The Underwood Stakes is a Group 1 weight-for-age race held annually each at Caulfield racecourse in Melbourne during the Melbourne spring racing carnival in September. The race is run over a distance of 1800 metres and worth $350,000 in prizemoney. The 2011 Underwood Stakes was won by Lion Tamer from Southern Speed with Midas Touch third.
The Underwood Stakes is run over an uncommon distance of 1800 metres and serves as a good race for those horses looking for longer than 1600 metres and also suits horses who will be stepping up to longer distances around 2000m or 2400m in coming weeks.
The race has been won by some top class horses over the years with outstanding gallopers such as So You Think (2010), Weekend Hussler (2008), Elvstroem (2004), Northerly (2001-02), Octagonal (1996), Rubiton (1987) and Bonecrusher (1986) all victorious in this event.
The Underwood Stakes is the first weight-for-age race of the spring in Melbourne that is longer than the metric mile and has proven to be a fair guide to the Caulfield Cup and WS Cox Plate in recent times.
Lion Tamer (2011) won this race second-up after finishing fourth in the Group 1 Challenge Stakes over 1400m at Hastings in New Zealand and recent Underwood Stakes winners include So You Think (2010) and Heart Of Dreams (2009).
Spring Carnival Guide So You Think (2010) went on to win his second successive WS Cox Plate after winning this race, while Heart Of Dreams (2009) won the the Gr1 Yalumba Stakes on Caulfield Guineas day.Whobegotyou (2nd in 2009) ran third in the Cox Plate behind So You Think and finished runner-up to heart Of Dreams in the Yalumba.
Viewed (unp 2009) ran tenth in this race before going on to win the 2009 Caulfield Cup later that spring and Scenic Shot (unp 2009) also ran unplaced in this event before winning the Gr1 Mackinnon Stakes on AAMI Victoria Derby day.
Maldivian (4th in 2008) managed to to win the WS Cox Plate later in the spring at Moonee Valley, while El Segundo (2006) came back the following spring to win the 2007 Cox Plate.
2011 Underwood Stakes result
1. $16.00 Lion Tamer 58.0 M Rodd
2. $31.00 Southern Speed 56.0 D Nikolic
3. $9.00 Midas Touch 59.0 N Hall
then followed
4. $5.50 Glass Harmonium 59.0 Ms L Cropp
5. $7.50 Playing God 58.0 S Parnham
6. $6.00 Heart Of Dreams 59.0 D Oliver
7. $17.00 Precedence 59.0 S Arnold
8. $11.00 Scarlett Lady 56.0 J McDonald
9. $4.80 Lights Of Heaven 56.0 B Melham
10. $41.00 Efficient 59.0 S King
11. $51.00 Brazilian Pulse 56.0 C Newitt
12. $201.00 Master O’Reilly 59.0 M Allen
13. $13.00 Shamrocker 56.0 G Boss
14. $101.00 Right Of Refusal 58.0 M Walker
Margins: 1 1/4 len, 1/2 neck Time: 1:50.3
Bet now on the Underwood Stakes
Best price of the three Aussie Tabs with 'City Best Plus + SP'
