Matron Stakes
The Matron Stakes is a Group 3 race for mares held annually each March at Flemington racecourse in Melbourne during the Melbourne autumn racing carnival. The race is run over a distance of 1600 metres and run under set weight & penalty conditions with prize money of $150,000. The 2020 Matron Stakes was won by Paint The Town Two from Bam's On Fire with Fidelia third.
Taking place on the Victoria Racing Club's Super Saturday of racing, the Matron Stakes is held alongside two $1,000,000 races, the Group 1 Australian Cup & Group 1 Newmarket Handicap, and known as the 'Schweppervescence Trophy' in recent years.
Matron Stakes info
| Date: | Saturday 6th March 2021 |
| Track: | Flemington racecourse, Melbourne |
| Distance: | 1600 metres |
| Race Type: | Mares - Set Weights + Penalty |
| Status: | Group 3 |
| Prize Money: | $150,000 |
| 2020 Winner: | Paint The Town Two |
The Matron Stakes is a handy group race for mares over the mile that tends to attract improving types or emerging mares on the up, and the set weight & penalty conditions of the race suits the better females entered for the event.
Races such as the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes at Caulfield in February or the Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes at Flemington earlier in the month are good lead up races to this event as they are both run under the same set weight and penalty conditions, except the Matron Stakes is raced over an extra 200 metres. Bonaria (2014) was the last mare to claim the Mannerism Stakes & Matron Stakes double.
Mares contesting this event may also tackle a race like the Group 2 Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley on Group 1 William Reid Stakes night and both Text'n Hurley (2nd in 2014) Spirit Song (2nd in 2013) went on to win the Sunline Stakes after finishing runner-up in this race, while Bippo No Bungus (3rd in 2014) ran second behind Text'n Hurley in the Sunline Stakes. Spirit Song has an affinity with both these races as she also managed the Matron Stakes & Sunline Stakes double the previous year in 2012.
Interestingly enough, ill-fated mare Pinker Pinker (2011) won this race in the autumn before going on to win the Group 1 WS Cox Plate at Caulfield the following spring. Fenway (4th in 2015) travelled to Sydney to win the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill after running fourth here.
Paint The Town Two (2020) finished runner-up to Fabric in a Fillies & Mares BM84 race over 1600m at Flemington before scoring a narrow victory in this event for the Bevan Laming stable.
Recent Matron Stakes winners include Spanish Reef (2018-2019) and Circular (2017).
2020 Matron Stakes result
1. $26.00 Paint The Town Two 54.0 Jamie Kah
2. $7.50 Bam's On Fire 54.0 Dwayne Dunn
3. $5.50 Fidelia 54.0 Brett Prebble
then followed
4. $7.50 Fabric 54.0 Craig Williams
5. $41.00 Cryptic Jewel 54.0 William Pike
6. $3.90 Spanish Reef 58.5 Damian Lane
7. $16.00 Neighbourhood 54.0 Michael Dee
8. $10.00 Bonvicini 56.0 John Allen
9. $21.00 My Pendant 54.0 Regan Bayliss
10. $5.50 Greysful Glamour 57.0 Ben Melham
Margins: 0.10 len, 0.75 len
Time: 1:36.12
Super Saturday of Racing at Flemington also features the Group 2 Kewney Stakes and Group 2 VRC Sires Produce Stakes.
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Matron Stakes winners & placegetters
| Year | Winner | 2nd | 3rd | Time |
| 2020 | Paint The Town Two | Bam's On Fire | Fidelia | 1:36.1 |
| 2019 | Spanish Reef | Naantali | Pure Scot | 1:36.2 |
| 2018 | Spanish Reef | Samovare | Jester Halo | 1:35.7 |
| 2017 | Circular | Zasorceress | Miss Rose De Lago | 1:35.7 |
| 2016 | Felicienne | Metaphorical | Alaskan Rose | 1:35.9 |
| 2015 | Noble Protector | Marianne | Set Square | 1:34.7 |
| 2014 | Bonaria | Text'n Hurley | Bippo No Bungus | 1:36.1 |
| 2013 | Bonaria | Spirit Song | Hi Belle | 1:37.0 |
| 2012 | Spirit Song | Marveen | Seduced | 1:35.0 |
| 2011 | Pinker Pinker | Platinum Scissors | Gail | 1:36.4 |
| 2010 | Response | Delta Gee | Midnight Wine | 1:37.7 |
| 2009 | Fifth Avenue Lady | Divine Rebel | Princess Marizza | 1:39.2 |
| 2008 | Translate | Trick Of Light | Like It Is | 1:37.1 |
| 2007 | Like It Is | Danevade | Brockman's Lass | 1:38.2 |
| 2006 | Umber | Maxerelle | Astrodame | 1:36.2 |
| 2005 | Uprize | Songs Of Vienna | Hidden Strings | 1:36.3 |
| 2004 | Ruling Eyes | Star Of Grechen | Sweet Corn | 1:36.5 |
| 2003 | Lady Knockout | Class Eulogy | Rose Archway | 1:37.7 |
| 2002 | La Zoffany | Tyrolean | Sylvaner | 1:42.3 |
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