Stutt Stakes

The Stutt Stakes is a Group 2 race for three-year-olds that takes place held on a Friday night at Moonee Valley racecourse in Melbourne during the Melbourne spring racing carnival. The race is run over a distance of 1600 metres and worth $200,000 in prizemoney. The 2011 Stutt Stakes was won by Chase The Rainbow from Cute Emily with Sabrage third.

One of four group races at the Moonee Valley night meeting on AFL Grand Final eve, the Stutt Stakes is held alongside the weight-for-age Gr1 Manikato Stakes over 1200 metres.

Stutt Stakes info
Date:	Friday 28th September 2012
Track:	Moonee Valley racecourse, Melbourne
Distance:	1600 metres
Race Type:	3yo Open - Set Weights + Penalty
Status:	Group 2
Prizemoney:	$200,000
2011 Winner:	Chase The Rainbow

The Stutt Stakes is the first 1600 metre group race of the spring specifically for three-year-olds and is held almost two weeks before one of the bigger 3yo races of the spring, the Gr1 Caulfield Guineas at Caulfield over the same distance.

The race is not always contested by the best three-year-olds going around and generally lacks a top class performer as such, but over the years some quality horses have saluted including the likes of Whobegotyou (2008), Encosta De Lago (1996), Canny Lad (1990), Zabeel (1989) and Almurtajaz (1988).

Chase The Rainbow (2011) ran second in the listed Henry Bucks Stakes over 1400m at Flemington before winning this race and recent Stutt Stakes winners have been Hollowlea (2010) and Carrarra (2009).

Spring Carnival Guide
Hollowlea (2010) went on to run third in the Gr2 AAMI Vase at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day, while Run For Levi (2nd in 2010) finished runner-up in the Caulfield Guineas.

Carrara (2009) ran second in the Caufield Guineas at his next start, while Extra Zero (2nd in 2008) went on to finish runner-up in the Gr1 AAMI Victoria Derby.

Whobetgotyou (2008) took out the Caulfield Guineas before scoring in the AAMI Vase later in the spring and finishing runner-up in the Victoria Derby.

The winner of the Stutt Stakes is more often than not a handy or above average three-year-old who is more than competitive in 3yo events run under similar conditions without really going on to do anything significant in the major spring races to come. Occasionally there are exceptions and the race is taken out by a quality galloper, such as Whobegotyou (2008).

2011 Stutt Stakes result
1. $2.60 Chase The Rainbow 57.0 Dean Yendall
2. $5.00 Cute Emily 55.0 Luke Nolen
3. $6.00 Sabrage 57.0 Damien Oliver

then followed
4. $9.50 Zabeelionaire 57.0 Stephen Baster
5. $16.00 Caravaggio 57.0 Steven King
6. $91.00 Kaitoa 57.0 Noel Callow
7. $5.00 Whisper Downs 57.0 Dwayne Dunn
8. $71.00 Rock Musician 57.0 Ben Melham

Margins: 1 1/4 len, 1 1/2 len
Time: 1:38.31

Stutt Stakes recent winners & placegetters
Year	Winner	2nd	3rd	Time
2011	Chase The Rainbow	Cute Emily	Sabrage	1:38.3
2010	Hollowlea	Run For Levi	Bullbars	1:37.2
2009	Carrara	Extra Hero	Miss With Attitude	1:39.5
2008	Whobegotyou	All American	Carnero	1:36.3
2007	Barbaricus	Davcon	Cecconi	1:36.0
2006	Churchill Downs	Magic Jet	Ankh Morpork	1:36.7
2005	Red Dazzler	Stratum	Maybe Better	1:38.0
2004	Mr Martini	Under Command	Danaurum	1:37.8
2003	Casual Pass	Special Harmony	Face Value	1:37.2
2002	Helenus	Aint Here	Half Hennessy	1:39.6
2001	Viscount	Dash For Cash	Amalfi	1:38.1
2000	Sarson Trail	Keeper	Make Me A Miracle	1:38.7
1999	Diatribe	Align	Mr Endurance	1:36.9
1998	St Clemens Belle	Spectacular Gold	Helm	1:36.8
1997	Schubert	Bonfires	Kalastaire	1:37.0
1996	Encosta De Lago	My Duke	Mustang Ranch	1:38.7
1995	Burrito	Donar	Aerosmith	1:39.1
1994	Blevic	St Covet	Punctual	1:35.9
1993	Pearl Prince	Kendel Star	Battle Hawk	1:38.6
1992	Bundy Lad	Palace Symphony	Redding	1:40.6
1991	Ready To Explode	Tierce	Our Bold Cruiser	1:36.5
1990	Canny Lad	Bureaucracy	Storaia	1:35.3
1989	Zabeel	Dr Grace	Courtza	1:35.2
1988	Almurtajaz	Big Grey Roo	Star Watch	1:34.7