The Tancred Stakes 2019 is a Group 1 race held each year in April at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse. Worth over $1.5 million, the BMW Stakes is run under weight-for-age conditions over a distance of 2,400 metres. Throughout the years the BMW Stakes has been previously known as the H.E. Tancred Stakes, the Tancred Cup and the Mercedes Classic.

The BMW Stakes attracts the some of the best stayers in Australia and is often contested by a number of New Zealand horses each year. The first BMW Stakes was held in 1963 when Maidenhead won the title. Originally run over a distance of 12 furlongs, the BMW Stakes was held over a 10 furlong distance for one year in 1964. The distance then became 2,400 metres in 1973 and in 1980 the BMW Stakes received Group 1 status.

As one of Australia’s richest weight-for-age event, the BMW Stakes is held as part of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival a week after Golden Slipper Day. The BMW Stakes is held alongside the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) as well as the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m), Group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1500m), Group 3 TL Baillieu Handicap (1400m), Group 3 Doncaster Prelude (1500m), Group 3 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) and Group 3 Sebring Stakes (1200m).

The Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) is the key lead up race to The BMW Stakes each year and many horses attempt to complete the double each year. Horses that have managed to win the BMW Stakes and Ranvet Stakes in the same year include Tie The Knot (2000), Eremein (2006), Tuesday Joy (2008) and Manighar (2012).

The BMW Stakes has lost some of its prestige in recent years, but the race was previously one of the most anticipated races on the Australian racing calendar and has been won by some genuine champions. Hyperno scored his first major race win in The BMW Stakes and went on to win the Group 1 Orr Stakes, Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m), while The BMW Stakes was one of fourteen Group 1 events that equine superstar Kingston Town won during his incredible racing career.  Bonecrusher added his name to The BMW Stakes honour roll in 1986, but it was in the 1990s that Group 1 event really became the race for champions; with Octagonal (1996 and 1997), Might And Power (1998) and Tie The Knot (2000) all recording wins in the race. While, The BMW Stakes has become overshadowed by other races during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival in recent years, it has still been won by the likes of Ethereal (2002), Makybe Diva (2005) and Fiveandahalfstar (2013).

The fastest running of the BMW Stakes was in 2004 when Grand Zulu won the race in a time of 2 minutes and 25.78 seconds, while Shane Dye holds the record for the most wins in The BMW Stakes for a jockey after triumphing on Dr. Grace (1991), Stony Bay (1995), Octagonal (1997) and Tie The Knot (1999 & 2000).

Blutigeroo was the most heavily weighted horse (since 1970) to win the BMW Stakes when he carried 59 kilograms in 2007, while Major Battle won the race with the lightest weight (since 1970) when he carried just 48 kilograms in 1976. The BMW Stakes has been won by the majority of the leading trainers in Australia, but John Hawkes has been the most successful in the past thirty years; winning the race with Octagonal (1996 and 1997), Freemason (2003) and Fiumicino.

Tancred Stakes Field 2019

The 2018 The Tancred Stakes field will be released on Wednesday before the race runs on Saturday March 25th. The winner of the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) receives ballot exempt entry into the The BMW, while the winner of The BMW receives automatic entry into the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) that will be held at Royal Randwick during The Championship.

The 2019 Tancred Stakes field is provided here.

2019 Tancred Stakes Nominations

The 2019 Tancred Stakes nominations will be published below.

Find below the winners and placings since 2000 for The BMW Stakes.

The BMW Winners & Results