The Underwood Stakes is an 1800 metre weight-for-age race for horses three-years-old and over run by the Melbourne Racing Club. It is held at Caulfield in September on the same day as the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and is the first Group 1 race day of Melbourne spring racing.
Race Type: Group 1, 3YO & Up WFA
Distance: 1800m
Track: Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Victoria
Date: 18 Sep 2010
Underwood Stakes Racing Odds – Click Here
The Underwood Stakes was first held over 8 furlongs (about 1600 metres) in 1924 and was won by Whittier who returned to win again in 1925. Over the years it has had many changes in distance and venue and was even run twice in 1944. It was held at Williamstown Racecourse from 1924 to 1938 and then was shuffled between Caulfield, Flemington and Moonee Valley until it settled at Caulfield in 1948. It has been run over 7, 8, 9 and 10 furlongs and became an 1800 metre race in 1994.
Lead-up races are the Makybe Diva Stakes (previously Craiglee Stakes) over 1600 metres and the Memsie Stakes over 1400 metres. The unusual middle distance of 1800 metres gives horses an excellent opportunity to step up in distance from 1400 and 1600 metre races in preparation for the 2000 and 2400 metre races later in the carnival, and this race is a good early guide to the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate. The winner is exempt from ballot for the Caulfield Cup.
This a race that quality horses win, as evidenced by over a dozen horses who have won the Underwood Stakes – Cox Plate double in the same year. The most recent was Northerly who did it twice (2001 and 2002) although other horses have won in different years. Maldivian ran 4th in the Underwood in 2008 and went on to win the Cox Plate, while El Segundo won the Underwood in 2006 and the Cox Plate in 2007.
Underwood Stakes winners Jeune (1994) and Rain Lover (1969) both won the Melbourne Cup, while Elvstroem (2004), Mummify (2003), Northerly (2002), Tristarc (1985), How Now (1976), Sobar (1972) and Gay Icarus (1971) all won the Caulfield Cup. Other notable winners include Octagonal, Rubiton, Bonecrusher, So Called, Tobin Bronze, Lord, Ajax, Phar Lap and Heroic.
Past winners of the Underwood Stakes:
| Year | Winner | Second | Third |
| 2009 | Heart Of Dreams | Whobegotyou | Predatory Pricer |
| 2008 | Weekend Hussler | Pompeii Ruler | Littorio |
| 2007 | Rubiscent | Miss Finland | Marasco |
| 2006 | El Segundo (NZ) | Polar Bear (GB) | Molotov |
| 2005 | Perlin (NZ) | Our Smoking Joe | She’s Justa Tad (NZ) |
| 2004 | Elvstroem | She’s Archie | Delzao |
| 2003 | Mummify | Grey Song | Ain’t Seen Nothin’ |
| 2002 | Northerly | Magical Miss | Don Eduardo (NZ) |
| 2001 | Notherly | Universal Prince | Kaapstad Way (NZ) |
| 2000 | Olver Twist | Skoozi Please (NZ) | Kaapstad Way (NZ) |
