The 2018 Apollo Stakes Day results will be updated all afternoon at horseracing.com.au and we are now very close to the start of what is set to be an outstanding card at Royal Randwick.

The Apollo Stakes is the main attraction and the fact that there is no Winx in this field means that it is a very competitive betting race – there has been money for Addictive Nature ($3.80), Endless Drama ($4.60), Comin’ Through ($4.80), Global Glamour ($5) and Prized Icon ($6) in the betting market with Ladbrokes.

The best-backed runner on the entire card has been Deploy, who has been $3.10 into $1.90 to make a winning return to the races in the Southern Cross Stakes.

The action gets underway with the Highway Handicap and there are black-type races spread right across what is a truly fascinating day of racing.

2018 Apollo Stakes Day Results

Race 1 (12:45pm) – $60,000 Highway Handicap Results

Mate Story defied a big betting drift to win the 2018 Highway Handicap at Royal Randwick this afternoon.

Mate Story was $1.80 out to $3.70 with Ladbrokes ahead of the Highway Handicap, but he never looked like losing the race.

Jockey Jean Van Overmeire took Mate Story straight to the front in the early stages and he comfortably kicked clear of his rivals when asked for an extra effort.

• 1st – Mate Story
• 2nd – Fui San
• 3rd – Royal Villa

Race 2 (1:25pm) – $150,000 Pierro Plate Results

Santos recorded a maiden race win with an excellent victory in the 2018 Pierro Plate at Royal Randwick this afternoon.

It was Legend Of Condor that took up the running and Santos overraced outside the leader as Tim Clark struggled to get the I Am Invincible colt to settle.

It didn’t end up being a problem for Santos as he savaged the line when he was asked for an extra effort to stamp himself as a genuine Golden Slipper contender.

• 1st – Santos
• 2nd – Exceltic
• 3rd – Irish Bet

Race 3 (2:00pm) – $100,000 Fairfax & Roberts Jewellers Handicap Results

A deadheat was declared between Emperor’s Way and Almost Court in the Fairfax & Roberts Jewellers Handicap at Royal Randwick this afternoon.

Almost Court kicked clear at the top of the straight and looked home at the 100 metre mark, but Emperor’s Way savaged the line in the final stages to make things very interesting.

The judge was unable to split the pair and a deadheat was declared.

• 1st – Emperor’s Way (Deadheat)
• 1st – Almost Court (Deadheat)
• 3rd – Zourkhan

Race 4 (3:10pm) – $150,000 Southern Cross Stakes Results

After a dead heat in the third it was another close finish in the first Group race of Apollo Stakes Day with a drought-breaking win by the John O’Shea-trained Kaepernick.

Randwick track record holder Deploy was the short-priced favourite and right up on the early speed sitting second on the inside of the pace-setter Oxford Poet, with Big Money settled third the rails and Dothraki on his outside in the run.

Once on the straight the front-runners were quickly joined by those finishing strongly from further back including six-year-old Kaepernick, freshend-up after his close fourth to Viddora in mid-January’s Magic Millions Sprint on the Gold Coast.

Flying home fast down the outside with a huge run, Kaepernick held off Dothraki on the inside for the win as Boss Lane grabbed third and Deploy dropped out to finish last.

It was a long, sustained run by the winner in his first victory since a fresh win at Warwick Farm last October, the blinkers back on making all the difference.

• 1st – Kaepernick
• 2nd – Dothraki
• 3rd – Boss Lane 

Race 5 (3:45pm) – $100,000 Derucci Handicap Results

Quick Defence upstaged Malaise And The Pinnacle to score an upset win in the Derucci Handicap at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Punters did not give Quick Defence a chance in the Derucci Handicap, but he showed an outstanding turn-of-foot in the final stages of the race to finish over the top of his rivals.

Malaise produced another fighting effort to finish second, while The Pinnacle could finish no better than third.

• 1st – Quick Defence
• 2nd– Malaise
• 3rd – The Pinnacle

Race 6 (4:25pm) – $250,000 Group 2 Apollo Stakes Results

Endless Drama hit the front at the right time to take out the 2018 Apollo Stakes at Royal Randwick this afternoon.

Global Glamour returned to her best form and gave her rivals something to chase, but Endless Drama was finally able to wear her down in the shadows of the post to claim a maiden race win in Australia.

Comin’ Through and Prized Icon both hit the line nicely in performances that suggest they are both in for big Autumn campaigns.

• 1st – Endless Drama
• 2nd– Global Glamour
• 3rd – Comin’ Through

Race 7 (5:05pm) – $150,000 Group 3 Triscay Stakes Results

Faraway Town held-off a fast-finishing Zestful to win the Triscay Stakes at Royal Randwick this afternoon.

Jockey Tim Clark gave Faraway Town a peach of a ride and he timed his run to perfection on the Not A Single Doubt mare.

Zestful flew home in the concluding stages of the Triscay Stakes, but she was set too much of a task and Faraway Town was able to hold-on to record back-to-back wins.

• 1st – Faraway Town
• 2nd– Zestful
• 3rd – Raiment

Race 8 (5:45pm) – $200,000 Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes Results

Alizee justified her short-price to make a winning return to the races in the 2018 Light Fingers Stakes at Royal Randwick this afternoon.

It wasn’t a dominant win and Alizee was blocked for a run at a time, but she responded strongly when asked for an extra effort and should take plenty of improvement from that run.

Trainer James Cummings is yet to confirm his plans with Alizee, but she has been included in the nominations for a host of Group 1 races during the 2018 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

• 1st – Alizee
• 2nd– Shumookh
• 3rd – Torvill

Race 9 (6:20pm) – $100,000 Mostyn Copper Ground Handicap Results