) resumed from an autumn spell to win this race and recent Gilgai Stakes winners include Temple Of Boom (2011) and Hay List (2010).
Spring Carnival Guide
Temple of Boom (2011) managed to run 3rd in the Gr2 Salinger Stakes at Flemington after winning this race, while Response (3rd in 2011) finished third in the Gr2 Tristarc Stakes at Caulfield. Sistine Angel (2nd in 2011) went on to run second in the Gr3 Sandown Stakes at Sandown.
Chasm (3rd in 2010) went on to run third in the Salinger Stakes and Gr1 Emirates Stakes at Flemington during the four-day VRC carnival.
In the past few years the Gilgai Stakes has been a reasonable guide to the Patinack Farm Classic on Emirates Day with both All Silent (2009) and Swick (2008) winning the major sprint event later in the spring, while Stanzout (2007) ran 3rd in the Patinack Farm Classic.
First Command (2nd in 2009) managed to win the Gr2 Caulfield Sprint on Caulfield Cup day while Eagle Falls (5th in 2009) won the Salinger Stakes on Derby day.
2012 Gilgai Stakes result
1. $7.50 Hallowell Belle 53.5 Vlad Duric
2. $9.50 King’s Rose 55.0 Luke Nolen
3. $5.00 Spirit Of Boom 57.0 Michael Walker
then followed
4. $26.00 Galah 57.0 Glen Boss
5. $2.80 Bel Sprinter 56.0 Ben Melham
6. $61.00 Metallurgical 55.0 Mark Zahra
7. $16.00 Excellantes 55.0 James Winks
8. $7.50 Mid Summer Music 55.0 Brad Rawiller
9. $26.00 Sistine Angel 55.0 Craig Williams
10. $21.00 Liveandletdie 55.5 Damien Oliver
Margins: 3/4 len, 3/4 len Time: 1:08.83
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