Ranvet Stakes

The Ranvet Stakes is a $400 000 Group 1 weight for age race for horses aged three years or older. It is run over 2000m at Rosehill every March.

Registered as the Rawson Stakes, it is an enigma as a race – it generally gets a top class lineup, but it is more of a trial for other races, namely the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) and the Group 1 The BMW (2400m).

First run in 1903 when it was won by Great Scot, it was originally run at nine furlongs (1800m). It was reduced to seven and a half furlongs (1500m) in 1963, before being stretched out to 1750m upon the introduction of metric distances in 1973. It was then extended to 2000m in 1979, where it remains today.

There are plenty of notable winners in the honour roll of the Ranvet Stakes. These include Poseidon (1908), Malt King (1911, 1912), Wolaroi (1919), Artilleryman (1920), Furious (1923), Limerick (1927, 1928), Nightmarch (1930), Lough Neagh (1933, 1936, 1937), Peter Pan (1935), Beau Vite (1941), Bernborough (1946), Columnist (1947, 1948), Redcraze (1957), Tulloch (1958), Wenona Girl (1961, 1964), Sky High (1962, 1963), Gunsynd (1971, 1973), Balmerino (1976), Marceau (1978, 1979), Hyperno (1981), Beau Zam (1989), Better Loosen Up (1990), Super Impose (1991), Veandercross (1993), Tie The Knot (2000, 2001), Eremein (2006), Desert War (2007) and Theseo (2009, 2010).

In 2011, the handicapping stayer Zavite caused a surprise when he held off Caulfield Cup winner Descarado with Hawk Island third, while 2012 saw Manighar defeat Rangirangdoo and Shoot Out. Manighar became the first horse to win the Australian Cup-Ranvet Stakes-The BMW treble.

The traditional form lines for the Ranvet Stakes are the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) and the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m), both run two weeks before. The last horse to have come from a different race was Gold Guru, who came from the Group 1 Australian Guineas when it was run over 2000m in 1998. The year before, Arkady came into the race having won the Queanbeyan Cup at his previous start.

Eight horses have won both the Ranvet Stakes and The BMW in the same year – Alibhai (1985), Myocard (1987), Beau Zam (1988), Stony Bay (1995), Tie The Knot (2000), Eremein (2006), Tuesday Joy (2008) and Manighar (2010).

It can also be a lead up to the Doncaster Mile – the last to do the double was Super Impose (1991), while the last Doncaster Mile winner to come through the Ranvet was Sacred Choice in 2011.