GEORGE MAIN STAKES News Stories

The George Main Stakes, currently known by its sponsor's name as the Colgate Optic White Stakes, is a Group One race held over a distance of 1,600 metres at Royal Randwick Racecourse. 

Named after George Main, a former chairman of the Australian Jockey Club (AJC), the race is run under Weight-for-Age conditions over the famous mile of Randwick. With a long run on the back straight before the first turn, jockeys have ample opportunity to find a good spot and give their mount every chance to flash home for first place.

With a prize purse of $1,000,000, the George Main Stakes has become a lucrative race to win. However, it's not just the prize money that is up for grabs, with the winner awarded exemption from a ballot and granted automatic entry into the Group One Epsom Handicap. The Epsom is run over the same course and is the natural follow-up for horses that have run well in the George Main.

However, the George Main stakes is also used as a lead-up race for stayers targeting big races like the Caulfield Cup and even the Melbourne Cup. Wily punters look for back markers who are running on strong over the mile at Randwick as a good indication of bright prospects to come in spring.

Some quality horses have won the race in the past decade, including the likes of More Joyous, Sincero and Kermadec. But the 2016 and 2017 editions were dominated by the might mare Winx, who in 2018 will again contest the race, looking to become the first ever horse to win the race three times.