26 Sep, 2020
Two superbly bred Hawkes Racing colts have fought out the finish of the Group One Golden Rose as Rothfire's Everest campaign came under a cloud. The Queensland flyer, who started an odds-on favourite, punctured late t... Continue Reading
The George Main Stakes is a 1600m Group 1 weight-for-age race held at Randwick Racecourse. It has a total prize pool of $500,000 and in 2020 will be run on Saturday, September 19, which is the same day as the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
Often, the George Main Stakes is used as a lead-up race for the $1 million Epsom Handicap.
In 2019, Avilius claimed victory in the George Main Stakes beating Dreamforce and Happy Clapper. From there Avilius competed in both the Caulfield Stakes and Cox Plate but failed to place in either race. It’s worth noting that it was the second time in three years Happy Clapper has finished in the placings, running second behind Winx in 2017.
The first George Main Stakes was run in 1945, with Modulation claiming victory. Since then some of the very best horses to compete in Australia have won the race, including Shannon, Kingston Town, Shogun Lodge and the mighty mare Winx.
A number of runners have won the George Main Stakes in consecutive years, with Shannon (‘46 & ‘47) being the first to do so. Count Radiant (‘64 & ‘65), Regal Rhythm (‘67 & ‘68) and Kingston Town (‘81 & ‘82) all replicated the feat, while Winx is the only horse to win it three years in a row, saluting in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Avilius dominates the field to win the G1 Colgate Optic White Stakes at @RoyalRandwick. pic.twitter.com/UJnFk4csvZ
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 21, 2019
Avilius ran a 1:36.18 in 2019 to win the race, but it should surprise no one that Winx has run the fastest 1600m George Main Stakes of the last 20 years. In 2017, the legendary mare clocked 1:33.65, claiming an impressive win over a relatively small field.
Due to it being a Group 1, the George Main Stakes normally has very strong fields. During Winx’s reign the number of runners was reduced as few wanted to go up against the champion, however last year, numbers picked back up. Nominations for the race close on September 14 and final acceptances are on September 16.
Here is the 2020 George Main Stakes Field:
| Horse | Win | Place | ||
| 1 | Avilius (6)J: Hugh Bowman 59kg T: James Cummings | $4.60 | $2.20 | Bet Now |
| 2 | Dreamforce (1)J: Nash Rawiller 59kg T: John Thompson | $5.50 | $2.50 | Bet Now |
| 3 | Kolding (7)J: Tommy Berry 59kg T: C J Waller | $12.00 | $4.60 | Bet Now |
| 4 | Imaging (5)J: Kerrin Mcevoy 59kg T: C J Waller | $8.50 | $3.50 | Bet Now |
| 5 | Star Of The Seas (3)J: Sam Clipperton 59kg T: C J Waller | $8.00 | $3.40 | Bet Now |
| 6 | Verry Elleegant (2)J: James Mcdonald 57kg T: C J Waller | $2.30 | $1.40 | Bet Now |
| 7 | Colette (4)J: Ms Rachel King 56.5kg T: James Cummings | $31.00 | $10.00 | Bet Now |
As per most races that Winx regularly competed in, the betting history for the George Main Stakes is a little skewed. However, last year showed that it can be a great race for punters, with the favourite, Avilius, claiming victory in style.
As mentioned, Avilius won the 2019 George Main Stakes, with Dreamforce and Happy Clapper running second and third respectively. Very Elleegant rounded out what was a very solid first four, but finished well behind the winner.
| PLACE | HORSE | TRAINER | JOCKEY | SP |
| 1 | Avilius | James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | $3.10 |
| 2 | Dreamforce | John Thompson | Nash Rawiller | $4.20 |
| 3 | Happy Clapper | Patrick Webster | Glen Boss | $5 |
| 4 | Verry Elleegant | Chris Waller | James McDonald | $7 |
| 5 | Angel Of Truth | Gwenda Markwell | Luke Currie | $31 |
| 6 | Samadoubt | Bjorn Baker | Tim Clark | $8 |
| 7 | Mr Marathon Man | Michael Moroney | Mark Zahra | $26 |
| 8 | Youngstar | Chris Waller | Brenton Avdulla | $31 |
| 9 | Danzdanzdance | Chris Gibbs & Michelle Bradley | Tommy Berry | $26 |
2019 – Avilius (1:36.18)
2018 – Winx (1:34.21)
2017 – Winx (1:33.65)
2016 – Winx (1:36.18)
2015 – Kermadec (1:37.70)
2014 – Sacred Falls (1:35.66)
2013 – Streama (1:34.78)
2012 – Shoot Out (1:36.40)
2011 – Sincero (1:28.57) (1500m)
2010 – More Joyous (1:35.63)
