<p>The Sportsbet Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, run over 1400m at Flemington, is the premier handicap for sprinters during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.</p> <p>The Melbourne Racing Club experimented with another timeslot for the Sir Rupert Clarke – run in mid-November – but it has been returned to its late September position, and with good effect because this year’s field is a cracker, featuring five Group 1 winners.&nbsp;</p> <p>It was renamed the Makybe Diva Stakes – after the great three-time Melbourne Cup winner – in 2006, and earned Group 1 status in 2012.</p> <p>The Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes started life (from 1951 to 1974) as the Invitation Stakes – for jockeys representing their state,&nbsp; who drew horses to ride by ballot&nbsp; – run on the Show Day holiday. It was made a Group 1 in 1979.<br /> <br /> Last year’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes was won by the mare Kimochi, trained by Gary Portelli and ridden by Craig Williams.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2025 Preview and Details</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Track:</strong> Caulfield.</p> <p><strong>Distance/type: </strong>1400m. Handicap</p> <p><strong>Date: </strong>Saturday, 20 September.</p> <p><strong>Total prizemoney: </strong>$1,000,000.</p> <p><strong>First prize:</strong> $600,000.</p> <p><strong>Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Race and Time:</strong> Race 8 (4.20 pm)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Weather and Track</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Caulfield track was rated a Soft 5 on Wednesday. With the BOM predicting up to 5mm of rain on Friday and up to 6mm on Saturday, the surface can be expected to remain in the Good 4 to Soft 5 range.</p> <p>The rail is out 6 metres for the entire circuit. The most recent Caulfield meeting was on August 30 (Memsie Stakes), when the rail was true on a Soft 7 surface. The track played fairly. Expect a similar scenario with this rail position.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>The Trainers</h3> <p>The trainer with the most Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winners is Lee Freedman, now in semi-retirement on the Gold Coast. Freedman trained four winners of the race from 1992 to 2001.</p> <p>Only three trainers with a runner this year have previously won a Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. Ciaron Maher has three starters (Another Wil, Another Prophet and Chorlton Lane) won with Bon Aurum in 2016; Daniel Bowman (Is It Me) scored his first Group 1 win with Beegood Tooya Mother in 2019; and octogenarian Leon Corstens (Zou Sensation), who trains in partnership with his son Troy and Will Larkin, trained Lord Luskin to win in 1998.</p> <p>Which means such highly credentialled trainers such as Chris Waller (Angel Capital), Mick Price &amp; Michael Kent Jnr (Miss Roumbini), the Hawkes family (Airman) and the Hayes brothers (Here To Shock &amp; Arkansaw Kid) are chasing their first.</p> <h2>&nbsp;</h2> <h3>The Jockeys</h3> <p>Veteran jockey Craig Williams, who holds the record with seven Sir Rupert Clarke wins,&nbsp; has used his light weight to snap up the ride on the exciting Sepals, who has only 52kg. Williams won last year on Kimochi, who surprised by winning at $26, coming from barrier 13. He will need to use all his guile to get Sepals over the line from barrier 16.</p> <p>One of the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes favourites, Angel Capital, will be ridden by Damian Lane, who won the race on Trust In A Gust in 2014. Michael Dee, who won on Magic Time in 2023, has jumped off Pinstriped to ride the exceptional New Zealand mare Damask Rose, while Jamie Mott, who won on Callsign Mav in 2022, has taken the ride on Pinstriped. Declan Bates won on Begood Tooya Mother in 2019 for trainer Daniel Bowman, but he won’t be riding Bowman’s Is It Me. His mount will be longshot Another Prophet.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>The Speed Map</h3> <p>The ingredients of a big field of sprinter-milers under handicap conditions usually results in a solid tempo as the lightweight horses press on early.<br /> The on-pace speed from out wide comes from Feroce (barrier 10), the free-running Zarastro (barrier 11) and the promising Sepals (barrier 16). The first to the fence will be Here To Shock (barrier 6), and it will be interesting to see if jockey Daniel Stockhouse elects to hold or take a trail. We expect that Zarastro will lead with Sepals on his outside. There is a query about Zarastro running out a pressurised 1400m. Jennilala could also kick forward from barrier 2, with Arkansaw Kid (barrier 1) poised to pounce three-back on the fence.</p> <p>Jockey Jamie Melham will be trying to hold a forward of midfield position on Another Wil (barrier 7), as will Airman (barrier 12) and Pinstriped (barrier 5).&nbsp;</p> <p>The late chargers will include Angel Capital (barrier 13), Miss Roumbini (barrier 14) and Damask Rose (barrier 17).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Points of Interest</strong></h3> <p>Significant gear change: Airman gets blinkers back on. His last win, the G2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) last October was in blinkers.</p> <p><strong>Track lover: </strong>The topweight, Another Wil, &nbsp;has had seven starts at Caulfield for four wins and a second. Including those wins was the G1 Orr Stakes, over this distance, in February. He also finished second in this race last year.</p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <h2>Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2025 Racing Tips</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>The Sir Rupert Clarke Top Tip&nbsp;</h3> <p><strong>Angel Capital</strong></p> <p>He comes off an impressive swooping win in fast time at the Valley. Trainer Chris Waller has been keen to win a Group 1 with this horse, and the 53.5kg and 1400m is perfect. The wide barrier means he will settle back, but the likely solid tempo will suit his style.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>The Sir Rupert Clarke Dangers</h3> <p><strong>Sepals</strong></p> <p>One of the most exciting young gallopers in the country. He’s drawn wide, but with only 52kg, expect jockey Craig Williams to go forward to sit outside the lead, as he did at his most recent win at Caulfield over the same distance.</p> <p><strong>Another Wil</strong></p> <p>There were a lot of smiles in the Another Wil camp after he galloped on the course proper at Caulfield on Tuesday. Trainer Ciaron Maher thinks the gelding is back to his best. If so, especially around his favourite track, he will be hard to beat.</p> <p><strong>Damask Rose</strong></p> <p>Highly rated New Zealand mare. Exceptional late burst to finish just behind the placegetters in the Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield two weeks ago. Outside draw, means she will go back. Good enough to run into the money.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>The Sir Rupert Clarke Roughies</h3> <p><strong>Miss Roumbini</strong></p> <p>Big run in the Cockram Stakes (1200m) at her first run from a break. Sat wide and fought it out strongly for second behind Magic Time. Don’t underrate her.</p> <p><strong>Pinstriped</strong></p> <p>The forgotten horse. Won the G1 Memsie Stakes this time last year. Forget his Memsie run this year when he went forward with blinkers on and overraced in front. That run will have blown away some cobwebs. Blinkers stay on and expect a quieter ride. He’s in this at his best.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Same Race Multi (combination)</h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Angel Capital </strong>– Top Two.</p> <p><strong>Sepals &amp; Another Wil </strong>– Top Four.</p> <p><strong>Damask Rose &amp; Miss Roumbini </strong>– Top Five.</p> <p><strong>Pinstriped </strong>– Top Six.</p>