The Metropolitan

The Metropolitan is a Group 1 handicap event held annually in early October at Randwick racecourse during the Sydney spring racing carnival. The race is run over a distance of 2400 metres and worth $400,000 in prizemoney. The 2011 The Metropolitan was won by The Verminator from Hawk Island with Lamasery third.

Epsom Handicap Day features three other quality Group 1 races alongside The Metropolitan, which are the Epsom Handicap, Spring Champion Stakes and the Flight Stakes.

The Metropolitan info
Date:	Saturday 6th October 2012
Track:	Randwick racecourse, Sydney
Distance:	2400 metres
Race Type:	3yo&up Handicap
Status:	Group 1
Prizemoney:	$400,000
2011 Winner:	The Verminator

The Metropolitan is the premier staying event of the AJC spring racing carnival at Randwick and is run run under much the same conditions as the Gr1 Caulfield Cup in Melbourne later in the spring.

The race is more often than not won by a solid handicapper rather than a top galloper and the list of winners of this race is quite diverse. In recent years, Tawqueet (2006) and Railings (2005) both travelled to Melbourne and won the first leg of the major spring double in Melbourne, the Caulfield Cup over 2400m.

The Gr3 Kingston Town Stakes in September at Rosehill is a handy lead in to this race, but the Gr3 Colin Stephen Quality held one week earlier at the same course and distance has been the best guide in recent times.

Railings (2005), Dress Circle (2001), Coco Cobana (2000), Vita Man (1999), In Joyment (1998), Heart Ruler (1997), and Hula Flight (1996) all won the Colin Stephen Quality then went on to win The Metropolitan.

County Tyrone (2004) ran 3rd in the Newcastle Gold Cup over a similar distance of 2300m before winning this race, while Lodge The Deeds (2nd in 2009) ran second in both races in the spring of 2009.

The Verminator (2011) ran fifth in the Gr3 Newcastle Gold Cup over 2300m at newcastle prior to scoring an easy win in this event and recent The Metropolitan winners have been Herculian Prince (2010) and Speed Gifted (2009).

2011 The Metropolitan result
1. $21.00 The Verminator 52.0 Craig Newitt
2. $14.00 Hawk Island 56.0 Glyn Schofield
3. $5.50 Lamasery 52.0 Brenton Avdulla

then followed
4. $19.00 Ironstein 52.0 Jim Cassidy
5. $26.00 Red Eye Special 52.0 Nathan Berry
6. $151.00 Lodge The Deeds 52.0 Tommy Berry
7. $3.00 Trusting 57.0 Joao Moreira
8. $5.50 Tullamore 52.5 Chris Munce
9. $81.00 Spechenka 52.0 Ms Kathy O’Hara
10. $9.00 Crafty Irna 52.0 Kerrin McEvoy
11. $21.00 Herculian Prince 55.0 Nash Rawiller
12. $41.00 Illustrious Blue 55.0 Michael Rodd
13. $26.00 Home On A Wing 52.0 Corey Brown
14. $26.00 Stand To Gain 53.0 Rod Quinn
15. $26.00 Praecido 52.0 Christian Reith
16. $151.00 Splendid Honours 52.0 Blake Spriggs (a)
LR $101.00 Bellagio Wynn 52.0 Jay Ford

Margins: 2 3/4 len, head
Time: 2:33.46

The Metropolitan recent winners & placegetters
Year	Winner	2nd	3rd	Time
2011	The Verminator	Hawk Island	Lamasery	2:33.4
2010	Herculian Prince	Mourayan	No Wine No Song	2:29.9
2009	Speed Gifted	Lodge The Deeds	Fiumicino	2:35.1
2008	Newport	Bianca	Get Up Jude	2:33.0
2007	Race Not Run
2006	Tawqeet	Activation	Vanquished	2:31.1
2005	Railings	Run Rita Run	Men At Work	2:28.5
2004	County Tyrone	Itemise	Don Raphael	2:33.6
2003	Bedouin	Daneborogh	Bodie	2:34.4
2002	Victory Smile	Piachay	Dress Circle	2:31.3
2001	Dress Circle	Danyon	Homewrecker	2:29.4
2000	Coco Cobanna	Pasta Express	Citra's Prince	2:44.3
1999	Vita Man	Able Master	Ask The Waiter	2:48.4
1998	In Joyment	Doriemus	Joss Sticks	2:45.7
1997	Heart Ruler	Linesman	Court Of Honour	2:41.6
1996	Hula Flight	Nothin' Leica Dane	Saintly	2:44.4
1995	Electronic	The Phantom Chance	Stony Bay	2:42.5
1994	Glastonbury	Oompala	Irish Rort	2:41.6
1993	Zamination	Azzaam (USA)	Salcantay	2:49.0
1992	Te Akau Nick	Sir Winston	Beachside	2:44.1
1991	Lord Revenir	Maharajah	Magnolia Hall	2:41.1
1990	Donegal Mist	I'm In Heaven	Princeville	2:44.0
1989	Hunter	Sea Legend	Coshking	2:42.8
1988	Natski	Zamakima	Copatonic	2:41.8
1987	Balciano	Kensei	The Brotherhood	2:40.8
1986	Born To Be Queen	Indian Raj	Rising Fear	2:42.2
1985	Spritely Native	Foxseal	Mr. Mako	2:44.2
1984	Hayai	Our Compromise	Foxseal	2:43.0
1983	Hayai	Chiamare	Noble Heights	2:27.8
1982	Nicholas John	Lancelotto	Wellington Road	2:42.5
1981	Belmura Lad	Peninsula	El Laurena	2:42.3
1980	Brindisi	Sovita	Sutimie	2:42.0
1979	Earthquake McGoon	Red Nose	Salamander	2:42.0
1978	Ming Dynasty	Arwon	Popular Demand	2:45.2
1977	Sir Serene	Grey Affair	Clear Day	2:41.1
1976	Battle Heights	Participator	Gold And Black	2:46.9
1975	Bon Teint	Calypso	Leica Lover	2:43.7
1974	Passetreul	Frozen Section	High Sail	2:43.3
1973	Analie	Campanello	Gold Skin	2:42.7
1972	Altai Khan	Mixed Grill	Passetreul	2:46.3
1971	Oncidon	Tails	Lincoln's Inn	2:43.1
1970	Tails	Charlemagne	Gallicus	2:45.0