Journalists Wandering Eyes Posted March 4 Journalists Share Posted March 4 Odds Bookmakers News Field Past Winners Challenge Stakes Group Two Betting Guide Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025 Location: Randwick Racecourse – Sydney, New South Wales Prize Money: $500,000 Distance: 1000m The Challenge Stakes is a Group 2 weight-for-age sprint over 1000m, held by the Australian Turf Club at Randwick. First run in 1906, the Challenge Stakes is Sydney’s premier 1000m race, and has been part of the autumn carnival since 2003, serving as a key lead-up to the Group 1 Galaxy (1100m) and Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m). Originally a handicap until 1979, the Challenge Stakes has seen two triple winners — Razor Sharp (1982-84) and At Sea (1985-87) — along with 10 dual winners, including English (2016/17), Eduardo (2021/22), and Passive Aggressive (2023/24). Notable past winners of the Challenge Stakes include Wenona Girl, Snippets, Show County, Hay List, Redzel, and Nature Strip. Eduardo broke the Randwick track record, running 55.20, when winning the Challenge Stakes in 2021. The 2024 Challenge Stakes, worth $500,000, was won by Passive Aggressive, defeating Zapateo and Aft Cabin. 2025 Challenge Stakes betting odds Passive Aggressive ridden by Jordan Childs takes out the 2024 Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Randwick. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au Odds for the Challenge Stakes as of March 3 – Courtesy of Neds Mazu Win $2.80 Place $1.36 Headwall Win $6.00 Place $2.00 I Am Me Win $6.00 Place $2.00 Kimochi Win $6.00 Place $2.00 Uncommon James Win $6.00 Place $2.00 Dragonstone Win $9.00 Place $2.60 Kallos Win $11.00 Place $3.00 Way To The Stars Win $11.00 Place $3.00 Jedibeel Win $21.00 Place $5.00 Shelby Sixtysix Win $101.00 Place $21.00 How to bet on the Challenge Stakes Being a strong betting race, any bookmaker that doesn’t offer the markets on the Challenge Stakes well in advance of the event is leaving money on the table. 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Challenge Stakes News Passive Aggressive goes back-to-back in Challenge Stakes Australia horse racing news 12 months ago Grahame Begg and Jordan Childs have combined with Passive Aggressive to take out the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Randwick … Read More Randwick full racing preview & quaddie tips | Saturday, March 9 Horse Racing Tips 12 months ago The Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) headlines a bumper 10-race card at Randwick this Saturday. See our free betting tips … Read More Passive Aggressive gets the head down in Challenge Stakes Australia horse racing news 2 years ago It was a ding-dong battle down the straight at Royal Randwick as Passive Aggressive got the verdict in a grandstand … Read More Punt Drunk: Nature Strip stunned by bolt from the blue Australia horse racing news 3 years ago It was an epic weekend of racing which saw a last-start Highway winner beat home The Everest champion – we … Read More Eduardo goes back to back in Challenge Stakes Australia horse racing news 3 years ago The Joseph Pride-trained Eduardo has claimed the Challenge Stakes for a second year in a row, but was given a … Read More Punt Drunk: Bring on Nature Strip vs Eduardo Australia horse racing news 3 years ago The Punt Drunk team brings you some of the more interesting stories in racing at the minute, including Chautauqua’s ‘reappearance’ … Read More 2025 Challenge Stakes Final Field HorseBetting will update this page when the 2025 Challenge Stakes final field is released on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. Previous Challenge Stakes Fields 2024 Challenge Stakes field No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Private Eye Joseph Pride Nash Rawiller 7 58.5kg 2 Mazu Joseph Pride Jason Collett 3 58.5kg 3 Remarque Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Tommy Berry 1 58.5kg 4 Aft Cabin James Cummings James McDonald 2 58.5kg 5 Zapateo James Cummings Kerrin McEvoy 4 56.5kg 6 Passive Aggressive Grahame Begg Jordan Childs 5 56.5kg 7 How’s The Serenity Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Tyler Schiller 6 56.5kg 2024 Challenge Stakes result https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-Randwick-09032024-Group-2-Challenge-Stakes-Passive-Aggressive-Grahame-Begg-Jordan-Childs.mp4 1st – Passive Aggressive (+650) 2nd – Zapateo (+390) 3rd – Aft Cabin (NTD) Recent runnings of the Challenge Stakes: 2024: Passive Aggressive returns to racing in style After almost a full calendar year off the scene and a brief stint as a broodmare, Passive Aggressive ($8.00) made a triumphant return to racing, claiming back-to-back victories in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m). The Grahame Begg-trained mare won this race impressively in 2023, before finding Group 1 company in the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) too testing and was retired shortly after being unable to make an impact in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville. She was unable to get into foal while standing as a broodmare, and the decision was made to return to racing. It was a patient steer aboard the daughter of Fastnet Rock, with Jordan Childs sliding across to find a midfield position one horse off the rail throughout the 1000m journey, as Zapateo ($19.00) found herself in an unfamiliar front-running role. Aft Cabin ($6.00) and Remarque ($5.00) got into lovely positions behind the speed, while the race favourite Private Eye ($2.20) was slightly slow away, with Nash Rawiller making the decision to take him towards the rear of the field. Passive Aggressive rounded up her rivals with relative ease with 200m to go, while Aft Cabin never got clear running between gallopers. 2023: Passive Aggressive denies Eduardo hattrick It was a ding-dong battle down the straight at Royal Randwick as Passive Aggressive got the verdict in a grandstand finish of the Group 2 Challenge Stakes. Trained by Graeme Begg and steered by jockey Jordan Childs for his only ride of the day, the first-up mare produced an electric turn-of-foot to storm to line in a photo finish with multiple Challenge Stakes winner, Eduardo. It was the affectionately known ‘Special Eddy’ Eduardo who lead them up as the firming favourite looking for his third success in the race for trainer Joseph Pride and the nine-year-old almost pinched the race turning for home. Passive Aggressive under a terrific ride from Jordan Childs stalked the speed and came across from the wide draw, timing his run to perfection. 2022: Eduardo makes all The Joseph Pride-trained Eduardo made it back-to-back wins in the Challenge Stakes, leading all of the way in the 1000m dash, beating a fast-finishing Shelby Sixtysix, while Nature Strip disappointed back in third. Just four horses went around in the Group 2 event, with Nature Strip ($1.70) and Eduardo ($2.20) dominating the betting, however there was nearly a boilover as last-start Highway winner Shelby Sixtysix surged into second at massive odds. The winning trainer said that jockey Nash Rawiller wanted to ride Eduardo a bit faster compared to last year, and while it paid off, it nearly brought the dual Group 1 winner undone. Previous winners of the Challenge Stakes Challenge Stakes Past Winners Year Horse Jockey Trainer 2024 Passive Aggressive Jordan Childs Grahame Begg 2023 Passive Aggressive Jordan Childs Grahame Begg 2022 Eduardo Nash Rawiller Joseph Pride 2021 Eduardo Nash Rawiller Joseph Pride 2020 Nature Strip James McDonald Chris Waller 2019 Ball Of Muscle Glyn Schofield Joseph Pride 2018 Redzel Kerrin McEvoy Peter & Paul Snowden 2017 English Blake Shinn Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 2016 English Tommy Berry Gai Waterhouse 2015 Miracles Of Life Hugh Bowman Paul Snowden 2014 Villa Verde James McDonald Anthony Cummings 2013 Snitzerland Corey Brown Gerald Ryan 2012 Rain Affair Corey Brown Joseph Pride 2011 Hay List Glyn Schofield John McNair 2010 De Lightning Ridge Glyn Schofield Joseph Pride 2009 Olonana Tim Clark John O’Shea 2008 Hurried Choice Jeff Lloyd David Payne 2007 Spark Of Life Zac Purton Allan Denham 2006 Snitzel Craig Newitt Gerald Ryan 2005 Impaler Dale Spriggs David Atkins 2004 Star Of Florida Patrick Payne Pat Duff 2003 Star Of Florida Patrick Payne Pat Duff 2002 Bomber Bill Damien Oliver Russell Cameron 2001 Pimpala Prince Shane Treweek Gordon Yorke 2000 Easy Rocking Darren Beadman Ron Quinton Challenge Stakes winners pre-2000 Challenge Stakes Past Winners Pre 2000 Year Horse 1999 Ab Initio 1998 Cangronde 1997 Cangronde 1996 Light Up The World 1995 Moss Rocket 1994 Classic Magic 1993 Spanish Mix 1992 All Archie 1991 Lightning Bend 1990 Show County 1989 Groucho 1988 Snippets 1987 At Sea 1986 At Sea 1985 At Sea 1984 Razor Sharp 1983 Razor Sharp 1982 Razor Sharp 1981 Steel Blade 1980 Acamer 1979 Christole 1978 Monreale 1977 Crimson Cloud 1976 River Ridge 1975 Zephyr Bay 1974 War Island 1973 Bounty 1972 Playbill 1971 Farlara 1970 Constant Rhythm / Biarritz Star 1969 Gay Gauntlet 1968 Dawn Boy 1967 Gay Gauntlet 1966 Tar Girl 1965 Time And Tide 1964 The Tempest 1963 Wenona Girl 1962 Rush Bye 1961 Gili 1960 Olympiad 1959 Huntly 1958 Dubbo 1957 My Kingdom 1956 Apple Bay 1955 Gay Vista 1954 Tarien 1953 Apex 1952 True Leader 1951 Donegal 1950 San Domenico 1949 San Domenico 1948 Gay Monarch 1947 Brazier 1946 Felbeam 1945 Felbeam 1944 Yaralla 1943 Gold Salute 1942 High Caste 1941 Caesar 1940 High Caste 1939 Bradford 1938 Hammer Head 1937 Silver Rose 1936 Heritor 1935 The Marne 1934 Air Queen 1933 Captivation 1932 Golden Gate 1931 Casque D’Or 1930 Venetian Lady 1929 Whitta 1928 Greenline 1927 Don Moon 1926 Quixotic 1925 The Hawk 1924 Laneffe 1923 Duke Isinglass 1922 Sir Maitland 1921 Maltgilla 1920 Aries 1919 Sydney Damsel 1918 Bonnie Plume 1917 Wedding Day 1916 Quinn’s Post 1915 Ninfia 1914 Golden Hop 1913 Golden Hop 1912 Pride Of Murillo 1911 Poi Dance 1910 Fille Fogi 1909 Neith 1908 Lord Merv 1907 Queen’s Court 1906 The Pet Recommended! 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