Sistema Stakes

VELOCIOUS winning the Sistema Stakes Picture: Race Images Photo

The Sistema Stakes is a Group 1 race run under Set Weight conditions for two year olds usually at Ellerslie race course conducted by the Auckland Racing Club.

The Sistema Stakes is run over 1200m. It was run at Pukekohe racecourse in 2023 due to the redevelopment of Ellerslie.

The Sistema Stakes is the first of the G1 races for juveniles in New Zealand.

Summer Passage won this race in 2017 then was just touched off in the AJC Sires during the Championships at Randwick.

Cool Aza Beel completed the Karaka Million/Sistema Stakes double in 2020. He was part of a collective 4 G1 winners on both sides of the Tasman for Jamie Richards and Opie Bosson within a week.

Opie Bosson has won 8 of the last 14 runnings of the Sistema Stakes. He would have won 9 but Tokyo Tycoon was disqualified from winning in 2023 following a positive.

Yourdeel would go on to win the Manawatu Sires Produce afterwards before transferring to Australia.

The Sistema Stakes was worth NZ$450,000 in 2024.

Some recent winners of the Sistema Stakes include Velocious (2024), Sword Of State (2021), Cool Aza Beel (2020), Summer Passage (2017), Dal Cielo (2015), Ruud Awakening (2013), Anabandana (2011), Fully Fledged (2008) and Alamosa (2007).

The 2024 Sistema Stakes was won by Velocious from Archaic Smile and Captured By Love.