3 minute read

The Race History of the Pago Pago Stakes run at Rosehill on Saturday got a big kick along last year.

Shinzo was first Slipper winner to take this in nearly 20 years. The 2024 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday does offer exemption.

2024 PAGO PAGO STAKES - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The Pago Pago Stakes is a Group 3 race for two-year-old colts and geldings conducted by the Australian Turf Club as one of the final lead-up races to the Golden Slipper.

The Pago Pago Stakes was first run in 1978 and is traditionally run a week before the Golden Slipper, the world's richest two-year-old race. The Pago Pago Stakes winner is exempt from ballot for the Golden Slipper.

The Pago Pago Stakes is named after the 2YO colt who won the Golden Slipper Stakes in 1963. Pago Pago came from South Australia and was the Golden Slipper's first interstate trained winner.

Since its inception the Pago Pago Stakes has been run over 1200m. From 1978 to 1984 the race was known as the Pago Pago Quality and was run under quality handicap conditions. Since 1985 all colts and geldings have carried 55.5kg in the Pago Pago Stakes.

The Pago Pago became a Listed Race in 1979, a Group 3 race in 1980 and was promoted to Group 2 status in 1987. It went back to G3 in 2017.

The Pago Pago Stakes has been run every year at Rosehill.

The Pago Pago Stakes/Golden Slipper double has been won four times by Inspired (1984), Rory's Jester (1985), Stratum (2005) and Shinzo (2023).

The Pago Pago Stakes/ATC Sires' Produce Stakes double has been won once by Encounter (1997) and the Pago Pago Stakes/Champagne Stakes once, also by Encounter in 1997.

The 2024 Pago Pago Stakes was worth $250,000.

Other notable winners of the Pago Pago Stakes include Dawn Command, Grosvenor, Imperial Baron, Zeditave, Big Dreams, Jetball, Strategic, Shogun Lodge, Planchet, Tickets, Danbird, All Too Hard, Sidestep, Written By, Shaquero and Shinzo.

The 2023 Pago Pago Stakes was won by Shinzo from Maharba and Bases Loaded.