The 2016 HDF McNeil Stakes is a Group 3 contest raced annually at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne during the Melbourne spring racing carnival. Scheduled in late August it’s one of the preliminary black type events of the carnival with big ramifications for future events.

The HDF McNeil Stakes is specifically for three year olds and is raced under set weight conditions. The journey itself stretches for 1200m with $150,000 in prize money on offer to the winners.

The event is held on the Memsie Stakes Day card, a program that really starts to heat up the intensity of horse racing around the country.

Pretty much all the three year olds with ambitions of Group 1 glory later in the carnival will be back racing by the time of the HDF McNeil Stakes meaning there’s always a quality field assembled.

From this race there’s a host of options to be considered for horses of Group 3 ability right up to Group 1 types.

The Thousand Guineas Prelude is often used next up at Caulfield and that can lead into something like the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes as well.

Of course the Group 1 Thousand Guineas itself is another popular option as the first of the top echelon races, along with the Group 1 Crown Oaks for fillies.

Others on the list include the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas as well as the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Classic.

The biggest of the lot though comes towards the end of the carnival with the Group 1 Victoria Derby the pick of the lot.

Other races to watch out for in between include the likes of the Danehill Stakes and the AAMI Vase.

Given the horses which have passed through this race it’s no surprise to see such talented names printed on the HDF McNeil Stakes winners list.

Danzero won this race back in 1994 with Gold Ace getting up the next year in 1995.

Bel Esprit proved its class with a 2002 win and Miss Finland continued the trend in 2006.

After that Scenic Blast, Starspangledbanner and Sistine Angel have all won the HDF McNeil Stakes.