The Bill Ritchie Handicap is a Group 3 event held at Royal Randwick on The Shorts Day each September and offers an Epsom Handicap ballot exemption to the winner.
2024 Bill Ritchie Handicap Results
- 1st: #16 Mchale
- 2nd: #8 Gringotts
- 3rd: #15 Felix Majestic
Bill Ritchie Handicap News
- 2024 Epsom Handicap Calls for Upset Bill Ritchie Winner Mchale
- Epsom Handicap Results 2023: Rediener Beats Kovalica in Waller Quinella
- 2021 George Main Stakes Day: Randwick Scratchings & Track Report
- 2020 Bill Ritchie Winner Probabeel New Epsom Favourite
- 2020 George Main Stakes Day: Randwick Scratchings & Track Report
The Bill Ritchie Handicap is a Group 3 middle-distance sprint held at Royal Randwick Racecourse during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival.
Raced over 1400m, the Bill Ritchie Handicap is an exciting sprinting middle-distance showdown that is open to contention for both sprinters and milers held in mid-September.
The Bill Ritchie Handicap is run under quality handicap conditions and is open to horses aged three years and older. With prize money of $250,000, the Bill Ritchie Handicap is a lucrative Group 3 event that is regularly targeted by decent handicappers.
Held on The Shorts Day, the Bill Ritchie Handicap shares the race program with a host of other black-type events including the Group 2 $1 million The Shorts (1100m) for the spring’s top sprinters heading towards the $20 million The Everest race in October.
Replacing the George Main Stakes – which now runs as the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on The Everest Day in mid-October – on the card as of 2023 is the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) which also offers an Epsom Handicap ballot exemption.
The winner of the Bill Ritchie Handicap gains ballot exemption for the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m). As a result, trainers tend to target it as part of their spring campaign. This also means that the Bill Ritchie Handicap gets considerable attention from punters attempting to get an early line on form.
Classy New Zealand-trained mare Probabeel (2020), Top Ranked (2022), and Rediener (2023) are the latest runners to complete the Bill Ritchie Handicap – Epsom Handicap double.
Earlier, Kolding (2019) also completed the Bill Ritchie – Epsom Handicap double before going on to win the inaugural edition of the $10 million The Golden Eagle for four-year-olds that November.
Some of the better lead up races to the Bill Ritchie Handicap include the Group 3 Tramway Stakes.
The 2021 Bill Ritchie Handicap form was franked with the third place-getter Aramayo continuing on to run second in that year’s Epsom Handicap results.
The Bill Ritchie Handicap 2024 ran on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at Randwick offering the upset Chris Waller-trained first-up winner Mchale ($26) an Epsom Handicap ballot exemption.
| 2024 Bill Ritchie Handicap | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday, September 21, 2024 |
| Track: | Royal Randwick Racecourse |
| Distance: | 1400m |
| Race Type: | 3YO&UP Quality H |
| Status: | Group 3 |
| Prize Money: | $250,000 |
2024 Bill Ritchie Handicap Results
- 1st: #16 Mchale ($26)
- 2nd: #8 Gringotts
- 3rd: #15 Felix Majestic
The Epsom Handicap on October 5 is now on the spring agenda for the Chris Waller-trained Shooting To Win four-year-old Mchale ($26) who drove up the rails late to hold off a fast-finishing Gringotts and score a notable upset in the 2024 Bill Ritchie Handicap results.
Click here for the full story.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | MCHALE | Chris Waller | Ms Rachel King | 4 | 53kg | $26 | |||
| 2 | 8 | GRINGOTTS (NZ) | Ciaron Maher | Tommy Berry | 0.01L | 3 | 55kg | $4.60 | ||
| 3 | 15 | FELIX MAJESTIC | Gary Nickson | Ms Molly Bourke (a) | 1.21L | 2 | 53kg | $18 | ||
| 4 | 10 | KINTYRE | Gary Portelli | Jason Collett | 2.62L | 12 | 54kg | $16 | ||
| 5 | 4 | TOM KITTEN | James Cummings | James McDonald | 2.9L | 11 | 57kg | $3.60F | ||
| 6 | 7 | AIRMAN | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes | Tim Clark | 2.96L | 9 | 56kg | $31 | ||
| 7 | 1 | AMENABLE | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Chad Schofield | 3.15L | 6 | 58kg | $6 | ||
| 8 | 3 | RUSTIC STEEL | Kris Lees | Jay Ford | 3.64L | 7 | 57.5kg | $61 | ||
| 9 | 2 | FREEDOM RALLY | Tony Gollan | Nash Rawiller | 5.64L | 5 | 57.5kg | $7 | ||
| 10 | 13 | CAFE MILLENIUM | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Zac Lloyd (a) | 7.5L | 10 | 53kg | $20 | ||
| 11 | 6 | PHEARSON | Brad Widdup | Adam Hyeronimus | 9.99L | 8 | 56.5kg | $16 | ||
| 12 | 14 | SCARLET OAK | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 11.29L | 1 | 53kg | $13 | ||
| 9 | ROBUSTO | Bjorn Baker | Dylan Gibbons | 0 | ||||||
| 5 | ROOTS | Chris Waller | 0 | |||||||
| 11 | CHORLTON LANE (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | 0 | |||||||
| 12 | MATCHA LATTE | Sara Ryan | Regan Bayliss | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2024 Bill Ritchie Handicap Betting Odds
The season’s best Bill Ritchie Handicap 2024 betting odds and market links to Ladbrokes.com.au will be provided below the week of the race.
Smart mares Probabeel ($2.45 in 2020) followed by Atishu ($3.50 in 2021) are the latest favourites in Bill Ritchie Handicap betting to salute for the punters.
There was a notable upset in 2024 with Mchale saluting in a thrilling photo-finish at Bill Ritchie Handicap odds of $26 for the Waller stable.
CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2024 BILL RITCHIE HANDICAP ODDS (Final Field)
2024 Bill Ritchie Handicap Form
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2024 BILL RITCHIE HANDICAP FORM GUIDE
2024 Bill Ritchie Handicap Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Bill Ritchie Handicap 2024 Tips on the Epsom lead-up this spring.
- To Win: #8 Gringotts ($8 at time of publish) – BET NOW
The Bill Ritchie Handicap features a competitive field, with Gringotts emerging as a promising value bet. Trained by Ciaron Maher, this talented gelding has demonstrated impressive form, highlighted by three consecutive wins during the winter. Despite a significant increase in grade, Gringotts’ recent success and ability to excel at the distance make him a strong contender. With a favourable barrier three draw and the guidance of a skilled jockey in Tommy Berry, Gringotts has a good chance of securing a victory in the Bill Ritchie Handicap to kick off his spring.
2024 Bill Ritchie Handicap Field
The 2024 Bill Ritchie Handicap Final Field & Barrier Draw will be provided in full below once acceptances are taken on the Wednesday leading-up to The Shorts Day.
The Bill Ritchie Handicap 2024 field features a smart line-up of Group 1-bound spring contenders led in betting by the widely drawn James Cummings-trained Tom Kitten coming off a lead-up win in the Spring Preview at Rosehill.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 564x29225x | AMENABLE | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Chad Schofield | 6 | 58kg | 106 | ||
| 2 | 121x3241x4 | FREEDOM RALLY | Tony Gollan | Nash Rawiller | 5 | 57.5kg | 105 | ||
| 3 | 7538x1600x | RUSTIC STEEL | Kris Lees | Jay Ford | 7 | 57.5kg | 105 | ||
| 4 | 21x65464x1 | TOM KITTEN | James Cummings | James McDonald | 15 | 57kg | 104 | ||
| 5 | 5010x30x7x | ROOTS | Chris Waller | 9 | 56.5kg | 107 | |||
| 6 | 10x1000x39 | PHEARSON | Brad Widdup | Adam Hyeronimus | 8 | 56.5kg | 103 | ||
| 7 | 3128x370x6 | AIRMAN | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes | Tim Clark | 10 | 56kg | 102 | ||
| 8 | 35313x111x | GRINGOTTS (NZ) | Ciaron Maher | Tommy Berry | 3 | 55kg | 100 | ||
| 9 | 141225×105 | ROBUSTO | Bjorn Baker | Dylan Gibbons | 11 | 54kg | 97 | ||
| 10 | x3343113x5 | KINTYRE | Gary Portelli | Jason Collett | 16 | 54kg | 94 | ||
| 11 | 1233×11753 | CHORLTON LANE (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | 12 | 54kg | 91 | |||
| 12 | 1224x3652x | MATCHA LATTE | Sara Ryan | Regan Bayliss | 13 | 54kg | 90 | ||
| 13 | 840x93076x | CAFE MILLENIUM | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Zac Lloyd (a) | 14 | 53kg | 94 | ||
| 14 | 12110x | SCARLET OAK | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 1 | 53kg | 90 | ||
| 15 | 0123×08496 | FELIX MAJESTIC | Gary Nickson | Ms Molly Bourke (a) | 2 | 53kg | 88 | ||
| 16 | 6x1153403x | MCHALE | Chris Waller | Ms Rachel King | 4 | 53kg | 83 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2024 Bill Ritchie Handicap Nominations
Nominations for the Bill Ritchie Handicap in 2024 close the Monday of race week and will be provided for punters below as soon as released.
Bill Ritchie Handicap History
The Bill Ritchie Handicap was inaugurated in 1978, with Go Mod taking out the first edition of the race. Since then, the Bill Ritchie Handicap has attracted quality fields annually, particularly with the ballot exemption on offer for the Epsom Handicap.
The Bill Ritchie Handicap is named after New South Wales thoroughbred breeder and shoe magnate Bill Ritchie. Bill’s daughter and film producer Julia Ritchie remains heavily involved in thoroughbred owning, training, breeding and racing. Jill was also the first woman to be inducted into the Australian Jockey Club committee and in 2011 was elected to director of NSWROA (NSW Racehorse Owners Association).
The Bill Ritchie Handicap has almost always been held at Royal Randwick, although in 2011 it was held at Rosehill. The Bill Ritchie Handicap was upgraded to Group 3 in 1998, a status it has held since.
Notable Bill Ritchie Handicap winners include Brave Prince (1999), Coalesce (2006), Boban (2013), Comin’ Through (2017), Kolding (2019), and Probabeel (2020).
Bill Ritchie Handicap results since 2000 are listed below.
Bill Ritchie Handicap Results
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Mchale | 1 minute 22.36 seconds |
| 2nd | Gringotts | ||
| 3rd | Felix Majestic | ||
| 2023 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Rediener | 1 minute 21.54 seconds |
| 2nd | Cuban Royale | ||
| 3rd | Wild Planet | ||
| 2022 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Top Ranked | 1 minute 25.09 seconds |
| 2nd | Purple Sector | ||
| 3rd | Cross Talk | ||
| 2021 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Atishu | 1 minute 23.74 seconds |
| 2nd | Looks Like Elvis | ||
| 3rd | Aramayo | ||
| 2020 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Probabeel | 1 minute 22.64 seconds |
| 2nd | Cuba | ||
| 3rd | Brandenburg | ||
| 2019 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Kolding | 1 minute 22.99 seconds |
| 2nd | Fierce Impact | ||
| 3rd | Desert Lord | ||
| 2018 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Siege Of Quebec | 1 minute 21.56 seconds |
| 2nd | Pierata | ||
| 3rd | Music Magnate | ||
| 2017 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Comin’ Through | 1 minute 21.67 seconds |
| 2nd | Tom Melbourne | ||
| 3rd | Burning ion | ||
| 2016 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Sons Of John | 1 minute 22.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Torgersen | ||
| 3rd | Federal | ||
| 2015 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Sadler’s Lake | 1 minute 24.79 seconds |
| 2nd | Rudy | ||
| 3rd | Heart Testa | ||
| 2014 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Manawanui | 1 minute 21.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Rock Sturdy | ||
| 3rd | Tougher Than Ever | ||
| 2013 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Boban | 1 minute 21.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Beltone | ||
| 3rd | Choice Bro | ||
| 2012 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Steps In Time | 1 minute 23.2 seconds |
| 2nd | Said Com | ||
| 3rd | Wild And Proud | ||
| 2011 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Thankgodyou’rehere | 1 minute 22.2 seconds |
| 2nd | Startsmeup | ||
| 3rd | Miss Keepsake | ||
| 2010 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Drumbeats | 1 minute 22.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Kenny’s World | ||
| 3rd | Captain Sonador | ||
| 2009 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | McClintock | 1 minute 23.5 seconds |
| 2nd | Walking Or Dancing | ||
| 3rd | Faulconbridge | ||
| 2008 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Judged | 1 minute 23.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Rockwood | ||
| 3rd | Kiloton | ||
| 2007 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
Race Not Held | ||
| 2006 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Coalesce | 1 minute 21.6 seconds |
| 2nd | New Edge | ||
| 3rd | Flaming | ||
| 2005 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Flaming | 1 minute 21.3 seconds |
| 2nd | Devil | ||
| 3rd | Messiaen | ||
| 2004 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Osca Warrior | 1 minute 21.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Utzon | ||
| 3rd | In A Bound | ||
| 2003 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Zabarra | 1 minute 22.6 seconds |
| 2nd | Britt’s Best | ||
| 3rd | Forum Floozie | ||
| 2002 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Zabarra | 1 minute 23.8 seconds |
| 2nd | This Manshood | ||
| 3rd | Swiss Echo | ||
| 2001 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Fouardee | 1 minute 21.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Defier | ||
| 3rd | Adamantly | ||
| 2000 Bill Ritchie Handicap |
1st | Landsighting | 1 minute 21.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Tie The Knot | ||
| 3rd | Valuate | ||
next to go
