Winterbottom Stakes 2022

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

The Winterbottom Stakes is a Group One race over 1,200m and is held at Ascot Racecourse. The Winterbottom is one of three group ones during the Ascot Racing Carnival and is raced under weight-for-age conditions for horses aged three or older, with a total prizemoney pool of $1,000,000. The 2022 race will be held on Saturday, November 26th and was won by Graceful Girl in 2021.

The Winterbottom Stakes is Western Australia’s premier sprint event, held over 1,200m at Ascot Racecourse during the Ascot Racing Carnival. The race is held under weight-for-age conditions, with $1,000,000 in prizemoney and attracts the best sprinters from around the country, whilst also highlighting the talent on offer in Western Australia.

The Winterbottom was originally run over 1,400m but was reduced to its current distance in 1994 and was given Group One status in 2011. Raconteur won the inaugural running of the Winterbottom, in 1952, with other champions such as Placid Ark, Miss Andretti, Takeover Target, Ortensia and Buffering winning the race over the years.

Elite Street was the Winterbottom Stakes winner in 2020, however a failed tilt in Victoria during the 2021 Autumn Carnival continued the questions over the quality difference between the sprinters on each side of the country. Hey Doc won the Winterbottom Stakes in 2019 and then won the G1 Manikato Stakes one year later, however he is Melbourne-based. Graceful Girl was able to comfortably win in 2021, giving Pikey a second straight G1 week, after winning the Railway Stakes one week earlier.

The Winterbottom Stakes is an Australian Group One 1,200m held at Ascot Racecourse, is the second of three Group Ones of the Ascot Racing Carnival and brings some of the best horses from across the country to Perth, whilst also attracting many Aussies who like to have a casual punt. Our expert tipsters will put together a short list of Winterbottom Stakes tips to look out for in the leadup to the big race.

Given nominations are yet to be accepted for the 2022 Winterbottom Stakes, it is hard to provide any updates at this time. However, 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 Winterbottom 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’ Winterbottom 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!

Winterbottom Stakes Tips From Experts

Our tips are not out for the Winterbottom Stakes in 2022 as it is too far out from the event. But the good news is that when the final field for the Winterbottom Stakes is announced, we will provide guidance on each and every runner in the 2022 Winterbottom Stakes.

You will find all this information below, when it becomes available. Stay tuned, or alternatively you can chat to The Shark to get the best tips for every day!

This clash in form lines between local gallopers and interstate invaders can make it difficult for punters, with a number of winners at big prices coming in recent years. However, if you are after the best Winterbottom Stakes betting tips, we have found some key indicators that may help you place a winning bet on the main race.

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

When looking at the history of results in the Winterbottom Stakes, previous form can definitely dictate success. Six horses have been able to win more than once, with three of those winning in back to back years.

Looking at more recent history, over the last 11 years, four horses have been able to fill the placings more than once. Buffering is the standout, having won the race in 2013 and 2015. Watermans Bay was unfortunately on the wrong end of those, coming 3rd in 2013 and 2nd in 2015, whilst coming 2nd in 2014 as well. More recently, Rock Magic has been able to place three times, coming 3rd in 2016, 2019 & 2020. Elite Street won the race in 2020 before coming 3rd in 2021.

Should I Bet On The Favourite in the Winterbottom Stakes?

From 2011-2015, four of the five favourites went on to win the Winterbottom Stakes, with Magnifisio’s win in 2014, when fourth favourite at $7.50, being the only non-favourite win in that time.

However, recent history shows that it may be best to bet around the favourite. The shortest odds for a winner over the last five years was Viddora at $5 in 2017. The last four winners have had prices of $9, $13, $13 and $31. Graceful Girl was 3rd-favourite in 2021 when she won at $9.

Formlines Heading into the Winterbottom Stakes

Given the wide variety of horses in the race, both from WA and the East coast, there is no specific path to take or formlines to look for when trying to find your Winterbottom Stakes top bets.

Elite Street is the only winner from 2016-2020 to have a lead up preparation in WA, contesting the Crown Towers Handicap and then the Amelia Park Handicap, coming in third up and off a three week freshen.

Being freshened seems to be the way to go, with Hey Doc the only winner over the last five years to run in the race with the typical two weeks between runs. Both Voodoo Lad (2018) and Viddora (2017) came in off a five week freshen, with the Manikato Stakes being their last run before winning the Winterbottom Stakes, which may be a formline to follow.

With COVID-19 restrictions limiting the participation of horses from the East, the 2021 Winterbottom Stakes was exclusively made up of WA-based horses. Graceful Girl was 4th up from a spell, having come 2nd in the Colonel Reeves two weeks prior to winning the Winterbottom.

Age

The last 11 runnings of the Winterbottom Stakes have shown some mixed results, with winners aged from four to eight over that stretch. However, horses aged four, five and six have the edge, having three winners each, the clear standout. Both Elite Street (2020) and Graceful Girl (2021) were just four when winning.

Here is a table indicating the ages of winners of the Winterbottom Stakes since the 2011 edition:

Gender

Geldings have had dominance in the Winterbottom Stakes over the last 11 years, winning seven times. Mares have the other four, but this stat shows a big difference and is one to look out for when the field is announced.

From 2018-2020, the Winterbottom Stakes had been won by geldings, before Graceful Girl (mare) won in 2021. However this continued the trend of geldings not being able to win four years in a row over the last 20 years, despite their dominance in the race.

Weight

Given the conditions of the race, horses typically carry either 58.5kg or 56.5kg in the Winterbottom Stakes. As such, and the dominance of geldings over the last 11 years, horses carrying 58.5kg have a clear edge in the results over that time.

Based on our data that we have analysed so far, your Winterbottom Stakes best bet is to look for a gelding that is aged between four and six years old and not necessarily the favourite. If they have come in off a 3+ week freshen and have contested the Manikato Stakes, that may be a good indication that your Winterbottom Stakes top bets could be in with a chance.

Winterbottom Stakes Best Bets

Our tips are not out for the Winterbottom Stakes in 2022 as it is too far out from the event. But the good news is that when the final field for the Winterbottom Stakes is announced, we will provide guidance on each and every runner in the 2022 Winterbottom Stakes.

You will find all this information below, when it becomes available. Stay tuned, or alternatively you can chat to The Shark to get the best tips for every day!

Long before the Winterbottom Stakes field is officially announced – online bookies will open early markets, or all-in markets, for Winterbottom Stakes betting. This is prime time to bet on your favourite horse, as you might be able to bet on strong contenders for the 2021 Winterbottom Stakes at double-digit odds.

Once the bookies release the 2022 Winterbottom Stakes odds, they 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 a futures bet on the 2022 Winterbottom Stakes, 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.

With the increase in prizemoney and the upgrade to Group One status in 2011, a growing number of top quality eastern sprinters are targeting the Winterbottom Stakes after completing their Spring campaigns in Melbourne or Sydney.

These invaders meet the top of the WA sprinting ranks in what is an interesting clash between two levels of competition, coming together for a spectacle at Ascot Racecourse. The final Winterbottom Stakes field is yet to be announced and won’t be until the barrier draw, which is set to take place on Wednesday, November 23rd

With the 2022 Winterbottom Stakes field yet to be determined, let’s take a look back at the 2021 field, headlined by winner Graceful Girl:

With the race yet to be run, we still don’t know what the Winterbottom Stakes results for 2022 will be! However, check back in after the race and we will have all of the information on how the big race went and what the results are.

Looking back at the 2021 race, Graceful Girl came from the back of the field to storm home down the outside, winning comfortably under William Pike. Elite Street (3rd), the short-priced favourite, couldn’t quite keep up in the straight and was overtaken by both of the cerise and white runners, with the other being Stageman (2nd).

Pikey was actually able to follow Stageman into the straight and was widest on the track but it didn’t matter as Graceful Girl burst home down the outside of them all. Stageman made a late push, coming from no where to steal 2nd place off Elite Street and Laverrod, who was a narrow 4th.

You’ve read the words, now watch the video! Have a squiz below at the 2021 Winterbottom Stakes race:

Here are the full results from the Winterbottom Stakes in 2021:

Winterbottom Stakes Winners

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