Red Anchor Stakes

The Red Anchor Stakes is a Group 3 event for three-year-olds that takes place at Moonee Valley racecourse during the Melbourne spring racing carnival each year in October. The race is run over a distance of 1200 metres under set weight plus penalty conditions and worth $150,000 in prizemoney. The 2011 Red Anchor Stakes was won by Karuta Queen from Miss Stellabelle with Amah Rock third.

Held on the same day as the feature event of the Moonee Valley Racing Club, the Group 1 WS Cox Plate, the Red Anchor Stakes race has been run as the '1330 Australia Stakes' in recent years.

Red Anchor Stakes info
Date:	Saturday 27th October 2012
Track:	Moonee Valley racecourse, Melbourne
Distance:	1200 metres
Race Type:	3yo - Set Weights + Penalty
Status:	Group 3
Prizemoney:	$150,000
2011 Winner:	Karuta Queen

The Red Anchor Stakes is run over the same trip as the Gr2 Schweppes Stakes on the same day but this race is for three-year-olds only. The set weight conditions of the race lends itself to the better 3yo gallopers involved and previous history suggests the race will be taken out out by an above average three-year-old rather than a top liner.

Held on on Moonee Valleys biggest day of racing which is Cox Plate day, the Red Anchor Stakes has grown into a nice little race for three-year-olds and compliments a top program of racing at the Valley.

Karuta Queen (2011) ran second to Black Caviar in the Gr2 Schillaci Stakes over 1000m at Caulfield prior to winning this event and recent Red Anchor Stakes winners include That's Not It (2010) and Avenue (2009).

Spring Carnival Guide
Winners of this race don't generally have much of an impact on the major spring races to come and the last gallopers of note to win anything relevant was Avenue (2009) who went on to win & place in mutliple group races, while Sedation (1998) managed to win the Gr2 Sandown Guineas at his next start.

Lone Rock (3rd in 2010) won the Gr1 Goodwood at Morphettville the following autumn.

2011 Red Anchor Stakes result
1. $3.30 Karuta Queen 55.0 T Berry
2. $7.00 Miss Stellabelle 56.0 D Oliver
3. $5.00 Amah Rock 57.0 D Nikolic

then followed
4. $31.00 Most Husbands 55.5 D Dunn
5. $7.50 Red Rain 55.5 J Winks
6. $5.00 Beckon 55.5 L Nolen
7. $21.00 Glissade 53.5 K McEvoy
8. $20.00 Vatican 55.5 C Williams

Margins: 2 3/4 len, long neck
Time: 1:10.60

Red Anchor Stakes recent winners & placegetters
Year	Winner	2nd	3rd	Time
2011	Karuta Queen	Miss Stellabelle	Amah Rock	1:10.6
2010	That's Not It	Happy Trails	Lone Rock	1:11.6
2009	Avenue	Governance	Broken	1:10.0
2008	Millbank	Gold In Dubai	Montana Flyer	1:11.1
2007	Royal Asscher	El Mandon	Wilsons Promontory	1:11.2
2006	Corton Charlemagne	Far Horizons	Evacuate	1:11.6
2005	Coronga	Facing The Breeze	Angkhasa	1:12.6
2004	Oratorio	Kingify	World Peace	1:14.8
2003	Youth	Flagmentation	Happy Strike	1:11.3
2002	Yell	Tycoon Ruler	Before Too Long	1:10.9
2001	Deprave	Firm	La Lagune	1:12.5
2000	Sound The Alarm	Wurabinda	Senet Pete	1:12.1
1999	Prizefighter	Dandy Kid	Sudurka	1:13.9
1998	Sedation	Tarot Star	Marstic	1:11.1
1997	Towkay	Classic Day	Umrum	1:11.8
1996	Spartacus	Blazing Reality	Tarnpir Lane	1:13.1
1995	Captive	Tuscany Flyer	Aural Sculpture	1:10.3
1994	Cannibal King	Hunza Court	Danzero	1:11.1
1993	Sequalo	Alacqua	Sparkling Bletch	1:14.7
1992	Snow Lord	Awesome Force	Simonstad	1:14.8
1991	Hula Grey	Laser Beam	Naturalism	1:14.0
1990	Begone	Muraroa	Nonpareils	1:11.3
1989	Hot Arch	Street Ruffian	Rechabite	1:09.9
1988	Clay Hero	Kingston Heritage	Candy Is Dandy	1:10.7