The Canterbury Stakes is a Group 1 thoroughbred race held every autumn in Sydney at Randwick Racecourse. Run over 1300 metres and worth a total of $500,000 in prizemoney, this event has a long history in Sydney that stretches back to 1929. The Canterbury Stakes is for horses three years old and up, and is run alongside the Group 1 Randwick Guineas.

The Canterbury Stakes started its life over 6 furlongs on 1929, a distance roughly the equivalent of 1200 metres in the modern measurement. It officially became a 1200 metre event in 1973, growing to a 1300 metre event in 2004. The Canterbury Stakes was run over 1550 metres in 2008, before moving back to 1300 metres in 2009.

This event only recently received Group 1 status in 2013, after being a Group 2 race between 1979 and 2012 and a Principal race before that. The Canterbury Stakes has also been through a number of venue changes over the years, run at Canterbury between 1929 and 1996, Rosehill between 1997 and 1999, Canterbury again between 2000 and 2003, Rosehill again between 2004 and 2007, Canterbury in 2008, and Rosehill for a third time from 2009 onwards.

The Canterbury Stakes has been won by a number of notable horses over the years, including inaugural winner Amounis in 1929, Chatahm in 1933, Shannon in 1947, Baguette in 1971, Manikato in 1982, Emancipation in 1983, Placid Ark in 1987, and All Our Mob in 1997. Pierro won the 2013 event ahead of More Joyous in second place and Solzhenitsyn in third.

Typically a good lead up race to the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes, the Canterbury Stakes and George Ryder double was won by Pierro in 2013. A few outstanding horses have also managed to win this event more than once, including San Domenico in 1950 and 1951, Sky High in 1961 and 1962, and More Joyous in 2011 and 2012.