George Main Stakes 2023

In a hurry? We’ve listed all the quick facts that you need to know about the George Main Stakes:

The George Main Stakes is a Group One race over 1,600m and is held at Randwick Racecourse. The race is for horses aged three or older and is run under weight-for-age conditions with a total prizemoney pool of $1,000,000. This year’s George Main Stakes will be run on Saturday, September 16th and was won by Anamoe in 2022.

Whilst it is the second Group One in Sydney for the season, the George Main Stakes officially kicks off the Sydney Everest Carnival and sees horses tackle the 1,600m weight-for-age classic. Sharing the day with the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes in Melbourne, this is the first day of the season with multiple Group Ones across the country.

When looking at horses that typically contest the George Main Stakes, you get middle distance horses progressing through the distances, typically after contesting the Group One Winx Stakes first up, or horses that are around their limit and getting some run under their legs in the lead up to some of the bigger prizemoney races later in the Spring.

However, this race is no pushover itself, with $500,000 prizemoney on offer as well as ballot-free exemption to the Group One Epsom Handicap, there is plenty on the line in the George Main Stakes. Because of that, it attracts some of the best horses that Sydney, and Australia, has to offer, also allowing the winners to have juicy odds for the punters.

Given the race is still weeks away and the field is not set, we are yet to come up with our George Main Stakes tips for 2023, but be sure to read on below to get all of the information you need to know on the history and formlines for the race.

The George Main Stakes is an Australian Group 1 race that brings some of the best horses and it attracts the attention of many Aussies who like to have a casual punt. Our expert tipsters will put together a short list of George Main Stakes tips to look out for in the leadup to the big race.

Given nominations are yet to be accepted for the 2023 George Main Stakes, it is hard to provide any updates at this time. However, when the new season starts and as the Spring Carnival gets going, the horses that are targeting this race will become clearer and we will be able to provide you with updates.

If you are after George Main Stakes horse tips, then we will keep you informed with which horses are likely to be running, so you can place your futures bets with confidence!

We will list The Sharks’ George Main Stakes best tips for the race this year closer to the time of the race. Make sure you check back on this page for updates!

George Main Stakes Tips From Experts

Our tips are not out for the George Main Stakes in 2023 as it is too far out from the event. But the good news is that when the final field is announced, we will provide guidance on each and every runner in the 2023 George Main Stakes. You will find all this information below, when it becomes available. Stay tuned!

To get the best tips for today and this weekend, you’ll have to chat to The Shark!

As per most races that Winx regularly competed in, the betting history for the George Main Stakes is a little skewed. However, there are always trends to find and when beginning to look at George Main Stakes betting, there are a lot of important factors to consider. Make sure you have a read on below before you place your bets:

Is Previous Form in the George Main Stakes a Good Indicator of Future Success?

Since the first running of the race in 1945, just five horses have been able to win the George Main Stakes multiple times, obviously headlined by Winx. The talented mare won three straight from 2016-2018 before going on to win the Cox Plate in each of those years.

Before her, four others were able to win in back-to-back years, with Kingston Town winning in 1981 & 1982, before also going on to win the Cox Plate in each year. When looking at more recent history, since 2000 just five horses have been able to finish in the top three on multiple occasions, with one being Winx.

Defier came 1st in 2002 before dropping to 3rd in 2003, Grand Armee finished 2nd in 2003 before going on to win in 2004 and Happy Clapper finished 2nd in 2017, behind Winx, before finishing 3rd in 2019. Royal Descent is probably the most successful horse to never win the George Main Stakes, coming 2nd for three consecutive years, from 2013-15.

Kolding won the race in 2020 before finishing last in 2021, albeit with conditions that worked against him, while Verry Elleegant finished fourth in 2020 before winning in 2021.

This shows that it may not necessarily be important for a horse to have done well in the race before, when looking for the best George Main Stakes betting tips out there. Instead look at how a horse is performing in their current preparation, and look out for some key leadup races, which we will touch on below.

Should I Bet On The Favourite in the George Main Stakes?

While Winx, once again, skews the data, the numbers here are quite clear – the favourite is the way to go for George Main Stakes betting. Over the last 12 years, the favourite has won 10 times, with Winx being three of those.

While Winx jumped at $1.10 in each of her three wins, given the quality of the George Main Stakes fields, there is still value to be had by betting on the favourite. In the last 11 runnings up until 2022, the price of the favourite who has gone on to win has varied from $2.10 to $4.00.

However, Verry Elleegant was the clear class horse in the 2021 race and had the conditions to suit her running style, jumping at $1.75 before going on to win. In the race in 2022, Anamoe was the $2.10 favourite and was able to win by just under 1L.

Formlines Heading into the George Main Stakes

There seems to be a clear path to success when looking at the last eight winners of the George Main Stakes. Three winners have won the race when second up, after first competing in the Winx Stakes. Those three horses are Winx twice, in 2016 & 2018, and Verry Elleegant in 2021, showing the type of horse you need to be able to achieve such a feat.

Each of the four horses that have won when third up over the last six years challenged the 1,400m Group Two Warwick Stakes/Group One Winx Stakes (same race, just changed name and Group rating) first up. Kemadec (2015), Winx (2017) and Avilius (2019) then progressed to the 1,600m Group Two Chelmsford second up before running in the George Main.

Kolding took a slightly different path when winning in 2020, going from the Winx Stakes to the Group Two Tramway Stakes second up, opting for another run at 1,400m before progressing to 1,600m for the George Main. The 2022 winner, Anamoe, was at the trials before contesting the Group 1 George Main Stakes.

When looking ahead to 2023 George Main Stakes tips, it is pretty clear that you will want your horse to have gone into the Winx Stakes first up and then ideally had another run after that, in either the Tramway or Chelmsford.

Age

Over the last 11 years, a clear trend stands out when looking at the ages of winners in the George Main Stakes. Winx, in 2018, was the only seven-year-old to win over that time, leaving 11 winners coming from the ages four to six.

Five of those were five-year-olds, being the clear dominant age of winners in the race. Three six-year-olds have won, including Winx and Verry Elleegant, while three four-year-olds have been good enough to win the George Main Stakes. A clear trend is that, unless you have a champion horse in the race, five-year-olds are the way to go, winning four of the last six runnings.

Here is a table indicating the ages of winners of the George Main Stakes since the 2010 edition:

Weight

Given the weight-for-age status of the race and older horses being dominant, there are two clear weights that stick out over the last 11 years. Those carrying 58.5kg have won three times while those carrying 59kg have won four times each and those carrying 57kg have won the most, five times.

Once again, obviously Winx skews the data, carrying 57kg in each of her three wins. That means that outside of the great mare, over the last 11 years there have been eight other winners and those carrying 59kg have won four of them.

Here is a table indicating the weights of winners of the George Main Stakes since the 2010 edition:

Gender

When looking at the performance of entires (ungelded male horses), geldings and mares over the last 12 years, mares have had the dominance. While Winx won three of those by herself, two other mares, including Verry Elleegant in 2021, have won the George Main Stakes.

Entires have won twice over that time while geldings are next best winning four of the last 12 George Main Stakes.

Based on our data that we have analysed so far, your George Main Stakes best bet is to look for a champion mare or a five-year-old gelding that will naturally be carrying 59kg due to the conditions of the race. They will ideally be hitting the race third-up after previously contesting the Winx Stakes and either Tramway or Chelmsford Stakes two weeks earlier.

George Main Stakes Best Bets

Our tips are not out for the George Main Stakes in 2023 as it is too far out from the event. But the good news is that when the final field is announced, we will provide guidance on each and every runner in the 2023 George Main Stakes. You will find all this information below, when it becomes available. Stay tuned!

To get the best tips for today and this weekend, you’ll have to chat to The Shark!

Long before the George Main Stakes field is officially announced – online bookies will open early markets, or all-in markets, for George Main betting. This is prime time to bet on your favourite horse, as you might be able to bet on strong contenders for the 2023 George Main Stakes at double-digit odds.

While they are yet to be released, the 2023 George Main Stakes odds will obviously fluctuate frequently in the lead up to the race, especially when we have a better idea of which horses will be targeting the race and their form leading into the race.

Punting early on these markets can find you a favourite at prices of $10 or more, which will retain you a much higher return on investment. However, there is increased risk with doing this and you should be well aware.

Depending on when you place your 2023 George Main Stakes futures bet, your horse may not even run but you won’t get your money back, occurring when the market is ‘All-In’ or closer to the starting date. If you are betting when it says ‘Before Noms’, you have the security of receiving your money back if your horse doesn’t run.

The 2023 George Main Stakes odds are not out just yet. We will have the odds listed below when they are available.

While details about the field for 2023 isn’t available yet, take a look at the key runners in the field from the race in 2022.

A relatively small field of nine runners took their place in the 2022 George Main Stakes, after the scratching of Zaaki, who was well favoured in the race.

Godolphin’s star entire, Anamoe, was sent out a short priced favourite ($1.65), after his dominant first up win in the Winx Stakes three weeks earlier. That victory was his fourth Group 1 and he was expected to continue the trend in this race.

The Chris Waller-trained, Fangirl, was on the second line of betting after gamely chasing home Anamoe first up. She herself had become a Group 1 winner in the Autumn when she took out the Vinery Stud Stakes at Newcastle.

Her stablemate, Hinged, was also given a winning chance by bookmakers and was another who ran in the Winx Stakes first up. Although she finished midfield, she was only 2.5L behind Anamoe and was expected to relish the Soft7 conditions.

Icebath, off the back of a brilliant second in the Tramway Stakes, Profondo, who ran well in the Winx Stakes, and Duais, who was second up after an even effort in the Memsie Stakes, were all given minor hopes in what was a quality Group 1 lineup.

With the 2023 George Main Stakes yet to be run and won, let’s have a look back at the 2022 George Main Stakes to see if there are any key performance indicators that can help us find the winner of this year’s Group 1 feature.

As expected by punters, the 2022 George Main Stakes was taken out by race favourite Anamoe, who was planted outside the leader by James McDonald and quickly asserted his dominance in the home straight to score by 0.8L.

Consistent mare, Icebath, was best of the back markers who reeled off some good late sectionals to finish second. Jockey Kerrin McEvoy gave her every opportunity from barrier four but she was simply no match for the winner.

Hinged took full advantage of her inside barrier and led early, only to be hauled in at the top of the straight by Anamoe. To her credit, she fought on gamely and was only beaten 1.3L.

Her stablemate, Fangirl, was the disappointment in the race and could only manage fifth spot, 3.4L behind Anamoe. The Soft7 conditions were far from her liking, despite finishing second in the Winx Stakes first up on a Soft5.

You’ve read the words, now watch the video! Have a squiz below at the 2022 George Main Stakes race:

George Main Stakes Winners

The results for the upcoming George Main Stakes are not yet available, but in the meantime, you can have a look below at all the recent past winners: