The Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes is a 1200m sprint for 2YO fillies held on Verry Elleegant Stakes Day leading up to the Golden Slipper Stakes.
2025 Sweet Embrace Stakes Results
- 1st: #1 Within The Law
- 2nd: #5 Bellazaine
- 3rd: #11 Snitzel Miss
Sweet Embrace Stakes News
The Sweet Embrace Stakes is a Group 2 sprint for two-year-old fillies run over 1200m at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Verry Elleegant Stakes Day (formerly Chipping Norton Stakes Day) in late February or early March during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
2025 Sweet Embrace Stakes Results
- 1st: #1 Within The Law ($5.50)
- 2nd: #5 Bellazaine
- 3rd: #11 Snitzel Miss
The Inglis Millennium form was further franked at Randwick on Saturday with Bjorn Baker’s filly, Within The Law ($5.50), improving on her lead-up second to come with a ripping late run to charge down the leader Bellazaine and narrowly salute in the 2025 Sweet Embrace Stakes results ahead of the Golden Slipper on March 22. The win, which handed jockey Jason Collett a Group 2 double on the day, came one race after the Inglis Millennium winning colt Rivellino won the Skyline Stakes to also race into Golden Slipper contention.
Sweet Embrace Stakes 2025 Odds & Results
Tab Sweet Embrace Stakes (G2)
| Runner Details | Win | Place |
|---|---|---|
|
1st
1. Within The Law (11)
J: Jason Collett 55.5kg
T: Bjorn Baker |
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|
2nd
5. Bellazaine (2)
J: Tim Clark 55.5kg
T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
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|
3rd
11. Snitzel Miss (8)
J: James McDonald 55.5kg
T: Chris Waller |
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|
4th
13. Autumn Blonde (6)
J: Ashley Morgan 55.5kg
T: John Sargent |
||
|
5th
3. Artistic Venture (12)
J: Ronan Whelan 55.5kg
T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton |
||
|
6th
6. Open Secret (1)
J: Reece Jones 55.5kg
T: John P Thompson |
||
|
7th
8. Karinska (3)
J: Tyler Schiller 55.5kg
T: Chris Waller |
||
|
8th
2. Memo (7)
J: Kerrin McEvoy 55.5kg
T: Peter Snowden |
||
|
9th
7. Price Tag (10)
J: Josh Parr 55.5kg
T: Anthony & Sam Freedman |
||
|
10th
15. Wootton Lass (9)
J: Nash Rawiller 55.5kg
T: John Sargent |
||
|
11th
14. You're The Choice (4)
J: Alysha Collett 55.5kg
T: Brad Widdup |
||
|
12th
10. Deep Affection (5)
J: Jay Ford 55.5kg
T: John P Thompson |
Data retrieved: 07/04/2025 02:07:28 PM (Australia/Brisbane)
The Sydney meeting is headlined by the weight-for-age Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) and the recently upgraded Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) for three-year-old fillies. Chipping Norton Stakes Day also features a number of other Group status support races including the Sweet Embrace Stakes and the colts & geldings equivalent – the Group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m).
Both the Skyline Stakes and the Sweet Embrace Stakes offer $300,000 in prize money as of 2024 and a ballot exemption to the winner into the Group 1 $5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m).
The last fillies to win the Sweet Embrace Stakes – Golden Slipper double were Crystal Lily (2010) and Fireburn (2022).
Fillies may come into the Sweet Embrace Stakes field via other two-year-old autumn races including the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) run at Rosehill the Saturday before or the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) also held at Rosehill but in late January.
After the Sweet Embrace Stakes Stakes the two-year-old fillies may have another Golden Slipper Stakes lead-up in the following Saturday’s Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) run at Royal Randwick.
The $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m) held at the track a fortnight earlier also serves as a potential lead-up for Inglis graduates. In 2023 Lazzago improved on a fourth in the Inglis Millennium to win the Sweet Embrace Stakes.
Within The Law (2nd) was the last Inglis Millennium graduate to back up and win the Sweet Embrace Stakes.
In 2018 the Sweet Embrace Stakes winner Seabrook went on to win the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) later that autumn.
The 2022 Sweet Embrace Stakes form was franked with the winner Fireburn going on to win both the Golden Slipper as well as the Group 1 Inglis Sires’ (1400m) that autumn before a second in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m). The Sweet Embrace runner-up She’s Extreme finished second in the Sires’ before turning the tables to win the Champagne Stakes. She’s Extreme further franked the form that spring with a host of top three runs in Group 1 company before her win in the VRC Oaks at Flemington.
The 2024 Sweet Embrace Stakes winner Manaal ran fifth in the Golden Slipper but franked that form with a subsequent win in the Inglis Sires’.
The 2025 Sweet Embrace Stakes ran on Saturday March 1, 2025 as a key Golden Slipper lead-up and was won in a fast-finishing photo-thriller by the Bjorn Baker trained Within The Law ($5.50).
| Sweet Embrace Stakes 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday March 1, 2025 |
| Track: | Royal Randwick Racecourse |
| Distance: | 1200m |
| Race Type: | Set Weights / 2YO Fillies |
| Status: | Group 2 |
| Prize Money: | $300,000 |
2025 Sweet Embrace Stakes Finishing Order
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | WITHIN THE LAW | Bjorn Baker | Jason Collett | 11 | 55.5kg | $5.50 | |||
| 2 | 5 | BELLAZAINE | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 0.01L | 2 | 55.5kg | $3.60F | ||
| 3 | 11 | SNITZEL MISS | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 0.77L | 8 | 55.5kg | $5 | ||
| 4 | 13 | AUTUMN BLONDE | John Sargent | Ashley Morgan | 0.99L | 6 | 55.5kg | $91 | ||
| 5 | 3 | ARTISTIC VENTURE | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Ronan Whelan | 1.05L | 12 | 55.5kg | $31 | ||
| 6 | 6 | OPEN SECRET | John Thompson | Reece Jones | 1.8L | 1 | 55.5kg | $19 | ||
| 7 | 8 | KARINSKA | Chris Waller | Tyler Schiller | 1.91L | 3 | 55.5kg | $19 | ||
| 8 | 2 | MEMO | Peter Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 3.05L | 7 | 55.5kg | $5 | ||
| 9 | 7 | PRICE TAG | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Joshua Parr | 7.26L | 10 | 55.5kg | $9.50 | ||
| 10 | 15 | WOOTTON LASS | John Sargent | Nash Rawiller | 7.94L | 9 | 55.5kg (cd 56kg) | $14 | ||
| 11 | 14 | YOU’RE THE CHOICE | Brad Widdup | Ms Alysha Collett | 8.63L | 4 | 55.5kg | $101 | ||
| 12 | 10 | DEEP AFFECTION | John Thompson | Jay Ford | 10.3L | 5 | 55.5kg | $151 | ||
| 4 | INKARUNA | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Regan Bayliss | 0 | ||||||
| 12 | TUPAKARA | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Chad Schofield | 0 | ||||||
| 9 | MARHOONA | Michael Freedman | Tommy Berry | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2025 Sweet Embrace Stakes Betting
The current season’s Sweet Embrace Stakes 2025 betting odds on the fillies heading towards the Golden Slipper Stakes field will be available here at Races.com.au as soon as released at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Four Moves Ahead ($2.70 in 2021) and Manaal ($2.05 in 2024) are the latest favourites in Sweet Embrace Stakes betting to win.
2025 Sweet Embrace Stakes Form Guide
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 SWEET EMBRACE STAKES FORM GUIDE
2025 Sweet Embrace Stakes Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Sweet Embrace Stakes 2025 Tips on the autumn showdown for fillies this February.
- To Win: #5 Bellazaine ($4.20 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Bellazaine was unplaced on debut when seventh in the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes here last October but showed huge improvement on that fresh to break her maiden status with a Listed Lonhro Plate win over 1000m first-up. She won that by a half-length with 54kg and gets the chance to go back-to-back in a field featuring a few still untested 2YO fillies. Goes up to 55.5kg with Tim Clark riding but is drawn for a dream run in barrier three and brings the confidence of that last start win with the fitness edge now.
2025 Sweet Embrace Stakes Field
Each autumn the Sweet Embrace Stakes field attracts a line-up of promising two-year-old fillies eyeing a run in the Golden Slipper Stakes field in a fortnight’s time.
The official 2025 Sweet Embrace Stakes field and barriers are set for release by Racing NSW on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below.
The Sweet Embrace Stakes 2025 final field features a big line-up of potential Golden Slipper bound fillies led in betting by Chris Waller’s Group 3 Widden Stakes third placegetter Snitzel Miss.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 112 | WITHIN THE LAW | Bjorn Baker | Jason Collett | 12 | 55.5kg | |||
| 2 | 3×232 | MEMO | Peter Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 8 | 55.5kg | |||
| 3 | 43 | ARTISTIC VENTURE | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Ronan Whelan | 14 | 55.5kg | |||
| 4 | 1 | INKARUNA | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Regan Bayliss | 15 | 55.5kg | |||
| 5 | 7×1 | BELLAZAINE | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 3 | 55.5kg | |||
| 6 | 16 | OPEN SECRET | John Thompson | Reece Jones | 1 | 55.5kg | |||
| 7 | 34×27 | PRICE TAG | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Joshua Parr | 11 | 55.5kg | |||
| 8 | 1 | KARINSKA | Chris Waller | Tyler Schiller | 4 | 55.5kg | |||
| 9 | 1 | MARHOONA | Michael Freedman | Tommy Berry | 2 | 55.5kg | |||
| 10 | 000 | DEEP AFFECTION | John Thompson | Jay Ford | 6 | 55.5kg | |||
| 11 | 3 | SNITZEL MISS | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 9 | 55.5kg | |||
| 12 | 47x | TUPAKARA | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Chad Schofield | 13 | 55.5kg | |||
| 13 | 0x3 | AUTUMN BLONDE | John Sargent | Ashley Morgan | 7 | 55.5kg | |||
| 14 | 2 | YOU’RE THE CHOICE | Brad Widdup | Ms Alysha Collett | 5 | 55.5kg | |||
| 15 | WOOTTON LASS | John Sargent | Nash Rawiller | 10 | 55.5kg | 56.5kg |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2025 Sweet Embrace Stakes Nominations
Early nominations for the Sweet Embrace Stakes in 2025 close the Monday of race week and will be updated here once announced.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 43 | ARTISTIC VENTURE | F | 2 | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | |
| 2 | 0x3 | AUTUMN BLONDE | F | 2 | John Sargent | |
| 3 | 7×1 | BELLAZAINE | F | 2 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | |
| 4 | 25 | DAPHNES | F | 2 | James Cummings | |
| 5 | 000 | DEEP AFFECTION | F | 2 | John Thompson | |
| 6 | 2 | DREAM SIDE | F | 2 | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | |
| 7 | 1 | INKARUNA | F | 2 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | |
| 8 | 1 | KARINSKA | F | 2 | Chris Waller | |
| 9 | LADY PANKHURST | F | 2 | John Sargent | ||
| 10 | 1 | MARHOONA | F | 2 | Michael Freedman | |
| 11 | 3×232 | MEMO | F | 2 | Peter Snowden | |
| 12 | 16 | OPEN SECRET | F | 2 | John Thompson | |
| 13 | 34×27 | PRICE TAG | F | 2 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | |
| 14 | 87x | QUEEN OF CLUBS | F | 2 | Gary Portelli | |
| 15 | 3 | SNITZEL MISS | F | 2 | Chris Waller | |
| 16 | STRADA VARENNA | F | 2 | Bjorn Baker | ||
| 17 | 47x | TUPAKARA | F | 2 | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | |
| 18 | 112 | WITHIN THE LAW | F | 2 | Bjorn Baker | |
| 19 | WOOTTON LASS | F | 2 | John Sargent | ||
| 20 | 2 | YOU’RE THE CHOICE | F | 2 | Brad Widdup |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Sweet Embrace Stakes History
The Sweet Embrace Stakes is named in honour of the 1967 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Sweet Embrace who scored an upset breaking her maiden status in the classic at odds of 40/1. The race was first run in 1979 as a Listed event. It gained Group 3 status in 1987 before being elevated to its current Group 2 status from 2013 onwards.
The event has taken place at a number of different racetracks around Sydney including Canterbury Park, Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick.
Notable Sweet Embrace Stakes winners include subsequent Golden Slipper winners Dark Eclipse (1980), Ha Ha (2001), Crystal Lily (2010), and Seabrook (2018).
Recent Sweet Embrace Stakes Winners
See below for a list of Sweet Embrace Stakes winners and placegetters dating back to 2000.
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Within The Law | 1 minute 09.51 seconds |
| 2nd | Bellazaine | ||
| 3rd | Snitzel Miss | ||
| 2024 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Manaal | 1 minute 10.37 seconds |
| 2nd | Fly Fly | ||
| 3rd | Extreme Diva | ||
| 2023 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Lazzago | 1 minute 10.76 seconds |
| 2nd | Facile | ||
| 3rd | Blanc De Blanc | ||
| 2022 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Fireburn | 1 minute 15.18 seconds |
| 2nd | She’s Extreme | ||
| 3rd | Lady Laguna | ||
| 2021 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Four Moves Ahead | 1 minute 10.50 seconds |
| 2nd | She’s All Class | ||
| 3rd | Mallory | ||
| 2020 Sweet Embrace Stakes | Hungry Heart | 1 minute 9.64 seconds | |
| 2nd | Stellar Pauline | ||
| 3rd | Dismissal | ||
| 2019 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Anaheed | 1 minute 9.72 seconds |
| 2nd | Still Single | ||
| 3rd | Let It Pour | ||
| 2018 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Seabrook | 1 minute 10.96 seconds |
| 2nd | Fiesta | ||
| 3rd | Into The Abyss | ||
| 2017 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | One More Honey | 1 minute 12.28 seconds |
| 2nd | Arctic Angel | ||
| 3rd | Teaspoon | ||
| 2016 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Scarlet Rain | 1 minute 9.5 seconds |
| 2nd | In The Vanguard | ||
| 3rd | Tale Of Choice | ||
| 2015 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Always Allison | 1 minute 10.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Speak Fondly | ||
| 3rd | Tibrogargan Miss | ||
| 2014 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Believe Yourself | 1 minute 11.2 seconds |
| 2nd | Twirl | ||
| 3rd | Tetsuko | ||
| 2013 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Romantic Moon | 1 minute 10.0 seconds |
| 2nd | Thump | ||
| 3rd | Greytfilly | ||
| 2012 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Jade Marauder | 1 minute 11.2 seconds |
| 2nd | Valerio | ||
| 3rd | Kyria | ||
| 2011 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Shared Reflections | 1 minute 9.5 seconds |
| 2nd | Streama | ||
| 3rd | Pane In The Glass | ||
| 2010 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Crystal Lily | 1 minute 9.0 seconds |
| 2nd | Ambers Waltz | ||
| 3rd | Zutara | ||
| 2009 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Headway | 1 minute 11.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Lovemelikearock | ||
| 3rd | Horizons | ||
| 2008 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Stripper | 1 minute 11.0 seconds |
| 2nd | Glowlamp | ||
| 3rd | Samantha Miss | ||
| 2007 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Chinchilla Rose | 1 minute 10.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Vecchia Roma | ||
| 3rd | Moonboat | ||
| 2006 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Universal Queen | 1 minute 11.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Tuesday Joy | ||
| 3rd | Pure Energy | ||
| 2005 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Carry On Cutie | 1 minute 10.5 seconds |
| 2nd | Media | ||
| 3rd | Flion Fenea | ||
| 2004 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Burning Sands | 1 minute 11.9 seconds |
| 2nd | All Knowledge | ||
| 3rd | Written By Xaar | ||
| 2003 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Legally Bay | 1 minute 10.0 seconds |
| 2nd | How Funny | ||
| 3rd | Bella Corona | ||
| 2002 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Victory Vein | 1 minute 9.9 seconds |
| 2nd | Chuckle | ||
| 3rd | Calaway Gal | ||
| 2001 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Ha Ha | 1 minute 11.0 seconds |
| 2nd | Moonflute | ||
| 3rd | Palais | ||
| 2000 Sweet Embrace Stakes |
1st | Dynamic Love | 1 minute 11.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Tyrolean | ||
| 3rd | Ateates | ||
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