The ATC Chairman's Handicap is a staying event held during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival at Royal Randwick on Day 1 of 'The Championships - Doncaster Mile Day.
2024 Chairman's Quality Results
- 1st: #11 Circle Of Fire
- 2nd: #4 Hopeful
- 3rd: #12 Double Cherry
ATC Chairman’s Handicap News
The ATC Chairman’s Handicap is a 2600m staying event held at Sydney’s Randwick Racecourse on the first Saturday in April as part of the opening day of ‘The Championships’.
Doncaster Mile Day features four Group 1 status races led by the Group 1 $4 million Doncaster Mile (1600m) as well as a number of Group 2 and 3 status races including the Chairman’s Handicap, also known as the Chairman’s Quality.
Worth $300,000 in prize money, the Group 2 quality handicap has a minimum weight of 52kg and a high weight of 61kg. It is a lead-up race to the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) and the winner of the Chairman’s Handicap is exempt from ballot and penalty for the Sydney Cup.
The Sydney Cup is run one week later at the same Royal Randwick track and The Offer (2014) was the latest horse when becoming the eighth to complete the Chairman’s Handicap – Sydney Cup double.
In 2016 the Chairman’s Handicap winner Libran went on to run second next-up in the Sydney Cup, while in 2017 Big Duke won the Chairman’s before a third in the Sydney Cup. More recently, the 2019 Sydney Cup winner Shraaoh improved on a lead-up Chairman’s Quality second before taking out the two mile classic. The following year, the 2020 Chairman’s winner Raheen House backed-up and finished a brave third in the Sydney Cup trifecta.
The 2021 Chairman’s Quality form was franked with the runner-up Rondinella going on to finish second in that year’s Sydney Cup quinella.
In 2022 Knights Order improved on a lead-up second in the Chairman’s Quality to win the Sydney Cup next start for the Waterhouse/Bott stable. He further franked the form that spring returning to run third in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) in Melbourne.
The Chairman’s Quality 2024 ran on Saturday April 6, 2024 at Royal Randwick as a last minute Sydney Cup lead-up and was won narrowly by Ciaron Maher’s progressive import Circle Of Fire ($3.60F).
| 2024 ATC Chairman’s Handicap | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday April 6, 2024 |
| Track: | Randwick Racecourse, Sydney |
| Distance: | 2600m |
| Race Type: | Quality Handicap |
| Status: | Group 2 |
| Prizemoney: | $300,000 |
2024 ATC Chairman’s Quality Results
- 1st: #11 Circle Of Fire ($3.60F)
- 2nd: #4 Hopeful
- 3rd: #12 Double Cherry
A quick back-up into the Sydney Cup field looks likely for the up-and-coming Ciaron Maher-trained import Circle Of Fire ($3.60F) who was strong late mowing down his rivals and saluting for the punters in the 2024 Chairman’s Quality results.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Dylan Gibbons (a) | 8 | 53kg | $3.60F | |||
| 2 | 4 | HOPEFUL (FR) | Annabel Neasham | Jason Collett | 0.44L | 7 | 54.5kg | $8.50 | ||
| 3 | 12 | DOUBLE CHERRY (IRE) | Annabel Neasham | Tom Sherry | 1.63L | 4 | 53kg | $12 | ||
| 4 | 9 | SO DAZZLING (NZ) | John Sargent | Ms Rachel King | 3.35L | 9 | 53kg | $16 | ||
| 5 | 2 | STOCKMAN (NZ) | Joseph Pride | Reece Jones | 3.68L | 5 | 58.5kg | $4.20 | ||
| 6 | 1 | LOFT (GER) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Mark Zahra | 7.53L | 10 | 59kg | $26 | ||
| 7 | 6 | ZEGALO (IRE) | Mike Cattell | Ron Stewart | 7.67L | 2 | 54kg | $81 | ||
| 8 | 13 | FUNAMBULIST (IRE) | Annabel Neasham | Declan Bates | 7.83L | 1 | 53kg | $14 | ||
| 9 | 8 | VERONA (NZ) | Ciaron Maher | Ms Jamie Kah | 8.07L | 3 | 53kg | $3.80 | ||
| 10 | 14 | MARSABIT (IRE) | Danny Williams | Quayde Krogh | 11.39L | 6 | 53kg | $31 | ||
| 3 | MANZOICE | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd (a) | 0 | ||||||
| 7 | REGAL LION (NZ) | Annabel Neasham | Michael Dee | 0 | ||||||
| 10 | YANKEE HUSSEL | Kris Lees | Craig Williams | 0 | ||||||
| 5 | TORRENS | Marc Chevalier | Ms Jenny Duggan | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2024 ATC Chairman’s Handicap Betting Odds
The season’s latest ATC Chairman’s Handicap 2024 betting odds online provided by Ladbrokes.com.au will be available below for Races.com.au readers complete with market links.
There was a notable upset in 2022 with Nerve Not Verve winning the event at Chairman’s Quality odds of $26. Nerve Not Verve returned to run a close third in the 2023 Chairman’s Quality results that were led by the Chris Waller-trained outsider Surefire at $17.
Circle Of Fire ($3.60 in 2024) was the last favourite in Chairman’s Quality betting to win.
CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2024 CHAIRMAN’S QUALITY ODDS (Final Field)
2024 ATC Chairman’s Handicap Form
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2024 CHAIRMAN’S QUALITY FORM GUIDE
2024 ATC Chairman’s Handicap Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Chairman’s Quality 2024 Tips on the Randwick staying showdown this April.
- To Win: #11 Circle Of Fire ($4 at time of publish) – BET NOW
The Chairman’s Stakes is shaping up to be a competitive race, and Circle Of Fire has emerged as a leading contender. The Ciaron Maher-trained import has steadily tightened in the betting and offers value despite being the current favourite. He comes into the race fit after a two consistent fourth-place finishes, each time carrying significantly more weight against weaker competition. His latest effort saw him narrowly miss the placings behind Wymark, a top elect in this Saturday’s ATC Derby. Circle Of Fire enjoys a significant weight reduction (from 60.5kg to 53kg) and gets the in-form Dylan Gibbons aboard following his Tancred Stakes win last weekend. While his winning form extends only to a mile, consider some of his longer-distance runs before arriving in Australia.
2024 ATC Chairman’s Handicap Field
The Chairman’s Handicap field attracts a smart line-up of Sydney Cup-bound stayers and many horses come via an earlier Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival run in a traditional lead-up race like Rosehill’s Group 3 NE Manion Cup (2400m) held a fortnight before.
The official 2024 Chairman’s Quality Field is set for release on Wednesday April 3, 2024 and will be published in full below.
The Chairman’s Quality 2024 final field features a line-up of last minute Sydney Cup hopes including the progressive Ciaron Maher-trained import Circle Of Fire and Chris Waller’s NE Manion Cup runner-up last time out Manzoice.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2x11x2x770 | LOFT (GER) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Mark Zahra | 14 | 59kg | 103 | ||
| 2 | 40194×0736 | STOCKMAN (NZ) | Joseph Pride | Reece Jones | 6 | 58.5kg | 102 | ||
| 3 | 0x800x8852 | MANZOICE | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd (a) | 8 | 56.5kg | 98 | ||
| 4 | 0020x006x6 | HOPEFUL (FR) | Annabel Neasham | Jason Collett | 9 | 54.5kg | 94 | ||
| 5 | 0004235287 | TORRENS | Marc Chevalier | Ms Jenny Duggan | 13 | 54.5kg | 94 | ||
| 6 | x531686050 | ZEGALO (IRE) | Mike Cattell | 3 | 54kg | 65 | |||
| 7 | 169×099852 | REGAL LION (NZ) | Annabel Neasham | Michael Dee | 1 | 53kg | 90 | ||
| 8 | x094139x79 | VERONA (NZ) | Ciaron Maher | Ms Jamie Kah | 4 | 53kg | 88 | ||
| 9 | 00x7059x00 | SO DAZZLING (NZ) | John Sargent | Ms Rachel King | 12 | 53kg | 85 | ||
| 10 | x574611107 | YANKEE HUSSEL | Kris Lees | Craig Williams | 11 | 53kg | 81 | ||
| 11 | 31x2343x44 | CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Dylan Gibbons (a) | 10 | 53kg | 79 | ||
| 12 | x412x00x01 | DOUBLE CHERRY (IRE) | Annabel Neasham | Tom Sherry | 5 | 53kg | 76 | ||
| 13 | 4x861322x5 | FUNAMBULIST (IRE) | Annabel Neasham | Declan Bates | 2 | 53kg | 69 | ||
| 14 | 00698×9950 | MARSABIT (IRE) | Danny Williams | Quayde Krogh | 7 | 53kg | 65 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2024 ATC Chairman’s Handicap Nominations
The ATC Chairman’s Handicap nominations 2024 will be published below as soon as released by Racing NSW on Monday April 1, 2024.
Nominations extended until 11:00am (AEDT) – 02/04/2024
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31x2343x44 | CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) | H | 4 | Ciaron Maher | 79 |
| 2 | x02312x673 | DANISH FORTUNE | G | 6 | Darren McLeod | 85 |
| 3 | x412x00x01 | DOUBLE CHERRY (IRE) | G | 5 | Annabel Neasham | 76 |
| 4 | 0020x006x6 | HOPEFUL (FR) | G | 7 | Annabel Neasham | 94 |
| 5 | 2x11x2x770 | LOFT (GER) | G | 6 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 103 |
| 6 | 0x800x8852 | MANZOICE | G | 4 | Chris Waller | 98 |
| 7 | 00698×9950 | MARSABIT (IRE) | G | 6 | Danny Williams | |
| 8 | 8021110×67 | NORMANDY BRIDGE (FR) | G | 6 | Ciaron Maher | 98 |
| 9 | 038x212x51 | RATTLE AND HUM (IRE) | G | 4 | Michael Freedman | 70 |
| 10 | 169×099852 | REGAL LION (NZ) | G | 5 | Annabel Neasham | 90 |
| 11 | 00x7059x00 | SO DAZZLING (NZ) | M | 4 | John Sargent | 85 |
| 12 | 40194×0736 | STOCKMAN (NZ) | G | 7 | Joseph Pride | 102 |
| 13 | 0004235287 | TORRENS | H | 7 | Marc Chevalier | 94 |
| 14 | x094139x79 | VERONA (NZ) | M | 5 | Ciaron Maher | 88 |
| 15 | x574611107 | YANKEE HUSSEL | M | 4 | Kris Lees | 81 |
| 16 | x531686050 | ZEGALO (IRE) | G | 7 | Mike Cattell | 65 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
ATC Chairman’s Handicap History
The Chairman’s Handicap first recorded win was in 1979 by Lady Dignitas. Since then, No Wine No Song has been the only horse to win the event in two consecutive years in 2007 and 2008. Steel Phoenix has also won the event twice in 1999 and 2001, as did Tremec (2013 & 2015).
The race started in 1979 as a Group 3 race and reached its current Group 2 status for the first time in 2002 when Henderson Bay won. It was run over 2600m from 1979 – 1999, but from 2000 – 2003 ran over a shorter distance of 2400m. It has been back up to 2600m since 2004.
See below for the full list of ATC / AJC Chairman’s Handicap results going back to 2000.
Past Chairman’s Handicap Winners
Year |
Place |
Horse |
Time |
| 2024 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Circle Of Fire | 2 minutes 46.12 seconds |
| 2nd | Hopeful | ||
| 3rd | Double Cherry | ||
| 2023 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Surefire | 2 minutes 52.45 seconds |
| 2nd | Gin Martini | ||
| 3rd | Nerve Not Verve | ||
| 2022 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Nerve Not Verve | 2 minutes 51.96 seconds |
| 2nd | Knights Order | ||
| 3rd | Luncies | ||
| 2021 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Quick Thinker | 2 minutes 45.45 seconds |
| 2nd | Rondinella | ||
| 3rd | Paths Of Glory | ||
| 2020 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Raheen House | 2 minutes 47.85 seconds |
| 2nd | Carif | ||
| 3rd | Mirage Dancer | ||
| 2019 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Gallic Chieftain | 2 minutes 47.95 seconds |
| 2nd | Shraaoh | ||
| 3rd | Semari | ||
| 2018 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Sir Charles Road | 2 minutes 41.57 seconds |
| 2nd | Ventura Storm | ||
| 3rd | Peribsen | ||
| 2017 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Big Duke | 2 minutes 52.49 seconds |
| 2nd | Aloft | ||
| 3rd | Rock On | ||
| 2016 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Libran | 2 minutes 48.13 seconds |
| 2nd | Alegria | ||
| 3rd | Café Society | ||
| 2015 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Tremec | 2 minutes 49.40 seconds |
| 2nd | Sir John Hawkwood | ||
| 3rd | Grand Marshal | ||
| 2014 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | The Offer | 2 minutes 51.63 seconds |
| 2nd | Tremec | ||
| 3rd | Hippopus | ||
| 2013 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Tremec | 2 minutes 44.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Blood Brotha | ||
| 3rd | Aliyana Tilde | ||
| 2012 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Permit | 2 minutes 41.9 seconds |
| 2nd | Older Than Time | ||
| 3rd | Nextanix | ||
| 2011 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Once Were Wild | 2 minutes 43.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Anudjawun | ||
| 3rd | C’est Le Guerre | ||
| 2010 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Jessicabeel | 2 minutes 44.6 seconds |
| 2nd | No Wine No Song | ||
| 3rd | Harris Tweed | ||
| 2009 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st |
Divine Rebel |
2 minutes 45.91 seconds |
| 2nd | Ice Chariot | ||
| 3rd | Common Objective | ||
| 2008 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | No Wine No Song | 2 minutes 49.84 seconds |
| 2nd | Sky Biscuit | ||
| 3rd | Resolution | ||
| 2007 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | No Wine No Song | 2 minutes 48.19 seconds |
| 2nd | Prince Arthur | ||
| 3rd | Magic Instinct | ||
| 2006 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Fooram | 2 minutes 45.06 seconds |
| 2nd | Three Chimneys | ||
| 3rd | Cross Bar | ||
| 2005 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Philosophe | 2 minutes 51.13 seconds |
| 2nd | Padfoot Charlie | ||
| 3rd | County Tyrone | ||
| 2004 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Mummify | 2 minutes 47.77 seconds |
| 2nd | County Tyrone | ||
| 3rd | Saturday Fever | ||
| 2003 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Grey Song | 2 minutes 32.44 seconds |
| 2nd | Honor Babe | ||
| 3rd | County Tyrone | ||
| 2002 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Henderson Bay | 2 minutes 29.79 seconds |
| 2nd | Homewrecker | ||
| 3rd | Asia | ||
| 2001 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Steel Phoenix | 2 minutes 32.06 seconds |
| 2nd | Giovana | ||
| 3rd | Wellington | ||
| 2000 Chairman’s Handicap |
1st | Pravda | 2 minutes 31.25 seconds |
| 2nd | Consolidator | ||
| 3rd | Regal Touch | ||
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