The Lightning Stakes is a 1000 metre weight-for-age race run by the Victoria Racing Club over the straight course at Flemington and is the only Group 1 race in Australia over 1000 metres. The race is held at the end of January or early February each year and is normally the first Group 1 race for the calendar year.
Race Type: Group 1, Open WFA
Distance: 1000m
Track: Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Victoria
Date: 5 Feb 2011
Lightning Stakes Racing Odds – Click Here
The Lightning Stakes was first run in 1955 over a distance of 5 furlongs (about 1006 metres) when it was won by Gay Vista. The distance changed to 1000 metres in 1973 when Australia adopted metric measurements.
The race was classified as a Principal race from 1955 to 1979, then became a Group 2 in 1980. In 1987 it was upgraded to a Group 1 race and has a special place as Australia’s shortest Group 1 race. It is normally run at Flemington, but in 2007 it was held at Moonee Valley due to major track renovations at Flemington.
Top class sprinters often tackle the Lightning Stakes as part of their preparation for the Newmarket Handicap over 1200 metres, which is usually run 5 weeks later. In between many of the best sprinters will also run in the Oakleigh Plate over 1100 metres which is held at Caulfield on Blue Diamond Stakes Day, three weeks after the Lightning Stakes. Only two horses have ever won the Lightning Stakes, Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket Melbourne sprint treble and they were Schillachi in 1992 and Placid Ark in 1987.
In 2005 the Lightning Stakes was made the first leg of the Global Sprint Challenge which began in that year. It consists of eight Group 1 sprint races across Australia, England, Japan and Hong Kong. Hong Kong horse Cape of Good Hope came third that year and went on to win the Global Sprint Challenge. Recent Lightning Stakes winners have continued on to win Group 1 sprint races on the international circuit including Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007) Apache Cat (2008) and Scenic Blast (2009).
Past winners of the Lightning Stakes:
| Year | Winner | Second | Third |
| 2010 | Nicconi | Wanted | Shellscrape |
| 2009 | Scenic Blast | Typhoon Zed | Grand Duels |
| 2008 | Apache Cat | Swick | Stanzout |
| 2007 | Miss Andretti | Magnus | Ticklish |
| 2006 | Takeover Target | God’s Own | Cape Of Good Hope (GB) |
| 2005 | Fastnet Rock | Alinghi | Cape Of Good Hope (GB) |
| 2004 | Regimental Gal | Our Egyptian Raine | Mistegic |
| 2003 | Choisir | Spinning Hill | Azevedo |
| 2002 | Spinning Hill | Mistegic | Chong Tong |
| 2001 | Sports | Black Bean | Easy Rocking |
| 2000 | Testa Rossa | Falvelon | Magic Music |
