The 2017 Premiere Stakes is a Group 2 race held in Sydney as part of the Spring Carnival at [cf “racecourse”] Racecourse. A sprint over 1200m, the Premiere Stakes is worth [cf “prize_money”] and run under weight-for-age conditions.
The race was previously held in early August, and then on Gloaming Stakes Day, but moved to Epsom Handicap Day to complement a bumper all black-type race program. The date change has altered the usual lead up events that were usually associated with the Premiere Stakes but races such as the Group 3 Missile Stakes or Group 2 Warwick Stakes should attract a similar pool of horses.
The Premiere Stakes shares a race program with five other group events, the Group 1 Epsom Handicap, Group 1 The Metropolitan, Group 1 Flight Stakes, Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes and Group 3 Craven Plate.
Some excellent horses have competed in the Premiere Stakes and the date change should only add to the popularity of the event.
Kingston Town has to be one of the best ever champions of the Premiere Stakes when he won back in 1981.
Emancipation claimed the 1983 event while Joanne went back to back in 1991 / 1992.
Mr. Innocent was the next to claim two in a row with wins in 1999 and 2000.
More recently Triple Honour was crowned 2008 champion and in 2009 there was an unprecedented dead heat with Mentality and Kroner.
2010 champion Hot Danish captivated the crowds with a victory in what ultimately proved to be her final season before contracting a lethal leg infection.
