Regal Roller Stakes

See the 2023 Regal Roller Stakes Preview and results.

See the 2022 Regal Roller Stakes Preview and results.

See the 2020 Regal Roller Stakes Preview and results.

The race was first run in 2010 when it was won by Jeuneyman, and has always been a Listed race over 1200m. It is held on P B Lawrence Stakes day which is the first Group 2 race of the racing season in Melbourne. Other feature events on the day are the Group 3 Vain Stakes for three-year-old colts and geldings, and the Group 3 Quezette Stakes for three–year-old fillies. Winners of the Regal Roller tend to go on and win Group races in the spring – 2019 winner Begood Toya Mother won the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, 2018 winner Osborne Bulls won the Group 2 The TAB Stakes and 2017 winner Vega Magic won the Memsie Stakes.

The Regal Roller is the first leg of the MRC Everest series. The second leg is the Group 3 The Heath held a fortnight later, and the third leg is the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes held in late September. Winners of each of the three legs will each receive a place in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes in October, exempt from any ballot. The connections of the winner of the Schillaci Stakes are then offered a “Win and you’re In” place in The Everest, Australia’s richest turf race, which is held on the same day as the Caulfield Cup.

Regal Roller was a chestnut gelding foaled on 2 November 1999.  He won 12 of his 38 starts and is best remembered for his fantastic run of 4 consecutive wins at Caulfield in the spring of 2004 where he won the JJ Liston Stakes (now the PB Lawrence Stakes), the Memsie Stakes, the Dubai Racing Club Cup (now the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes) and the Toorak Handicap before running 5th in the Cox Plate.  Jockey Mark Flaherty rode him for all 4 wins. He returned in the autumn of 2005 to win the Futurity Stakes.

He loved Caulfield and raced there 21 times for 9 wins. His last race was in the Orr Stakes of 2006 and after that he was retired to Living Legends.

Last mare to win; Thy (2013)

Multiple winners: none

Fastest time (1200m): Setinum (2015) 1:09:68

Regal Roller Stakes & Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes: Begood Toya Mother (2019);

Regal Roller Stakes & The TAB Stakes: Osborne Bulls (2018);

The Goodwood & Regal Roller Stakes: Vega Magic (2017);

Regal Roller Stakes & Memsie Stakes: Vega Magic (2017);

Leading jockeys: Ben Melham with 2 wins (Freereturn 2012; Bel Sprinter 2011).

Leading trainers: Jason Warren with 2 wins (Freereturn 2012; Bel Sprinter 2011)

Interesting trivia: The combination of trainer Jason Warren and jockey Ben Melham are the only ones to have won this race more than once.

Winners of past Regal Roller Stakes include many horses that go on to win Group 1 races.