HDF McNeil Stakes

The HDF McNeil Stakes is a Group 3 event for three-year-olds raced under set weight and penalty conditions at Caulfield racecourse in Melbourne each August during the Melbourne spring racing carnival. The race is run over a distance of 1200 metres and worth $125,000 in prizemoney. The 2011 HDF McNeil Stakes was won by Golden Archer from Cross Of Gold with Vatican third.

HDF McNeil Stakes info
Date:	Saturday 25th August 2012
Track:	Caulfield racecourse, Melbourne
Distance:	1200 metres
Race Type:	3yo - Set Weights + Penalty
Status:	Group 3
Prizemoney:	$125,000
2011 Winner:	Golden Archer

The HDF McNeil Stakes is held on Memsie Stakes day and is an above average 3yo event that attracts a wide variety of three-year-olds who may go on to the bigger sprint or distance races over the spring against their own age.

This McNeil Stakes can often produce winners who go on to become outstanding racehorses and horses such as Starspangledbanner (2009), Scenic Blast (2007), Miss Finland (2006), Bel Esprit (2002), Theatre (1998), Gold Ace (1995) and Sequalo (1993) have all won this race.

More often than not the winner is just a more than handy galloper who will go on to be more than competitive in stronger or similar type events.

Golden Archer (2011) finished runner-up in the listed Vain Stakes at Caulfield on his way to winning this race second-up and recent HDF McNeil Stakes winners have been Sistine Angel (2010) and Starspangledbanner (2009).

Spring Carnival Guide
The HDF McNeil Stakes has been an interesting form guide to future spring events over the past few years.

Sistine Angel (2010) ran second in the Gr3 Thousand Guineas Prelude at Caulfield at her next start before taking out the Gr2 Edward Manifold Stakes at Flemington.

Both Yosei (4th in 2010) and Shamrocker (7th in 2010) went on to Group 1 success with Yosei winning the Gr1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield later that spring, while Shamrocker went on to win the Gr1 AJC Oaks at Randwick and the Gr1 Australian Guineas at Flemington the following autumn.

Starspangledbanner (2009) went on to win the Gr1 Caulfield Guineas later in the spring, while Scenic Blast (2007) went on to have a great spring of that year with a second in the Danehill Stakes before a top third in the Gr1 Coolmore Stud Classic.

Marching (3rd in 2007) later ran second in the Gr2 AAMI Vase before finishing a top third in the Gr1 Victoria Derby, while the classy Miss Finland (2006) won the Gr1 Thousand Guineas and Crown Oaks in the same campaign.

2011 HDF McNeil Stakes result
1. 3.90 Golden Archer 57.5 L Nolen
2. 26.00 Cross Of Gold 55.0 J Winks
3. 41.00 Vatican 55.0 C Williams

then followed
4. 11.00 Delago’S Lad 55.0 C Symons
5. 7.50 Do You Think 57.0 S Arnold
6. 3.70 Metonymy 53.0 M Walker
7. 8.50 Glissade 53.0 C Newitt
8. 5.50 Satin Shoes 56.0 M Rodd
9. 51.00 Redangelo 55.0 D Oliver
10. 61.00 Arctic Command 57.5 D Nikolic

Margins: 1 3/4 len, neck
Time: 1:09.04

HDF McNeil Stakes recent winners & placegetters
Year	Winner	2nd	3rd	Time
2011	Golden Archer	Cross Of Gold	Vatican
2010	Sistine Angel	Servant	Intencion	1:13.4
2009	Starspangledbanner	Tollesprit	Eclair Fastpass	1:10.2
2008	Sugar Babe	Whogotbeyou	Cardinal Virtue	1:10.4
2007	Scenic Blast	Pins On Parade	Marching	1:10.6
2006	Miss Finland	Haradasun	Due Sasco	1:10.6
2005	Danerich	Line Account	Izanami	1:06.7
2004	Tahni Girl	Classiconi	Oratorio	1:04.1
2003	Cahula	Cross Current	Abdullah	1:05.4
2002	Bel Esprit	Yell	Before Too Long	1:01.9
2001	Tully Dane	Raja Lane	King of Prussia	1:05.6
2000	Rapid Man	Little Dozer	Homewrecker	1:06.1
1999	Honour Thy Name	Fappianos Son	Miss Pennymoney	1:06.1
1998	Theatre	Jumalique	Major Fun	1:03.9
1997	La Baraka	Towkay	Guineas	1:04.1
1996	Valourina	Investigation	Checmour	1:03.9
1995	Gold Ace	Sykes	Street Talk	1:03.6
1994	Danzero	Linbird	Hurricane Sky	1:04.6
1993	Sequalo	Lady Jakeo	King Kora	1:05.2
1992	Snippet's Girl	Simonstad	Forever Intrigue	1:07.1
1991	Tierce	Naturalism	Business Beat	1:05.6
1990	Manitor	The Curragh	Clubman	1:06.6
1989	Goold Old Ted	Street Ruffian	Parotime	1:06.9