WHO:
Group 1 Weight-for-Age middle distance gallopers
WHAT:
Group 1 1800-metre weight-for-age
WHEN:
September 25th, 2021
WHERE:
Sandown Racecourse
WHY:
To share a prize pool of AUD$750,000
Who will win the Underwood Stakes?
The Underwood Stakes is race reserved for the best Weight-for-Age middle distance horses.
This year, for the first time in its illustrious near century old history, the Underwood Stakes will be run at Sandown Racecourse.
Usually you need to find horses who are fit enough to handle the rising back straight of Caulfield, but this year it is about finding the horse who can flatten out in the long the Sandown straight.
With the racecourse itself featuring the iconic ‘Corrigan’s dip’ at the 350-metre mark, which allows leaders to boot off and get an early advantage in the straight.
New weight-for-age star Zaaki is all but a certain starter for the race as he ventures towards a Cox Plate.
History says four-year-olds have a good record, while it pays to stay away from the girls who only boast Bonneval (2017) as their winner since Tristarc in 1985.
Tradiontally, it is a race won by horses who use the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield, the Dato Tan Chin Nam at Moonee Valley and the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington as a lead-up.
THE EARLY CONTENDERS
Every race that Zaaki enters and accepts in he is likely going to start the favourite in.
This is no exception after his brilliant victory in the Tramway Stakes over 1400 metres as a $2.35 favourite sees him instilled as the odds-on elect for the Underwood Stakes in 2021.
This is going to be the easiest field he likely faces heading towards the Cox Plate.
The are, however, a few little queries on him heading into this race.
He will nearly be a month between runs and it is first time since coming to Australia that he has to race going around the other way.
We have seen that racing anti-clockwise can bring these Sydney-based horses undone.
Has to be considered a serious winning chance should Peter Moody decide to accept in this race.
The rising five-year-old gelding has taken Australian racing by storm with his win in the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) being his first Group 1 success and his seventh win in a row.
Suspect Moody will continue to leave plenty of improvement with this horse as he targets a Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup.
Should he get an easy time out in front in this race there is no reason he cannot cause the upset.
Probably does not have the class or brilliance to challenge the top two.
The likely conbination of Danny O’Brien and Damien Oliver must be respected though, especially the way this horse won at Moonee Valley in the Feehan Stakes last start.
The win ensured the five-year-old gelding collected the golden qualification ticket into the Cox Plate.
He, like Zaaki, will likely use this a tune-up run for the Cox Plate, but is a top three hope in this event.
The 2020 Cox Plate winner returned in fine style when resuming in the Makybe Diva Stakes.
He scooted home up the middle of the Flemington straight to put his hand up as a big player in the major Weight-for-Age races this preparation.
The market is respecting him in this race after sending him out a despised $31 shot in the Maykbe Diva.
He is arguably the best wet tracker in the race, so if the weather takes a turn for the worse he could the one to pick them all off.
He has elite closing speed and a big set of lungs that make him a winning hope in nearly all Group 1 Weight-for-Age events.
Much like Sir Dragonet, Colette stakes her claim as being the best wet tracker in the field with three starts on a heavy for three wins.
The Godolphin owned five-year-old mare was the winner of the Apollo Stakes in the autumn and is yet to win a race in six starts since then.
Her two runs since resuming froma spell have been solid enough as she builds towards full fitness.
She is clearly on a path heading to the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup and, while she is a Group 1 level galloper, she is a wrung below the top four in this race.
The Chosen One is as honest a horse as they come.
What he lacks for in star factor he makes up for in heart and tenacity.
He had to endure a tough run first-up in the Feehan Stakes and still loomed up to win the race as his fitness just gave away in the last 50 metres.
His trainer Murray Baker has won this race three times since 2011.
The switch to Sandown Racecourse with its long straight might just favour this horse as he heads towards another tilt at the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup
EARLY TIP – Incentivise each-way at $7/$2.3
Incentivise looks to have the more ideal set up for the Underwood Stakes.
He will enter this race with a traditional fortnight in between runs and the fitness base of a mile run to back himself up with heading up to 1800 metres in the Underwood.
Zaaki is clearly the one to beat, but with a nearly month off, having to travel and with his crosshairs set on the Cox Plate he might not be geared up to justify the short quote.
THE FAMOUS WINNERS
2020-2010
Black Heart Bart triumphed twice in the last decade with success in 2016 and 2019.
It was the 2019 that had us all talking when crossed the line to nose out Homesman at $101.
It’s A Dundeel pipped Atlantic Jewel on the line in the 2013 Underwood Stakes after sitting at her girth the whole way.
It was the only defeated handed to the mare in her 11 career races.
Ocean Park (2012) continued the trend of New Zealand gallopers to come here and win the race
2009-1999
This particular decade could be greatest patch of winners this race has ever seen.
Weekend Hussler (2008) was crowned champion in the Underwood Stakes under the riding of Brad Rawiller, El Segundo (2006), Elvstroem (2004), Mummify (2003) all won the race and became stars in their own right.
The best might have done the double Northerly (2002, 2001) achieve in the race as he surged his way to becoming one of the distance horses in Australia racing history.
1998-1988
Australian racing hall of fame entrant Tie The Knot (1998) has the Underwood Stakes on his CV of 13 Group 1 wins.
The Wayne Hawkes-trained and Ingham family owned Octagonal (1996) is the most recent winner the Hawkes stable have had and what a horse he was.
Melbourne Cup winner Jeune (1994) is also part of the honour roll.
Other winners
We can date all the the way back to 1931 to find more famous winners with Pharlap (1931) ticking this race off in his list of achievements.
Ajax (1938, 1939, 1940) holds the record for wins in the race with a trio of victories.
Big Philou (1970) gave legendary trainer Bart Cummings his second victory in the race after Trellios (1959) was the first horse to hand Bart winning success in the Underwood Stakes.
RECENT WINNERS
Year | Winner | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
2021 | ? | ? | ? | ? |
2020 | Russian Camelot | Danny O’Brien | Damien Oliver | $1.50 |
2019 | Black Heart Bart | Lindsey Smith | Brad Rawiller | $101 |
2018 | Homesman | Liam Howley | Ben Melham | $5 |
2017 | Bonneval | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Hugh Bowman | $4.4 |
2016 | Black Heart Bart | Darren Weir | Brad Rawiller | $2.2 |
2015 | Mourinho | Peter Gelagotis | Vlad Duric | $18 |
2014 | Foreteller | Chris Waller | Glen Boss | $6.5 |
2013 | It’s A Dundeel | Murray Baker | James McDonald | $7 |
2012 | Ocean Park | Gary Hennessey | Danny Nikolic | $8 |
2011 | Lion Tamer | Murray Baker | Michael Rodd | $16 |
2010 | So You Think | Bart Cummings | Steven Arnold | $1.75 |
How do I bet on the Underwood Stakes?
Punch in betnation.com.au on your internet browser or download and open the BetNation application on your smart phone.
Find the racing futures markets and click on the Underwood markets.
Here you will find all the main horses you can back to win the Underwood Stakes.
