William Reid Stakes News

Schwarz Wins William Reid Stakes 2025

• Jimmysstar Heads 2025 William Reid Stakes Field & Odds
• Black Caviar Lightning 2025 Results: Skybird, Stretan Angel 1-2 in Upset
• 2024 William Reid Stakes Field & Betting: Imperatriz Set to Bounce Back
• 2024 Black Caviar Lightning Winner Imperatriz Too Good Again
• Imperatriz Heads 2023 William Reid Stakes Field & Odds

The William Reid Stakes is one of the quality Group 1 races held at the esteemed Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne. Formerly held on a Friday night at The Valley, the 2024 William Reid Stakes runs on a Saturday in March on the same day Sydney hosts its Golden Slipper Stakes Day card.

2025 William Reid Stakes Results

The John O’Shea & Tom Charlton trained four-year-old Schwarz ($5.50) finally started to live up to his lucrative purchase price when atoning for a last place effort in the CF Orr over 1400m leading all-the-way back down to 1200m at his pet Moonee Valley track to dominate the 2025 William Reid Stakes results.

Click here for the full story.

This 1200m sprint is conducted under weight-for-age conditions and offers prize money of $1,000,000 as of 2022.

William Reid Stakes Day features four other Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival Group races including the Group 2 $500,000 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) and the Group 2 $300,000 Sunline Stakes (1600m).

There are a number of excellent lead-up races held earlier in the Melbourne Autumn Carnival that serve as a good guide for you William Reid Stakes wagers.

The Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington is one such trial race punters should keep an eye on. That earlier race’s namesake, Black Caviar (2013), was the last sprinter to complete the Lightning – William Reid Stakes double before Imperatriz (2024). 

The other key lead-up race is the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) run down the famous Flemington straight a fortnight before. The Newmarket Handicap – William Reid Stakes double was last achieved by Sunlight (2019).

Imperatriz (2nd in 2024) was the last Newmarket Handicap graduate to back-up and win the William Reid Stakes.

In 2020 the same three horses filled the trifecta in both the Newmarket Handicap (Bivouac, Loving Gaby, Gytrash) and the William Reid Stakes (Loving Gaby, Gytrash, Bivouac).

The 2021 William Reid Stakes winner Masked Crusader went on to run second to Nature Strip in that spring’s The Everest race in Sydney, which is now worth $20 million.

The 2022 William Reid Stakes winner September Run came off a third in the Newmarket Handicap to post her first victory since the 2020 Coolmore Stud Stakes. She went on to frank the William Reid Stakes form running third next-up in Adelaide’s Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m). The William Reid Stakes runner-up Halvorsen further franked the form in Adelaide that season finishing second in the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m).

In 2023 the William Reid Stakes winner Imperatriz came off a Sydney lead-up having run second in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) leading up to her Moonee Valley Group 1 victory.

Imperatriz firmly franked the William Reid Stakes form going on to win her next four starts on the trot including Group 1 victories in the Moir Stakes, Manikato Stakes, and Champions Sprint.

Imperatriz returned in 2024 for a successful William Reid Stakes title defence as the $1.70 odds-on favourite claiming her 10th career Group 1 before a fourth in the TJ Smith Stakes in Sydney in what would turn out to be her career swansong.

The 2025 William Reid Stakes took place on Saturday March 22, 2025 at Moonee Valley and saw Schwarz ($5.50) celebrate his first Group 1 success with an impressive one-length victory for Tom Charlton & John O’Shea. 

2025 William Reid Stakes Finishing Order

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2025 William Reid Stakes Betting

The latest William Reid Stakes 2025 betting odds for the last of the Melbourne Autumn Group 1 races will be available at Ladbrokes.com.au throughout the season and also provided here at Races.com.au.

Sunline ($1.70 in 2019) and Imperatriz ($3.60 in 2023 and $1.70 in 2024) are the last favourites in William Reid Stakes betting to salute for the punters.

There was a huge result in 2022 with September Run ($17) defeating two $61 roughies home in a race where the odds-on favourite Marabi ran fifth.

2025 William Reid Stakes Form Guide

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 WILLIAM REID STAKES FORM GUIDE

2025 William Reid Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our exclusive William Reid Stakes 2025 Tips on the autumn sprint at The Valley.

Hard to bet against the airborne Jimmysstar in a far from vintage edition of the William Reid Stakes. Ciaron Maher’s Kiwi bred Per Incanto gelding has his first run at the tight Moonee Valley circuit but if he handles the course, he’s the winner. Still at a backable price to go back-to-back in Group 1 grade in Melbourne this prep following his impressive resuming win in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on Diamond Day in late Feb. Has been kept fresh with a month between runs and he’ll relish the 1200m now. He’s proven up to 1500m so the six-furlongs second-up looks ideal. Carries more weight up from 54.5kg in the Oakleigh to 58.5kg at WFA but he had over a length to spare on the line last time out from a wide alley (14). Gun gate two draw in a small nine-horse field on Saturday, made up ground in the Oakleigh and is fitter now with previous winning form second-up. Can win again.

2025 William Reid Stakes Field

Each autumn the William Reid Stakes field attracts a smart line-up of proven Group 1 sprinters out of earlier lead-up races including the Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket Handicap.

Horses out of the field may continue onto Sydney’s Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) the following weekend at Royal Randwick. Black Caviar (2013) was the last winner of the William Reid Stakes – TJ Smith Stakes double.

The 2025 William Reid Stakes field will be announced below the Tuesday before the race and published in full below.

The William Reid Stakes 2025 final field features a small but competitive field of nine with Jimmysstar coming off an Oakleigh Plate win fresh heading the markets.

Click here to read more on the key runners in the 2025 William Reid Stakes field and betting markets.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

William Reid Stakes Nominations

The official 2025 William Reid Stakes nominations close the Monday before the race and will be available right here once announced.

The William Reid Stakes 2025 nominations feature 16 top sprinters led in all-in betting by Ciaron Maher’s first-up Group 1 Oakleigh Plate champ on Blue Diamond Day Jimmysstar.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

William Reid Stakes History

The race is named after the renowned racehorse owner and banker William Reid. The race reached the peak of its prestige in 2005, and for two years was held as the second leg of the Global Sprint Challenge. It has now been replaced by The Age Classic.

First run in 1925, the William Reid Stakes was held over 6 furlongs until 1973 when Australia’s adoption of the metric system converted the distance to 1200m. Beginning as a Principal race, the William Reid Stakes reached group 2 status in 1980 and was finally elevated to its current Group 1 position in 1987. The race name was changed from the William Reid Stakes to the Australia Made Stakes in 1994 and then finally became known as the Australia Stakes from 1996 onwards. In 2010 the race name changed back to the William Reid Stakes.

A top-quality field of sprinters compete in the William Reid Stakes each year and notable winners include Masked Crusader (2021), The Valley specialist Loving Gaby (2020), Sunlight (2019), Black Caviar (2001 & 13), Apache Cat (2008 & 2009), Hareeba (1995), Redelva (1991), and Zeditave (1989).

Imperatriz (2023-24) is the last back-to-back William Reid Stakes champion.

Recent William Reid Stakes Winners