The $1 million The Shorts (1100m) is a Group 2 race held at Royal Randwick in September for spring sprinters targeting later Group 1 features or The Everest.
2024 The Shorts Results
- 1st: #6 I Am Me
- 2nd: #3 Stefi Magnetica
- 3rd: #4 Mazu
The Shorts News
- The Everest Contenders Face Off in The Shorts 2024 Field
- 2023 The Everest Odds Firm on The Shorts Winner Private Eye
- The Shorts 2023 Field & Odds Update: In Secret Favourite
- The Everest Odds Firm on The Shorts 2022 Winner Nature Strip
- The Shorts Winner Eduardo Firms In The Everest 2021 Betting After Beating Nature Strip
The Shorts is a quality Group 2 race now held on its own feature race day in mid-September at Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse. The lucrative sprint feature was previously held on the same card as the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) before that race was renamed the King Charles III Stakes and moved to The Everest Day in October.
The Group 2 The Shorts now headlines the card and offers $1 million in prize money.
Replacing the George Main Stakes on the card as of 2023 is the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) which offers an Epsom Handicap ballot exemption.
The other key acts on the race card are the Group 2 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m), and the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).
The Shorts is a short-distance sprint race over 1100m for horses aged three-year-olds and up at set weights plus penalties.
Many runners kick off their Sydney Spring Racing Carnival campaign in The Shorts so looking for the star fresh performers is a good tip, while the best out of The Shorts results may go all the way to Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival for a shot at the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) – now known as the Champions Sprint – in November.
Private Eye (2023) was the last first-up The Shorts winner.
It is now also a key lead-up for sprinters contesting the $20 million The Everest (1200m), a restricted weight-for-age feature held back at Randwick in mid-October. In 2017 The Shorts winner Redzel went on to complete The Everest – VRC Classic double.
In 2020 the previous year’s The Shorts runner-up Classique Legend won the race and went on to become the latest horse to do The Shorts – The Everest double.
The 2021 The Shorts form was franked with the runner-up Nature Strip going on to win that year’s The Everest – VRC Sprint Classic double. Nature Strip also returned the following autumn for a record-equalling third win in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes before a trip to Royal Ascot that June where he won the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes in the UK by 4.5 lengths.
The 2021 The Shorts winner Eduardo further franked the form running third in The Everest trifecta behind Nature Strip before his win in the Group 1 Winners Stakes (now Russell Balding Stakes) at Rosehill and strong 2022 autumn campaign that included a TJ Smith Stakes second placing.
Nature Strip returned in the 2022 The Shorts on the back of a dominant UK victory in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes to win first-up before a fourth in The Everest that spring.
The Shorts 2022 form was further franked with the runner-up Over travelling to Perth the following autumn to win the inaugural $4 million The Quokka race at Ascot in April of 2023.
The 2023 The Shorts winner Private Eye went on to run third in The Everest trifecta at his next start, while the runner-up Over travelled to Perth that summer and won the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes and The Quokka to further frank the form.
The Shorts 2024 took place on Saturday, September 21, 2024 as a key lead-up to the $20 million The Everest race and was won in style by the Ciaron Maher-trained favourite I Am Me ($2.60F).
| 2024 The Shorts | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday, September 21, 2024 |
| Track: | Royal Randwick Racecourse |
| Distance: | 1100m |
| Conditions: | 3YO & Up – Set Weights + Penalties |
| Status: | Group 2 |
| Prize Money: | $1,000,000 |
| Inaugurated: | 1945 |
| The Shorts Records | |
|---|---|
| Race Record: | 1:01.3 set by Redzel in 2017 |
2024 The Shorts Results
- 1st: #6 I Am Me ($2.60F)
- 2nd: #3 Stefi Magnetica
- 3rd: #4 Mazu
Jockey James McDonald timed his ride to perfection aboard the Ciaron Maher-trained favourite I Am Me ($2.60F) to salute for the punters with a strong finish holding out the fast-finishing Stefi Magnetica in The Shorts 2024 results.
Click here for the full story.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | I AM ME | Ciaron Maher | James McDonald | 2 | 55kg | $2.60F | |||
| 2 | 3 | STEFI MAGNETICA | Bjorn Baker | Zac Lloyd (a) | 0.2L | 7 | 56kg | $9 | ||
| 3 | 4 | MAZU | Joseph Pride | Jason Collett | 0.75L | 5 | 56kg | $13 | ||
| 4 | 9 | DRAGONSTONE | Joseph Pride | Reece Jones | 1.03L | 3 | 55kg | $31 | ||
| 5 | 12 | MUMBAI MUSE | Michael Freedman | Tommy Berry | 1.13L | 1 | 54kg (cd 54.5kg) | $8.50 | ||
| 6 | 1 | PRIVATE EYE | Joseph Pride | Jay Ford | 1.57L | 11 | 57kg | $5 | ||
| 7 | 7 | LADY OF CAMELOT | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 2.75L | 8 | 55kg | $13 | ||
| 8 | 10 | OUR KOBISON | Angela Davies | Dylan Gibbons | 3.05L | 4 | 55kg | $14 | ||
| 9 | 11 | WAY TO THE STARS | Matthew Smith | Ms Rachel King | 4.45L | 6 | 55kg | $61 | ||
| 10 | 2 | AFT CABIN | James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | 5.44L | 10 | 57kg | $9.50 | ||
| 11 | 8 | COAL CRUSHER | Joseph Pride | Regan Bayliss | 5.82L | 9 | 55kg | $41 | ||
| 5 | BANDI’S BOY | Danny Williams | Chad Schofield | 0 |
2024 The Shorts Betting Odds
The top The Shorts 2024 betting odds and links to the markets at Ladbrokes.com.au will be available below the week of the race so stay tuned.
Pierata ($2.70 in 2019), Classique Legend ($4.40 in 2020), Nature Strip ($2.40 in 2022), and I Am Me ($2.60 in 2024) are the latest favourites in The Shorts betting to salute for the punters.
There was a notable upset in 2023 with Private Eye winning at The Shorts odds of $12.
CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2024 THE SHORTS ODDS (Final Field)
2024 The Shorts Form
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2024 THE SHORTS FORM GUIDE
2024 The Shorts Tips
Stay tuned for our insider The Shorts 2024 Tips on the key spring sprint lead-up this September.
- To Win: #6 I Am Me ($3.40 at time of publish) – BET NOW
The Group 2 The Shorts features a competitive field, with I Am Me emerging as a strong and hard to beat favourite. This talented mare has a remarkable record at Randwick, winning three out of four races at the track. Her recent victory fresh in the Concorde Stakes, despite carrying a higher weight, demonstrates her exceptional ability and competitive spirit. I Am Me’s consistent form at the top level and her proven success over 1100 meters make her a compelling contender for The Shorts. With a favourable gate two draw and the skilled guidance of jockey James McDonald, I Am Me is well-positioned for a victory for the favourite backers.
2024 The Shorts Field
The Shorts 2024 field of final acceptances and barrier draw are released on the Wednesday of race week attracting the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival’s top sprinters. Many runners in The Shorts field contest the event first-up.
The official The Shorts 2024 Final Field & Barrier Draw will be published in full below once announced by Racing NSW.
The 2024 The Shorts field features a quality line-up of potential The Everest horses led in betting by Ciaron Maher’s last start Group 3 Concorde Stakes winning mare I Am Me.
Click here to read more on the key runners in The Shorts 2024 field and betting markets.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32x26034x4 | PRIVATE EYE | Joseph Pride | Jay Ford | 12 | 57kg | 112 | ||
| 2 | 149x3003x8 | AFT CABIN | James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | 11 | 57kg | 105 | ||
| 3 | 12342x531x | STEFI MAGNETICA | Bjorn Baker | Zac Lloyd (a) | 8 | 56kg | 111 | ||
| 4 | 054x50172x | MAZU | Joseph Pride | Jason Collett | 6 | 56kg | 110 | ||
| 5 | 3x13119x00 | BANDI’S BOY | Danny Williams | Chad Schofield | 3 | 56kg | 96 | ||
| 6 | 6122x344x1 | I AM ME | Ciaron Maher | James McDonald | 2 | 55kg | 114 | ||
| 7 | 4x1212x3 | LADY OF CAMELOT | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 9 | 55kg | 108 | ||
| 8 | 441x25450x | COAL CRUSHER | Joseph Pride | Regan Bayliss | 10 | 55kg | 106 | ||
| 9 | 23223x41x7 | DRAGONSTONE | Joseph Pride | Reece Jones | 4 | 55kg | 98 | ||
| 10 | 11x2113x12 | OUR KOBISON | Angela Davies | Dylan Gibbons | 5 | 55kg | 96 | ||
| 11 | 20x1216x33 | WAY TO THE STARS | Matthew Smith | Ms Rachel King | 7 | 55kg | 92 | ||
| 12 | 911x049x32 | MUMBAI MUSE | Michael Freedman | Tommy Berry | 1 | 54kg | 54.5kg | 99 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2024 The Shorts Nominations
Nominations for The Shorts race in 2024 close the Monday leading-up to the now million-dollar feature.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | True Weight | Penalty | H Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 54241221×2 | BELLA NIPOTINA | M | 7 | Ciaron Maher | 1 | 56kg | 118 | ||
| 2 | 6122x344x1 | I AM ME | M | 6 | Ciaron Maher | 2 | 55kg | 114 | ||
| 3 | 32x26034x4 | PRIVATE EYE | G | 7 | Joseph Pride | 3 | 57kg | 112 | ||
| 4 | 12342x531x | STEFI MAGNETICA | M | 4 | Bjorn Baker | 4 | 56kg | 111 | ||
| 5 | 054x50172x | MAZU | G | 6 | Joseph Pride | 5 | 56kg | 110 | ||
| 6 | 4x1212x3 | LADY OF CAMELOT | F | 3 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 6 | 55kg | 108 | ||
| 7 | 441x25450x | COAL CRUSHER | G | 7 | Joseph Pride | 7 | 55kg | 106 | ||
| 8 | 149x3003x8 | AFT CABIN | G | 5 | James Cummings | 8= | 57kg | 105 | ||
| 9 | 226x1115x4 | ESTRIELLA | M | 4 | Ciaron Maher | 8= | 54kg | 105 | ||
| 10 | 911x049x32 | MUMBAI MUSE | M | 4 | Michael Freedman | 10 | 54kg | 99 | ||
| 11 | 23223x41x7 | DRAGONSTONE | G | 6 | Joseph Pride | 11 | 55kg | 98 | ||
| 12 | 3x13119x00 | BANDI’S BOY | G | 5 | Danny Williams | 12= | 56kg | 96 | ||
| 13 | 11x2113x12 | OUR KOBISON | G | 5 | Angela Davies | 12= | 55kg | 96 | ||
| 14 | 20x1216x33 | WAY TO THE STARS | G | 6 | Matthew Smith | 14 | 55kg | 92 | ||
| 15 | 1116×14350 | SHEZANALISTER | M | 5 | Bjorn Baker | 15 | 53kg | 88 | ||
| 16 | 60x44x40x9 | MORAVIA | G | 4 | Michael Freedman | 16 | 55kg | 86 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
The Shorts History
The Shorts is a time-honoured Sydney Spring Racing Carnival sprint race, first contested back in 1867. A number of standout short-distance gallopers have won The Shorts over history including Hot Danish (2010), Terravista (2014) and Takedown (2016).
For one year in 2011 the event was conducted at Rosehill over 1200m instead of the 1100m at Royal Randwick. It gained black-type (Listed) status in 1979 and was eventually upgraded to Group 3 and then Group 2 status, increasing the quality of contenders each season.
More recently the status of The Shorts race at Randwick was boosted by record-setting champ Redzel (2017) whose next run produced success in the inaugural running of The Everest. The Everest is the richest turf race in the world and Redzel went back-to-back in 2018.
The Shorts history on the 2018 winner Ball Of Muscle is also interesting with the sprint finishing runner-up in 2015, 2016 and 2017 before finally taking out the race at his fourth attempt.
In 2019 Pierata won The Shorts defeating Classique Legend and dual The Everest champion Redzel. He went on to run fifth in that year’s The Everest results, before taking out the Winners Stakes named that season in honour of the previous year’s The Everest champion Redzel (2018).
Classique Legend completed The Shorts – The Everest race double in 2020.
In 2021 the previous year’s runner-up Eduardo went one better winning The Shorts in an upset over that year’s subsequent The Everest champion Nature Strip.
Nature Strip won The Shorts in 2022 ahead of his unsuccessful The Everest title defence when fourth.
Prizemoney for The Shorts was boosted to $1 million ahead of the 2023 edition.
Recent The Shorts Results
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 The Shorts |
1st | I Am Me | 1 minute 02.40 seconds |
| 2nd | Stefi Magnetica | ||
| 3rd | Mazu | ||
| 2023 The Shorts |
1st | Private Eye | 1 minute 02.66 seconds |
| 2nd | Over | ||
| 3rd | Buenos Noches | ||
| 2022 The Shorts |
1st | Nature Strip | 1 minute 05.01 seconds |
| 2nd | Over | ||
| 3rd | Lost And Running | ||
| 2021 The Shorts |
1st | Eduardo | 1 minute 03.54 seconds |
| 2nd | Nature Strip | ||
| 3rd | Gytrash | ||
| 2020 The Shorts |
1st | Classique Legend | 1 minute 2.23 seconds |
| 2nd | Eduardo | ||
| 3rd | Bivouac | ||
| 2019 The Shorts |
1st | Pierata | 1 minute 3.93 seconds |
| 2nd | Classique Legend | ||
| 3rd | Redzel | ||
| 2018 The Shorts |
1st | Ball Of Muscle | 1 minute 2.87 seconds |
| 2nd | Invincible Star | ||
| 3rd | Brave Smash | ||
| 2017 The Shorts |
1st | Redzel | 1 minute 1.83 seconds (R) |
| 2nd | Ball Of Muscle | ||
| 3rd | Nieta | ||
| 2016 The Shorts |
1st | Takedown | 1 minute 3.2 seconds |
| 2nd | Ball Of Muscle | ||
| 3rd | Kaepernick | ||
| 2015 The Shorts |
1st | Rebel Dane | 1 minute 4.67 seconds |
| 2nd | Ball Of Muscle | ||
| 3rd | Shiraz | ||
| 2014 The Shorts |
1st | Terravista | 1 minute 2.48 seconds |
| 2nd | I’m All The Talk | ||
| 3rd | Famous Seamus | ||
| 2013 The Shorts |
1st | Sessions | 1 minute 3.26 seconds |
| 2nd | Aeronautical | ||
| 3rd | Spirit Of Boom | ||
| 2012 The Shorts |
1st | Pampelonne | 1 minute 9.64 seconds |
| 2nd | Satin Shoes | ||
| 3rd | Appearance | ||
| 2011 The Shorts |
1st | Love Conquers All | 1 minute 8.71 seconds |
| 2nd | Albert The Fat | ||
| 3rd | Winter King | ||
| 2010 The Shorts |
1st | Hot Danish | 1 minute 9.51 seconds |
| 2nd | Whitefriars | ||
| 3rd | Shellscrape | ||
| 2009 The Shorts |
1st | Gold Trail | 1 minute 4.82 seconds |
| 2nd | Fritz’s Princess | ||
| 3rd | Sniper’s Bullet | ||
| 2008 The Shorts |
1st | Fritz’s Princess | 1 minute 4.03 seconds |
| 2nd | Hot Danish | ||
| 3rd | Keen Commander | ||
| 2007 The Shorts |
Race Not Held | ||
| 2006 The Shorts |
1st | Bentley Biscuit | 1 minute 3.36 seconds |
| 2nd | Magnus | ||
| 3rd | Spark Of Life | ||
| 2005 The Shorts |
1st | Black Ink | 1 minute 3.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Mustard | ||
| 3rd | Fumble | ||
| 2004 The Shorts |
1st | Dance The Waves | 1 minute 4.61 seconds |
| 2nd | Secret Land (NZ) | ||
| 3rd | Legally Bay | ||
| 2003 The Shorts |
1st | Lucky Night | 1 minute 4.84 seconds |
| 2nd | Fair Embrace | ||
| 3rd | Poetic Papal | ||
| 2002 The Shorts |
1st | Empire | 1 minute 4.11 seconds |
| 2nd | Shags | ||
| 3rd | Fouardee | ||
| 2001 The Shorts |
1st | Oamaru Force | 1 minute 3.47 seconds |
| 2nd | Pembleton | ||
| 3rd | Fair Embrace | ||
| 2000 The Shorts |
1st | Bradshaw | 1 minute 3.78 seconds |
| 2nd | Guineas | ||
| 3rd | Upright | ||
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