The 2019 Challenge Stakes are a Group 2 contest raced annually in March at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney. The race forms part of the Sydney autumn racing carnival, the feature period for the New South Wales capital.
The Challenge Stakes are a weight for age test making it an event only for the true leaders of the industry. The race itself is a 1000m sprint and worth $500,000 in prize money to the winners. It is usually held on the same card as the Group 1 Randwick Guineas.
Given the equal weights and the short trip the best horses seemingly always win the Challenge Stakes. It can sometimes be used as an early assignment ahead of tilts at the Group 2 Star Kingdom Stakes on Golden Slipper Day and ultimately even the Group 1 Galaxy towards the end of the carnival.
Some horses may even come to this after the Melbourne autumn with the Group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington providing the winner here on numerous occasions.
Previous winners of the Challenge Stakes include Cangronde with a double in 1997 and 1998 as well as Star Of Florida that did the same in 2003 and 2004.
Since then Snitzel triumphed in 2006 and Hay List won as a short priced favourite in 2011.