Australia Stakes

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The Australia Stakes, formerly William Reid Stakes, is a Group 1 Australian thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1200 metres at Moonee Valley Racecourse, Melbourne in February. Prizemoney in 2006 is $AUD400,000.

Since 2005 it has been the second leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, preceded by the Lightning Stakes and followed by the King's Stand Stakes. From 2007, however, the Australia Stakes is to be replaced in the series by the Newmarket Handicap.

In 2005, Cape of Good Hope became the first overseas runner to win this race.

[edit] Race history

1925 - 1972 held over 6 furlongs (1207.0 m)
1973 onwards held over 1200 m

1925 – 1979 was a Principal Race
1980 – 1986 was a Group 2
1987 onwards Group 1

1925 - 1993 the race was known as the ‘William Reid Stakes’
1994 - 1995 the race was known as the ‘Australia Made Stakes’
1996 onwards the race has been called the ‘Australia Stakes’.