The Group 3 Sky High Stakes takes place each year in March at Rosehill Racecourse on Coolmore Classic Day during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
2025 Sky High Stakes Results
- 1st: #5 Vauban
- 2nd: #2 Arapaho
- 3rd: #1 Lindermann
Sky High Stakes News
The Sky High Stakes is a Group 3 race held at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse on Coolmore Classic Day in March during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
2025 Sky High Stakes Results
- 1st: #5 Vauban ($9)
- 2nd: #2 Arapaho
- 3rd: #1 Lindermann
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott’s high-class import and two-time Melbourne Cup performer Vauban ($9) snared a final stride victory in the 2025 Sky High Stakes results with Tim Clark aboard in the narrow thriller with the horse now favourite for the Group 1 $2 million Sydney Cup at Randwick on April 12.
Sky High Stakes 2025 Odds & Results
Asahi Super Dry Sky High Stakes (G3)
| Runner Details | Win | Place |
|---|---|---|
|
1st
5. Vauban (4) J: Tim Clark 56.5kg
T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
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|
2nd
2. Arapaho (1) J: Rachel King 58kg
T: Bjorn Baker |
||
|
3rd
1. Lindermann (5) J: Nash Rawiller 58kg
T: Chris Waller |
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|
4th
3. Circle Of Fire (2) J: Jason Collett 58kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
||
|
5th
6. Kinesiology (6) J: Tommy Berry 55kg
T: Chris Waller |
||
|
6th
4. Land Legend (3) J: James McDonald 58kg
T: Chris Waller |
Data retrieved: 16/05/2025 01:04:14 AM (Australia/Brisbane)
Contested over 2000m the set weights plus penalties race is open to horses aged three-years-old and above and offers a lucrative $350,000 in total prize money.
Coolmore Classic Day is headlined by the fillies and mares facing off in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) and the meeting is host to a number of other Group status races. Other highlights on the card including the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m), Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m), Group 3 Magic Night Stakes (1200m), and the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) for Golden Slipper Stakes hopefuls.
A nice lead-up into the Sky High Stakes is the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) – now Verry Elleegant Stakes – over a mile in late February.
In 2015 Hartnell ran second in the Chipping Norton Stakes before winning the Sky High Stakes. The 2017 Sky High Stakes winner Tavago also backed up off a Chipping Norton Stakes run (5th). More recently, Chris Waller’s mare Toffee Tongue improved on an eighth in the Chipping Norton to win the Sky High at $14.
In 2022 the Sky High Stakes winner Stockman atoned for his dead-last (10th) in the Chipping Norton to win the lucrative Group 3 event.
In 2024 the Verry Elleegant Stakes again produced the Sky High Stakes winner with Lindermann third in his Group 1 lead-up before dominating the Group 3 by over four lengths.
The stayers that face off in the Sky High Stakes field are traditionally heading towards longer distance features over the autumn including the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) run at Royal Randwick in April. Country Tyrone (2006) was the last horse to complete the Sky High Stakes – Sydney Cup double.
The Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) – formerly The BMW – is another elite level option for Sky High Stakes graduates and in 2015 Who Shot Thebarman ran fourth in both races before a second in the Sydney Cup. That year Hartnell (2015) completed the Sky High Stakes – The BMW double. In 2016 Who Shot Thebarman returned to finish third in the Sky High Stakes, second in The BMW and fourth in the Sydney Cup.
In 2021 the Sky High Stakes winner Toffee Tongue ran second next-up in the Tancred Stakes results and later finished runner-up in the winter’s Group 1 Doomben Cup in Brisbane.
The 2022 Sky High Stakes form was franked with the winner Stockman also finishing second in that year’s Tancred Stakes quinella, while the runner-up Mount Popa went on to place third in the following month’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
The Sky High Stakes form from 2024 was franked with the runner-up Kalapour winning the Tancred Stakes at his next start before a third in that year’s Sydney Cup trifecta.
The Sky High Stakes 2025 ran on Saturday March 15, 2025 at Rosehill Gardens as a lead-up to the Tancred Stakes and Sydney Cup Group 1 races and was won in a final stride thriller by the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott import Vauban ($9).
| 2025 Sky High Stakes | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday March 15, 2025 |
| Track: | Rosehill Racecourse |
| Distance: | 2000m |
| Race Type: | Set Weights + Penalties |
| Status: | Group 3 |
| Prize Money: | $350,000 |
2025 Sky High Stakes Finishing Order
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | VAUBAN (FR) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 4 | 56.5kg | $9 | |||
| 2 | 2 | ARAPAHO (FR) | Bjorn Baker | Ms Rachel King | 0.07L | 1 | 58kg | $4.60 | ||
| 3 | 1 | LINDERMANN | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 1.28L | 5 | 58kg | $1.75F | ||
| 4 | 3 | CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Jason Collett | 3.25L | 2 | 58kg | $26 | ||
| 5 | 6 | KINESIOLOGY (GB) | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 9.42L | 6 | 55kg | $11 | ||
| 6 | 4 | LAND LEGEND (FR) | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 11.28L | 3 | 58kg | $7 | ||
| 7 | LORDSHIP (GER) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Chad Schofield | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2025 Sky High Stakes Betting
The autumn’s latest Sky High Stakes 2025 betting odds and market links to Ladbrokes.com.au will be available here at Races.com.au the week of the race.
Master Of Wine ($2.20 in 2020) and four-length champ Lindermann ($1.90 in 2024) are the latest favourites in Sky High Stakes betting to salute.
Lindermann returned as the $1.75 odds-on favourite in the 2025 Sky High Stakes only to run third behind Vauban ($9).
2025 Sky High Stakes Form
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 SKY HIGH STAKES FORM GUIDE
2025 Sky High Stakes Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Sky High Stakes 2025 Tips on the important autumn lead-up event this season.
- To Win: #1 Lindermann ($2.40 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Chris Waller’s Lonhro gelding won this race 12 months ago and think Lindermann is the deserving favourite again to go back-to-back for the first time in the race’s history. The form out of the Sky High last year was franked with the runner-up Kalapour winning the Tancred at his next start, while Lindermann has also been competitive in a number of races since including another Group 3 win in the Craven Plate over the spring. He has been outstanding this campaign with back-to-back placings leading up to his title defence when second fresh behind Fangirl in the Group 2 Apollo before that brave third in the Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes to Via Sistina also from the Waller contingent. He’s down in grade now, loves Rosehill (5:3-0-0), and will appreciate getting out over the 2000m which he also has a strong strike-rate over (3:2-0-0). 58kg is also manageable as he’s been carrying 59kg at WFA for a long time. Can salute.
2025 Sky High Stakes Field
The Sky High Stakes field attracts a class line-up of stayers each autumn and many of the runners are heading towards the Sydney Cup over two miles at Royal Randwick.
The official 2025 Sky High Stakes field and barriers are set for release on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below.
Chris Waller’s defending champion Lindermann coming off a nice Group 1 third in the Verry Elleegant Stakes heads betting on the Sky High Stakes 2025 final field at Rosehill this weekend.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 310x018x23 | LINDERMANN | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 5 | 58kg | 112 | ||
| 2 | 75x0451x55 | ARAPAHO (FR) | Bjorn Baker | Ms Rachel King | 1 | 58kg | 110 | ||
| 3 | 411x8906x0 | CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Jason Collett | 2 | 58kg | 108 | ||
| 4 | x1x06138x7 | LAND LEGEND (FR) | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 3 | 58kg | 107 | ||
| 5 | x0x243120x | VAUBAN (FR) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 4 | 56.5kg | 114 | ||
| 6 | x122225x63 | KINESIOLOGY (GB) | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 6 | 55kg | 94 | ||
| 7 | 1451x037x0 | LORDSHIP (GER) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Chad Schofield | 7 | 55kg | 84 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2025 Sky High Stakes Nominations
Early nominations for the Sky High Stakes in 2025 close the Monday ahead of the race.
Sky High Stakes History
The Sky High Stakes has been run and won since 1989, and the first edition of the race was won by Eye Of The Sky. Since then, plenty of star stayers have won the event including Hartnel (2015) and Sir John Hawkwood (2016).
The race is named in honour of Sky High who won the Golden Slipper Stakes as a two-year-old in 1960 and the next year’s Epsom Handicap. It was first run as an unlisted race until 1992 when it gained Listed status and then Group 3 status later in 2014. Before 2014 it took place over 1900m, and the distance was increased to the current 2000m in 2015. For one year in 2008 it took place at Canterbury Park and in 2016 the Sky High Stakes was changed from a quality handicap clash to a set weights plus penalties event.
There was an international Sky High Stakes winner in 2023 when the William Haggas-trained UK visitor Protagonist travelled down under to outstay the Aussies.
In 2025 the Sky High Stakes was won by dual Melbourne Cup performed import Vauban in his debut for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott with the horse setting a new 2000m record in the race winning in 2 minutes 00.93 seconds.
Recent Sky High Stakes Winners
See below for the full Sky High Stakes results and winners dating back to the year 2000.
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Vauban | 2 minutes 00.93 seconds |
| 2nd | Arapaho | ||
| 3rd | Lindermann | ||
| 2024 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Lindermann | 2 minutes 01.55 seconds |
| 2nd | Kalapour | ||
| 3rd | Stockman | ||
| 2023 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Protagonist | 2 minutes 01.43 seconds |
| 2nd | Zeyrek | ||
| 3rd | Sunshine Rising | ||
| 2022 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Stockman | 2 minutes 05.20 seconds |
| 2nd | Mount Popa | ||
| 3rd | Great House | ||
| 2021 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Toffee Tongue | 2 minutes 01.03 seconds |
| 2nd | Spirit Ridge | ||
| 3rd | Mirage Dancer | ||
| 2020 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Master Of Wine | 2 minutes 11.45 seconds |
| 2nd | Mustajeer | ||
| 3rd | Carif | ||
| 2019 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Red Cardinal | 2 minutes 8.37 seconds |
| 2nd | Rodrico | ||
| 3rd | Goathland | ||
| 2018 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Auvray | 2 minutes 3.72 seconds |
| 2nd | Libran | ||
| 3rd | Mackintosh | ||
| 2017 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Tavago | 2 minutes 3.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Antonio Giuseppe | ||
| 3rd | Allergic | ||
| 2016 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Sir John Hawkwood | 2 minutes 3.2 seconds |
| 2nd | Messene | ||
| 3rd | Who Shot Thebarman | ||
| 2015 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Hartnell | 2 minutes 2.6 seconds |
| 2nd | Opinion | ||
| 3rd | Hawkspur | ||
| 2014 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Entirely Platinum | 1 minute 55.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Midsummer Sun | ||
| 3rd | Desert Jeuney | ||
| 2013 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Julienas | 1 minute 56 seconds |
| 2nd | Lunayir | ||
| 3rd | Le Roi | ||
| 2012 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Single | 1 minute 56 seconds |
| 2nd | Southern Skye | ||
| 3rd | Flumicino | ||
| 2011 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Older Than Time | 1 minute 59.10 seconds |
| 2nd | Luen Yat Forever | ||
| 3rd | Syreon | ||
| 2010 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Bellagio Wynn | 1 minute 56.94 seconds |
| 2nd | Hadaaf | ||
| 3rd | Cousin Wal | ||
| 2009 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Kettledrum | 1 minute 56.76 seconds |
| 2nd | Brave Lancer | ||
| 3rd | Twin Wing | ||
| 2008 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Nuclear Sky | 1 minute 56.23 seconds |
| 2nd | Musket | ||
| 3rd | Bundoran Breeze | ||
| 2007 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Coalesce | 1 minute 57. 22 seconds |
| 2nd | Grand Zulu | ||
| 3rd | Prince Of Midnight | ||
| 2006 Sky High Stakes |
1st | County Tyrone | 1 minute 58.93 seconds |
| 2nd | No Wine No Song | ||
| 3rd | October Son | ||
| 2005 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Seul Amour | 1 minute 57.31 seconds |
| 2nd | Sunday Service | ||
| 3rd | Havana Wind | ||
| 2004 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Daniel’s The Man | 1 minute 56.12 seconds |
| 2nd | County Tyrone | ||
| 3rd | Striking Victory | ||
| 2003 Sky High Stakes |
1st | National Treasure | 1 minute 55.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Natural Blitz | ||
| 3rd | County Tyrone | ||
| 2002 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Restless | 1 minute 56.09 seconds |
| 2nd | Grampians | ||
| 3rd | Spirit Of Westbury | ||
| 2001 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Bello Signor | 1 minute 54.05 seconds |
| 2nd | The Druidess | ||
| 3rd | Cheverny | ||
| 2000 Sky High Stakes |
1st | Spysept | 1 minute 59.13 seconds |
| 2nd | Bombast | ||
| 3rd | Yippyio | ||
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