The 2017 Villiers Stakes is one of the final black types event held at Royal Randwick in the calendar year and is in fact one of the very last stakes events anywhere in the country.

In a period where the horse racing spotlight is focussed on Perth the Villiers Stakes keeps Sydney racing ticking over ahead of the holiday period.

The race itself is a Group 2 event run under quality handicap conditions. It is locked in for the Saturday either directly before or two before Christmas day. The Villiers Stakes is a 1600m assignment which suits horses capable of running out a strong mile.

The Villiers Stakes is traditionally held at Randwick Racecourse but the 2011 event was moved due to renovation works being conducted at that circuit. Today, it is conducted on the inner-track of Randwick, known as Kensington.

The race always attracts an interesting field of horses which are usually still kicking on from a spring campaign. It would be unusual for a horse to be first up into a race like this given the spring has just finished and it’s somewhat of a standalone feature.

What that has created is a tough event for a the true battlers which can still plug along at a good rate even deep into their preparations.

Having said that if the mile is on the shorter end of a horses capabilities then the Group 3 Summer Cup over 2400m could be an option on Boxing Day.

Takeover Target ran in this race back in 2008 alongside fellow Group 1 champion Alverta.

They were both overshadowed though, the unfancied Honour Of War beating them both to the line.

Other notable winners of the Villiers Stakes include Spot The Rock in 1989, Touch Of Force in 1996, Referral in 1998 and On A High in 2003.

2017 Villiers Stakes Field

It’s worth noting that there have been some very handy horses in the Villiers Stakes field, in fact even the odd superstar. Because it’s held right at the end of the racing season, most of the horses who contest the Villiers Stakes field will likely head to the paddock for a spell following this race.

The 2017 Villiers Stakes field will be provided below.

2017 Villiers Stakes Nominations

The Villiers Stakes nominations will be released on the Monday prior to the race. You can almost always find some Group 1 winners in the Villiers Stakes nominations, largely because it’s a popular target at the end of many horses’ campaigns.

The 2017 Villiers Stakes nominations & weights will be published below.

Villiers Stakes Results

Villiers Stakes winners and place getters since 2000 with winning times are listed below.