The Metropolitan is a Group 1 handicap event held annually in early October over a distance of 2400 metres at Randwick racecourse in Sydney. It is one of the most well known feature races at Randwick over a staying distance with prizemoney of 350,000 and takes place on Gr1 Epsom Handicap day. The 2009 Metropolitan was won by Speed Gifted from Lodge The Deeds with Fiumicino third.
Epsom Handicap Day features three other quality Group 1 races alongside The Metropolitan, which are the Epsom Handicap (1600m) an open handicap, Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) for three-year-olds, and the Flight Stakes (1600m) for 3yo fillies.
| The Metropolitan info |
| Date: |
Saturday October 2nd, 2010 |
| Track: |
Randwick racecourse, Sydney |
| Distance: |
2400 metres |
| Race Type: |
3yo & Upwards Handicap |
| Status: |
Group 1 |
| Prizemoney: |
$350,000 |
| 2009 Winner: |
Speed Gifted |
The Metropolitan is a 2400m event and is the the premier staying event of the Sydney spring racing carnival and is held 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 (2000m) around 3 weeks prior is a handy lead in to this race, but the Gr3 Colin Stephen Quality held a 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.
Speed Gifted (2009) ran fourth in the Gr3 Naturalism Stakes at Caulfield in Melbourne prior to winning this event and recent winners of The Metropolitan have been Newport (2008), not held in 2007, and Tawqueet in 2006.
2009 The Metropolitan result
1. $6.00 Speed Gifted 53.0 C Brown
2. $20.00 Lodge The Deeds 53.0 S Seamer
3. $11.00 Fiumicino 57.0 D Beadman
Then followed:
4. $21.00 Bellagio Wynn 53.0 P Robl
5. $3.60 Mr Clangtastic 53.0 C Agnew
6. $41.00 Nothin' Leica Cat 53.0 T Clark
7. $21.00 Newport 54.5 P Wells
8. $21.00 Six O'Clock News 53.0 N Harris
9. $21.00 Enzedex Eagle 53.0 B Shinn
10. $26.00 Streetfighter 53.0 K Mc Evoy
11. $7.00 Ready To Lift 53.5 G Schofield
12. $31.00 Guyno 54.0 J Whiting
13. $21.00 The Embassy 53.0 C Munce
14. $31.00 Tinseltown 53.0 J Ford
15. $13.00 Hume 53.0 S Galloway
16. $31.00 Cape Breton 53.0 Ms K O'Hara
Margins: 3-1/4 len, 3-1/2 len
Time: 2:35.18
2009 The Metropolitan: Imported galloper Speed Gifted relished the wet track and the fast pace set by Mr Clangtastic to score an authoriative win when he cruised to the lead in the straight around the 200m mark and careered away for the easiest of wins. Lodge The Deeds ran on fairly well for a second and Fiumicino made ground late to get third.
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The Metropolitan recent winners & placegetters
| Year |
Winner |
2nd |
3rd |
Time |
|
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 |
