The Naturalism Stakes - currently run as the MRC Foundation Cup is a Group 3 event held at Caulfield Racecourse and offers the winner a Caulfield Cup ballot exemption.
2024 MRC Foundation Cup (Naturalism Stakes) Results
- 1st: #14 Positivity
- 2nd: #11 Future History
- 3rd: #9 Gear Up
Naturalism Stakes (MRC Foundation Cup) News
- Positivity Books 2024 Caulfield Cup Ticket with MRC Foundation Cup Win
- Caulfield Cup 2023 Odds Firm on Upset MRC Foundation Cup Winner Uncle Bryn
- Caulfield Cup 2021 Odds Firm on Naturalism Stakes Winner Nonconformist
- 2021 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Day: Caulfield Scratchings & Track Report
- MRC Foundation Cup Winner Orderofthegarter Into Caulfield Cup 2020 Field
The Naturalism Stakes – currently known as the MRC Foundation Cup – is a Group 3 staying event held during September each year as part of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. The Naturalism Stakes draws considerable attention from both punters and trainers due to it offering the winner a ballot exemption for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) a month later.
Raced over 2000m, the Naturalism Stakes provides horses with a good opportunity mid-campaign to adjust their distance. The Naturalism Stakes has in the past been used by milers who are keen to step up in distance, while it is also regularly targeted by top class stayers kicking off their spring preps.
Run under open quality handicap conditions, the $200,000 Naturalism Stakes attracts plenty talent and is now part of the card on Underwood Stakes Day. The two other Group status races on the program are the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) for Cox Plate types and the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) for the Caulfield Guineas-bound three-year-olds.
The Naturalism Stakes acts as an effective lead-up race to many major events such as the mile and a half classic, the Cox Plate (2040m) run at weight-for-age at Moonee Valley the weekend after Caulfield Cup Day.
The last horse to complete the Naturalism Stakes – Caulfield Cup double was the classy mare Jameka (2016).
The 2021 Naturalism Stakes form was franked with the winner Nonconformist going on to run second in both the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes and Caulfield Cup results that spring.
In 2022 the Naturalism Stakes winner Smokin’ Romans franked the form winning the Turnbull Stakes next start, while the third placed Gold Trip went on to salute in that year’s Melbourne Cup race on the first Tuesday of November.
The 2024 Naturalism Stakes ran on Saturday, September 21, 2024 as the MRC Foundation Cup and was won in a thrillingly close finish by the quality Andrew Forsman-trained mare Positivity ($16) who scored a narrow upset to secure her ticket for the Caulfield Cup.
| Naturalism Stakes | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday, September 21, 2024 |
| Track: | Caulfield Racecourse |
| Distance: | 2000m |
| Race Type: | Open Quality |
| Status: | Group 3 |
| Prize Money: | $200,000 |
2024 Naturalism Stakes (MRC Foundation Cup) Results
- 1st: #14 Positivity ($16)
- 2nd: #11 Future History
- 3rd: #9 Gear Up
The Caulfield Cup on October 19 is calling for progressive mare Positivity ($16) who narrowly got up in a three-way thriller in the 2024 Naturalism Stakes results on Underwood Stakes Day.
Click here for the full story.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | POSITIVITY (NZ) | Andrew Forsman | Harry Coffey | 3 | 54kg | $16 | |||
| 2 | 11 | FUTURE HISTORY (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Declan Bates | 0.15L | 1 | 55.5kg | $18 | ||
| 3 | 9 | GEAR UP (IRE) | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Jamie Mott | 0.17L | 7 | 56kg | $12 | ||
| 4 | 15 | SAINT GEORGE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Ms Jamie Kah | 0.32L | 2 | 54kg | $4.80 | ||
| 5 | 10 | FANCY MAN (IRE) | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Tyler Schiller | 2.82L | 14 | 55.5kg | $71 | ||
| 6 | 1 | QUE TEMPESTA (IRE) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Mark Zahra | 2.92L | 4 | 59kg | $6 | ||
| 7 | 16 | IMMEDIACY (NZ) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Craig Williams | 3.38L | 6 | 54kg | $3.20F | ||
| 8 | 4 | LE DON DE VIE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Ethan Brown | 3.63L | 9 | 58kg | $31 | ||
| 9 | 3 | SCO GUARDI (IRE) | Chris Waller | Joao Moreira | 3.73L | 11 | 58kg | $21 | ||
| 10 | 2 | JUST FINE (IRE) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Jordan Childs | 4.48L | 10 | 58.5kg | $11 | ||
| 11 | 13 | THE MAP | Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray | Craig Newitt | 4.54L | 8 | 54.5kg | $31 | ||
| 12 | 5 | BANKERS CHOICE (NZ) | Michael Moroney & Glen Thompson | Damian Lane | 5L | 15 | 57.5kg | $14 | ||
| 13 | 7 | AMADE (IRE) | Phillip Stokes | Daniel Stackhouse | 9.5L | 12 | 57kg | $61 | ||
| 14 | 12 | OKITA SOUSHI (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Jye McNeil | 9.9L | 5 | 55kg | $101 | ||
| 15 | 6 | PENNYWEKA (NZ) | Ciaron Maher | Michael Dee | 15.9L | 13 | 57.5kg | $101 | ||
| 8 | MURAMASA | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | John Allen | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2024 Naturalism Stakes (MRC Foundation Cup) Betting
The updated Naturalism Stakes 2024 odds and betting links to Ladbrokes.com.au will be provided below the week of the race.
Orderofthegarter ($2.90 in 2020) followed by Nonconformist ($4.40 in 2021) are the latest favourites in Naturalism Stakes betting to salute for the punters.
There was a notable upset in 2023 with the previous year’s runner-up Uncle Bryn winning at Naturalism Stakes odds of $26 and again in 2024 with smart mare Positivity ($16).
CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2024 MRC FOUNDATION CUP ODDS (Final Field)
2024 Naturalism Stakes (MRC Foundation Cup) Form
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2024 MRC FOUNDATION CUP FORM GUIDE
2024 Naturalism Stakes (MRC Foundation Cup) Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Naturalism Stakes 2024 tips on the Caulfield Cup lead-up this spring.
- To Win: #11 Future History ($20 at time of publish) – BET NOW
The Melbourne Cup is fast approaching, and several horses are positioning themselves as potential contenders. Future History, trained by Ciaron Maher, stands out as a value bet in the MRC Foundation Cup. With a strong record at 2000 meters and a promising recent performance, Future History has the potential to make a significant impact on the weekend. Despite a challenging draw, his class and ability make him a horse to watch in this prestigious race at a blowout price in the markets.
2024 Naturalism Stakes (MRC Foundation Cup) Field
The Naturalism Stakes field of final acceptances are released on the Wednesday leading up to Naturalism Stakes Day at Caulfield Racecourse and traditionally attracts a capacity 16-starter line-up of Caulfield Cup-bound horses.
Horse may come into the Naturalism Stakes field via a number of different spring lead-up races including the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) run over the mile at Moonee Valley a fortnight earlier.
The official 2024 MRC Foundation Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw will be published below as soon as released by Racing Victoria.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23x3x211x5 | QUE TEMPESTA (IRE) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Mark Zahra | 4 | 59kg | 106 | ||
| 2 | 1110x85x05 | JUST FINE (IRE) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Jordan Childs | 10 | 58.5kg | 105 | ||
| 3 | 21x0570x07 | SCO GUARDI (IRE) | Chris Waller | Joao Moreira | 11 | 58kg | 104 | ||
| 4 | x10172x00x | LE DON DE VIE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Ethan Brown | 9 | 58kg | 104 | ||
| 5 | x735662x87 | BANKERS CHOICE (NZ) | Michael Moroney & Glen Thompson | Damian Lane | 16 | 57.5kg | 103 | ||
| 6 | 92311x07x0 | PENNYWEKA (NZ) | Ciaron Maher | Michael Dee | 13 | 57.5kg | 107 | ||
| 7 | 154234015x | AMADE (IRE) | Phillip Stokes | Daniel Stackhouse | 12 | 57kg | 102 | ||
| 8 | x1116x84x2 | MURAMASA | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | John Allen | 14 | 57kg | 102 | ||
| 9 | x00x3150x3 | GEAR UP (IRE) | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Jamie Mott | 7 | 56kg | 100 | ||
| 10 | 858x58610x | FANCY MAN (IRE) | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Tyler Schiller | 15 | 55.5kg | 99 | ||
| 11 | 130x0656x3 | FUTURE HISTORY (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Declan Bates | 1 | 55.5kg | 99 | ||
| 12 | 1x513x00x8 | OKITA SOUSHI (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Jye McNeil | 5 | 55kg | 98 | ||
| 13 | 14x12211x9 | THE MAP | Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray | Craig Newitt | 8 | 54.5kg | 101 | ||
| 14 | 41781291×2 | POSITIVITY (NZ) | Andrew Forsman | Harry Coffey | 3 | 54kg | 95 | ||
| 15 | 5x31123x8 | SAINT GEORGE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Ms Jamie Kah | 2 | 54kg | 95 | ||
| 16 | 11155×6 | IMMEDIACY (NZ) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Craig Williams | 6 | 54kg | 90 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2024 Naturalism Stakes Nominations
Nominations for the Naturalism Stakes in 2024 close the Monday leading-up to Underwood Stakes Day and will be published for punters below as soon as announced.
Naturalism Stakes History
Inaugurated in 1983, the Naturalism Stakes has become a key early form race to follow for Caulfield Cup horses during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
At its inception, the Naturalism Stakes was a Listed event. In 2009 it received an Group 3 status and has retained that ever since.
Notable Naturalism Stakes winners include Celestial Show (2000), Zipping (2006), Mr O’Ceirin (2013), and Jameka (2016) who went on to win that season’s Caulfield Cup.
Naturalism Stakes results since 2000 are listed below.
From 2014 – 2024 the event ran as the MRC Foundation Cup.
Naturalism Stakes Results
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 MRC Foundation Cup |
1st | Positivity | 2 minutes 03.67 seconds |
| 2nd | Future History | ||
| 3rd | Gear Up | ||
| 2023 MRC Foundation Cup |
1st | Uncle Bryn | 2 minutes 00.74 seconds |
| 2nd | Floating Artist | ||
| 3rd | Alaskan God | ||
| 2022 Naturalism Stakes (Run as the MRC Foundation Cup) |
1st | Smokin’ Romans | 2 minutes 08.53 seconds |
| 2nd | Uncle Bryn | ||
| 3rd | Gold Trip | ||
| 2021 Naturalism Stakes (Run as the MRC Foundation Cup) |
1st | Nonconformist | 2 minutes 01.80 seconds |
| 2nd | Delphi | ||
| 3rd | Tralee Rose | ||
| 2020 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Orderofthegarter | 2 minutes 01.86 seconds |
| 2nd | Chapada | ||
| 3rd | Steel Prince | ||
| 2019 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Brimham Rocks | 2 minutes 2.39 seconds |
| 2nd | So You Win | ||
| 3rd | Sikandarabad | ||
| 2018 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Night’s Watch | 2 minutes 2.19 seconds |
| 2nd | Rising Red | ||
| 3rd | Odeon | ||
| 2017 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Harlem | 2 minutes 0.43 seconds |
| 2nd | Samovare | ||
| 3rd | Stampede | ||
| 2016 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Jameka | 2 minutes 3.9 seconds |
| 2nd | Gallante | ||
| 3rd | Berisha | ||
| 2015 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Magnapal | 2 minutes 2.7 seconds |
| 2nd | The United States | ||
| 3rd | Genuine Lad | ||
| 2014 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Gris Caro | 2 minutes 2.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Entirely Platinum | ||
| 3rd | Bonfire | ||
| 2013 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Mr O’Ceirin | 2 minutes 7.2 seconds |
| 2nd | Kesampour | ||
| 3rd | Bit Of Hell | ||
| 2012 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Folding Gear | 2 minutes 3.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Mr O’Ceirin | ||
| 3rd | Exceptionally | ||
| 2011 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | December Draw | 2 minutes 2.2 seconds |
| 2nd | At First Sight | ||
| 3rd | Lucky Eighty Eight | ||
| 2010 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Rainbow Styling | 2 minutes 1.6 seconds |
| 2nd | Valdemoro | ||
| 3rd | Moudre | ||
| 2009 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Red Lord | 2 minutes 4.0 seconds |
| 2nd | Light Vision | ||
| 3rd | Majestical | ||
| 2008 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Zagreb | 2 minutes 3.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Light Vision | ||
| 3rd | Baughurst | ||
| 2007 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Douro Valley | 2 minutes 1.3 seconds |
| 2nd | Maldivian | ||
| 3rd | Dolphin Jo | ||
| 2006 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Zipping | 2 minutes 1.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Show Barry | ||
| 3rd | Growl | ||
| 2005 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Sarrera | 2 minutes 6.9 seconds |
| 2nd | Emerald Jack | ||
| 3rd | Swift Tango | ||
| 2004 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Confectioner | 2 minutes 5.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Evil Master | ||
| 3rd | Devastating | ||
| 2003 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Rose Archway | 2 minutes 3.5 seconds |
| 2nd | Another Warrior | ||
| 3rd | Vicksburg | ||
| 2002 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Pentastic | 2 minutes 3.0 seconds |
| 2nd | Spirit Of Westbury | ||
| 3rd | Thong Classic | ||
| 2001 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Inaflury | 2 minutes 2.0 seconds |
| 2nd | Celestial Show | ||
| 3rd | Natch | ||
| 2000 Naturalism Stakes |
1st | Celestial Show | 2 minutes 2.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Ancient City | ||
| 3rd | Prince Iluka | ||
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