3 minute read

The McEwen Stakes run at Moonee Valley on Saturday has been moved this year.

Imperatriz was a brilliant winner last year. Who adds their name to the honour roll in the 2024 McEwen Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday?

2024 MCEWEN STAKES - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The McEwen Stakes is a Group 2 race run under Weight For Age conditions for open class sprinters at Moonee Valley conducted by the Moonee Valley Racing Club.

The McEwen Stakes was run over 1000m but it is now 1200m and moved to Cox Plate day. It was first run in 1995 and was won by Sequalo.

The 1995 and 2007 races were run at Caulfield.

The McEwen Stakes has kept progressing from unlisted all the way to being a Group 2 in 2013.

Ian McEwen is a past Secretary of the Moonee Valley Racing Club and the race was named in his honour.

The McEwen Stakes was the first of three main sprints at Moonee Valley in the Spring. The others being the G1 Moir Stakes and the G1 Manikato Stakes but it is now the last of them.

The McEwen Stakes was worth $300,000 in 2024.

Kuroshio won the race as a three year old.

Some of the great sprinters of the last 20 years have won this race. 12 of the last 18 are Group 1 winners if you include 2021 winner The Inferno who was a Singapore G1 winner of the Lion City Cup and Singapore Guineas.

Imperatriz broke the 1000m track record in blowing past the Everest winner Giga Kick in 2023.

Notable winners of the McEwen Stakes include Imperatriz (2023), Rothfire (2022), Bella Vella (2020), Nature Strip (2018), Russian Revolution (2017), Chautauqua (2015), Bel Sprinter (2012), Buffering (2011), Hay List (2010), Nicconi (2009), Here De Angels (2007), Miss Andretti (2006), Yell (2003), Mistegic (2002), Testa Rossa (2000), Flavour (1998) and Sequalo (1995).

The 2023 McEwen Stakes was won by Imperatriz from Rothfire and Giga Kick.