Toorak Handicap 2025 - Barrier Draw & Final Field
The 2025 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield features top contenders like Sepals and Evaporate with strong records. Historically, the race has been crucial in the Australian racing calendar since its inception in 1881, gaining Group 1 status in 1979. It's known for high-quality competitors like The Trump and Gunsynd making significant impacts. Recent winners include Tuvalu, Attrition, and Antino adding to its prestige. With its reputation, the Toorak serves as a key lead-up to major races, showcasing the strength and skill of emerging and seasoned milers alike.
- A strong field has been assembled for the 2025 Toorak Handicap
- This Group 1 will be contested on the Caulfield Guineas Day program
- Final field is detailed below
Sepals has drawn barrier in the Toorak Handicap. (Getty)
Sepals (barrier 4) has recorded five wins from seven starts, including two from as many runs this preparation, both at Caulfield.
- Toorak Handicap 2025 - Barriers & Final Field
- Toorak Handicap Winners
The four-year-old resumed with a BM100 victory before adding the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes on September 20.
Evaporate (barrier 6) rebounded second-up to take out the Sandown Stakes and, with three previous wins at a mile, the extra distance poses no concern.
Having improved with racing in both prior campaigns, the gelding appears set to progress again this spring.
Lazzura (barrier 5) has won both starts this campaign, producing fast closing splits first-up before hanging on for a narrow Flemington victory second-up.
Transatlantic (barrier 9) has finished runner-up in both Melbourne starts this preparation.
The Queenslander was narrowly defeated by Evaporate in the Sandown Stakes on September 27, following a second placing in open company at Caulfield.
Leica Lucy (barrier 10) ran fourth when resuming in the Let’s Elope Stakes over 1400 metres at Flemington on September 6, while the New Zealand Oaks winner is expected to appreciate a rise in distance on the back of that performance.
Feroce (barrier 8) improved from a first-up sixth to finish third in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield.
He also boasts strong credentials at the mile, having won the Australian Guineas in his last attempt at 1600m.
Toorak Handicap 2025 - Barriers & Final Field
| No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desert Lightning (NZ) | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | Luke Nolen | 7 | 59kg |
| 2 | Pinstriped | Enver Jusufovic | Jamie Mott | 2 | 58.5kg |
| 3 | Evaporate (NZ) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Blake Shinn | 6 | 58kg |
| 4 | Feroce (NZ) | Dominic Sutton | Billy Egan | 8 | 58kg |
| 5 | Sepals | Cliff Brown | Ethan Brown | 4 | 57kg |
| 6 | Transatlantic | Tony Gollan | Mark Zahra | 9 | 56.5kg |
| 7 | Lazzura | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 5 | 56kg |
| 8 | Willydoit (NZ) | Ciaron Maher | Ben Melham | 11 | 56kg |
| 9 | Leica Lucy (NZ) | Chris Waller | Damian Lane | 10 | 54.5kg |
| 10 | Damask Rose (NZ) | Mark Walker | Jamie Melham | 3 | 54kg |
| 11 | Athanatos | Phillip Stokes | Craig Williams | 1 | 52kg |
Toorak Handicap Winners
First contested in 1881 and won by Josephine, the Toorak Handicap has become one of Australia’s most enduring and respected mile races.
Held over 1600m at Caulfield, the race has long been a key feature of the spring program, drawing together a mix of elite milers, versatile campaigners and emerging middle-distance types.
Across more than a century, the Toorak has showcased some of the finest gallopers in Australian racing. Greats such as The Trump, Gunsynd, More Joyous and Typhoon Tracy have all claimed the prize, each leaving their mark on an honour roll that reflects both class and depth.
The event gained Group 1 status in 1979, when Australia formally adopted the pattern race system, cementing its standing as a premier handicap of the spring carnival.
It continues to serve as a vital lead-up for major features later in the season, with many runners advancing to the Cantala Stakes (now the Champions Mile) or testing themselves at weight-for-age in the Cox Plate.
Renowned for its depth and competitiveness, the Toorak regularly attracts capacity fields and has built a reputation for producing high-quality winners capable of performing on bigger stages at home and abroad.
Recent editions have gone the way of Tuvalu (2022), Attrition (2023) and Antino (2024), each adding another layer to the race’s rich tradition.
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