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The Underwood Stakes is a Group 1 race run during the renowned Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival in late September.

Recently held on a Sunday, in 2024 the Underwood Stakes moved to the Saturday at Caulfield Racecourse where it remains for the 2025 edition.

The feature event of Underwood Stakes Day, this 1800m race is run under weight-for-age conditions and is currently worth $750,000 in stakes.

In 2025, the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m), a key Group 1 handicap of the spring, is set to return to its traditional September slot after a temporary shift to mid-November. This move restores the September meeting to a prestigious dual Group 1 race day alongside the Underwood Stakes and re-establishes its historical connection with the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m), run three weeks later on Caulfield Guineas Day.

The Underwood was moved in 2021 to Sandown Hillside bringing Group 1 racing to the Sandown track for the first time in 25 years.

Underwood Stakes Day returned to Caulfield Racecourse for the 2023 edition.

Key lead-up races to this event that Underwood Stakes runners may come via include the John F. Feehan Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley, the Memsie Stakes (1400m) in August.

So You Think (2010) was the last horse to complete the Memsie Stakes – Underwood Stakes double without a run in between. In 2017 the Kiwi-trained mare Bonneval completed the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (now the John F Feehan) – Underwood Stakes double. All of these quality weight-for-age Group races may be used as preparation for the Underwood and then the more lucrative and prestigious races held later in the carnival.

The Underwood Stakes is the first weight-for-age race run over a distance greater than 1400m and provides horses with an excellent opportunity to step up their race distance in preparation for the 2000m and 2400m events to follow. This race is definitely worth keeping an eye on as it has been a solid guide to the Cox Plate in recent years.

In 2020 the Underwood Stakes winner Russian Camelot went on to run third in that year’s Cox Plate trifecta.

The 2021 Underwood Stakes form was franked with the winner Zaaki atoning for his Cox Plate scratching with a Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes victory that spring and success in the 2022 The All-Star Mile the following autumn.

Zaaki returned for a title defence in 2022 but only managed to run third behind all-the-way winner Alligator Blood, but he did go on to salute in the Mackinnon Stakes (run as the VRC Champions Stakes) again that November.

Alligator Blood went on to frank the 2022 Underwood Stakes form with a win in Flemington’s Group 1 Champions Mile that Melbourne Cup Carnival as well as the 2023 Futurity Stakes the next autumn.

Alligator Blood returned to go back-to-back in the 2023 Underwood Stakes becoming the race’s 13th multiple winner and the first to do so on successive years since Northerly (2001-02).

The 2023 Underwood Stakes form was franked with Alligator Blood going on to win the Group 1 Might And Power (2000m) next start before third place finishes in that year’s Cox Plate trifecta and Champions Mile.

The form also held with the sixth placegetter in the Underwood Stakes results, the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Without A Fight going on to claim the 2023 Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup double.

The 2024 Underwood Stakes form was franked by the winner Buckaroo who went on to run second in both the Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup that spring.

This season the Underwood Stakes 2025 takes place on Saturday September 20, 2025 at Caulfield Racecourse as a lead-up to the spring cup races. 

Underwood Stakes
Date:	Saturday September 20, 2025
Track:	Caulfield Racecourse
Distance:	1800m
Conditions:	Weight-for-age
Status:	Group 1
Prize Money:	$750,000
Inaugurated:	1924

2025 Underwood Stakes Results

• 1st: TBD
• 2nd: TBD
• 3rd: TBD

2025 Underwood Stakes Betting

Horses that ran well in lead-up races like Moonee Valley’s Feehan Stakes and the Memsie Stakes dominate the Underwood Stakes betting markets each spring.

Favourites at the top of the Underwood Stakes odds on race day however have a poor recent record with the only ones to salute for the punters since So You Think (2010) being Black Heart Bart (2016), Russian Camelot ($1.55 in 2020), Zaaki ($1.18 in 2021), and most recently Alligator Blood ($3.60) for his second in 2023.

Black Heart Bart meanwhile incredibly won the race again three years later as a $101 roughie in 2019.

The season’s top Underwood Stakes 2025 betting odds and market links to Ladbrokes.com.au will be provided at Races.com.au as soon as released.

2025 Underwood Stakes Form

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 UNDERWOOD STAKES FORM GUIDE

2025 Underwood Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Underwood Stakes 2025 Tips on the popular spring showdown this season.

• To Win: TBD

2025 Underwood Stakes Field

Each season the Underwood Stakes field attracts a gun line-up of potential Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup horses coming off lead-up runs in races including the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (now known as the Feehan Stakes) or Flemington’s Makybe Diva Stakes. In 2016 Black Heart Bart improved on a lead-up second in the Makybe Diva Stakes over the mile to win the Underwood Stakes, while Bonneval (2017) completed the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam – Underwood Stakes double.

In 2023 the defending Underwood Stakes winner Alligator Blood won again on a quick back-up off a Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes second over the Flemington mile the weekend prior.

The official 2025 Underwood Stakes field of final acceptances will be released on the Wednesday leading up to Underwood Stakes Day and listed in full below along with the Underwood Stakes barrier draw.

2025 Underwood Stakes Nominations

The 2025 Underwood Stakes nominations are released by Racing Victoria on the Monday of race week and will be published in full below once announced.

Underwood Stakes History

Whittier was the inaugural Underwood Stakes winner in 1924 and followed up this success claiming victory the next year as well. The event began as a principal race run over eight furlongs.

For one year in 1943 the distance was decreased to seven furlongs but went back to the original length the next year. That year, in 1944, there was two runnings of the race, with both Amana and Tea Cake seeing victory. In 1949 the length was increased to nine furlongs and then a few years later in 1954 another distance jump saw the event raced over 10 furlongs. With Australia’s adoption of the metric system, the race was converted to 2000m in 1972 and not long after in 1979 the event was elevated to Group 1 status. In 1994, the distance was cut to 1800m and has remained the same through until today.

The Underwood Stakes has had a number of elite horses claim victory including Phar Lap (1931), Rain Lover (1969), Bonecrusher (1986), Octagonal (1996), Tie The Knot (1998), Northerly (2001 & 2002), Weekend Hussler (2008), So You Think (2010), Russian Camelot (2020), and one of the race’s shortest-ever favourites Zaaki (2021).

Underwood Stakes results play a major role in form understanding for punters who follow the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

In 2023 the Underwood Stakes returned to Caulfield Racecourse with prize money reduced from $1 million to $750,000.

Alligator Blood (2022, 2023) is the latest two-time Underwood Stakes winner saluting for the first time at Sandown and then defending his title at Caulfield the following year.

Underwood Stakes results and winning times since 2000 are provided below.

Underwood Stakes Results

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2025 Underwood Stakes	1st	TBD	TBD
	2nd	TBD
	3rd	TBD
2024 Underwood Stakes	1st	Buckaroo	1 minute 49.00 seconds
	2nd	Huetor
	3rd	Pericles
2023 Underwood Stakes	1st	Alligator Blood	1 minute 48.53 seconds
	2nd	Tuvalu
	3rd	Duais
2022 Underwood Stakes	1st	Alligator Blood	1 minute 48.98 seconds
	2nd	Mo’unga
	3rd	Zaaki
2021 Underwood Stakes	1st	Zaaki	1 minute 49.20 seconds
	2nd	Probabeel
	3rd	Superstorm
2020 Underwood Stakes	1st	Russian Camelot	1 minute 50.85 seconds
	2nd	Humidor
	3rd	Arcadia Queen
2019 Underwood Stakes	1st	Black Heart Bart	1 minute 49.27 seconds
	2nd	Homesman
	3rd	Gailo Chop
2018 Underwood Stakes	1st	Homesman	1 minute 48.70 seconds
	2nd	Tosen Basil
	3rd	Humidor
2017 Underwood Stakes	1st	Bonneval	1 minute 48.41 seconds
	2nd	Hartnell
	3rd	Gailo Chop
2016 Underwood Stakes	1st	Black Heart Bart	1 minute 50.64 seconds
	2nd	He Or She
	3rd	Lucia Valentina
2015 Underwood Stakes	1st	Mourinho	1 minute 48.83 seconds
	2nd	Fawkner
	3rd	The Cleaner
2014 Underwood Stakes	1st	Foreteller	1 minute 50.25 seconds
	2nd	Happy Trails
	3rd	Crackerjack King
2013 Underwood Stakes	1st	It’s A Dundeel	1 minute 54.70 seconds
	2nd	Atlantic Jewel
	3rd	Dear Demi
2012 Underwood Stakes	1st	Ocean Park	1 minute 51.40 seconds
	2nd	Voila Ici
	3rd	December Draw
2011 Underwood Stakes	1st	Lion Tamer	1 minute 50.03 seconds
	2nd	Southern Speed
	3rd	Midas Touch
2010 Underwood Stakes	1st	So You Think	1 minute 49.54 seconds
	2nd	Dariana
	3rd	Metal Bender
2009 Underwood Stakes	1st	Heart Of Dreams	1 minute 49.5 seconds
	2nd	Whobegotyou
	3rd	Predatory Pricer
2008 Underwood Stakes	1st	Weekend Hussler	1 minute 49.8 seconds
	2nd	Pompeii Ruler
	3rd	Littorio
2007 Underwood Stakes	1st	Rubiscent	1 minute 49 seconds
	2nd	Miss Finland
	3rd	Marasco
2006 Underwood Stakes	1st	El Segundo	1 minute 49.5 seconds
	2nd	Polar Bear
	3rd	Molotov
2005 Underwood Stakes	1st	Perlin	1 minute 52.7 seconds
	2nd	Our Smoking Joe
	3rd	She’s Justa Tad
2004 Underwood Stakes	1st	Elvstroem	1 minute 50 seconds
	2nd	She’s Archie
	3rd	Delzao
2003 Underwood Stakes	1st	Mummify	1 minute 49.5 seconds
	2nd	Grey Song
	3rd	Aint Seen Nothing
2002 Underwood Stakes	1st	Northerly	1 minute 48.9 seconds
	2nd	Magical Miss
	3rd	Don Eduardo
2001 Underwood Stakes	1st	Northerly	1 minute 50.2 seconds
	2nd	Universal Prince
	3rd	Kaapstad Way
2000 Underwood Stakes	1st	Oliver Twist	1 minute 47.6 seconds
	2nd	Shoozi Please
	3rd	Kaapstad Way

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