RANVET STAKES News Stories

The Ranvet Stakes is a Group One run over a distance of 2,000 metres on Golden Slipper day. It is one of the five Group Ones contested on the day, contributing to the only race day of the year when five Group Ones are run.

The race was first contested back in 1903 as the Rawson Stakes, named after the then Governer of NSW. After a short period where the race was known as the Segenhoe Stakes, its moniker was changed to the Ranvet Stakes in 1991, which has remained since.

Like with most Weight for Age middle distance Group Ones in Australia, the Ranvet Stakes boasts a prestigious honour roll of past champions. Grand Armee, Super Impose, Gunsynd, Tulloch, Bernborough and Poseidon all triumphed in the race.

Gai Waterhouse has a particularly good record in the race, having trained the winner on seven different occasions. In fact, she won the race for four consecutive years from 2007 to 2010, but has not trained the winner since.

As well as being a top race in its own right, the Ranvet is used as a stepping stone onto more lucrative middle distance and staying races in the Sydney Autumn Carnival. Winning horses generally go to the Tancred Stakes, held a week later over 2,400 metres at Rosehill, or line up for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick, which is run at the same 2,000-metre distance.

And while the Ranvet Stakes has generally been a race for favourites, a boilover is not out of the question. We saw this in 2011, when Zavite saluted at odds of 100/1.