First run in 1968 and previously featured on Caulfield Cup Day, the Group 3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes enters an exciting new era in 2025.
This year the race boasts a significant prizemoney increase to $1,000,000, a date shift, and a new name – THE MOVE TO STRIKE THOROUGHBRED CLUB STAKES - reflecting its growing stature as the premier Spring Sprint for three year old fillies.
Previous winners of the race include Group 1 stars such as Sunlight, Earthquake and Platelet. The Melbourne Racing Club and The Thoroughbred Club are proud to announce a new partnership with Lovatsville first season sire Move To Strike, marking the next chapter in the race’s evolution.
The $1,000,000 feature joins a blockbuster Caulfield program on November 15, alongside the $1,000,000 Sportsbet C.F. Orr Stakes, the Group 2 Sportsbet Sandown Guineas, Group 3 Sportsbet How Now Stakes, Group 3 Tile Importer Summoned Stakes and Listed Sportsbet Village Stakes.
MRC Chairman Cameron Fisher said the move marks an exciting new chapter for the race.
“Currently a Group 3 event, the MRC is striving for the Thoroughbred Club Stakes to be upgraded to Group 1 status, given the absence on the Australian racing calendar of a 1200m Group 1 contest for three year old fillies,” said Fisher.
“This new partnership reflects the shared ambition of the MRC, The Thoroughbred Club and the breeding industry’s commitment to the race.”
Standing at Lovatsville, a fledgling young Stallion Station based in Nagambie’s Golden Triangle on Seymour Park -alongside powerhouse International farms Godolphin, Yulong and Swettenham - Move To Strike is the ‘talk’ Victoria’s first-season sires. At his introductory fee of $16,500 (inc. GST), he is covering an impressive first book of over 140 mares at Lovatsville.
A black adonis with movie star good looks and an outstanding pedigree, Move To Strike made history as the first Group 1 winning two year-old by Champion sire I Am Invincible, storming from last to first to beat 3 other individual Group 1 winners in the Group 1 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes over 1400m.
Major partners of Move To Strike’s ownership group include Seymour Park principals Darren Thomas and Mark Pilkington, who, along with former Thoroughbred Club President Gary Lechte, won the 2022 edition of the Thoroughbred Club Stakes with English Riviera. Thomas and Pilkington also share in the ownership of this season’s Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours and Brayden Star who recently won the Herbert Power Stakes.
Lovatsville studmaster Sam White noted the strong connection between their roster and the MRC’s Spring features, adding the Move To Strike partnership is delighted to be associated with such a historically significant and now aspirational race.
‘We’re fans of what the MRC are doing and very much appreciate the commitment to the industry that the Move To Strike ownership group are demonstrating with this exciting new partnership,” said White.
“Alongside Move To Strike we also stand Royal Meeting who sired Clint Macdonald’s star filly Hayasugi who clean swept the MRC’s 2023 Blue Diamond series, our Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip was placed in two Caulfield Cups and of course the Toorak was one of three Group 1 mile races that Fierce Impact won. Snitzel’s precocious son Generation won a Group 3 at the Heath as well so we can’t wait till progeny of Move to Strike get to strut their stuff at Caulfield.”
