The Hotham Handicap, raced as the Lexus Archer Stakes, is a

Victoria Racing Club The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual "race that stops a nation", the Melbourne Cup, ...

Group 3 Group 3 may refer to: * Group 3 element, chemical element classification * Group 3 (motorsport), FIA classification of cars used in auto racing and rallying * Group 3, the third tier of races in worldwide Thoroughbred horse racing * Group 3 image ...

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

for horses three years old and older, held under quality handicap conditions, over a distance of 2500 metres, held annually at

Flemington Racecourse Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is the world's richest handicap and the world's richest 3200-metre horse race. The race ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Victoria Derby The Victoria Derby, also known as the Penfolds Victoria Derby, is a Victoria Racing Club Group races, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held under Set Weights conditions over a distance of 2,500 metres at Flemington Racecourse ...

Day. Total prize money for the race is A$300,000.

History

Historically the race has been a traditional lead-up for the

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club that forms part of the ...

three days later, with the winner gaining exemption from any ballot for entry to the Cup. As a "Quality Race", the weights are assigned as in a handicap, but with a maximum weight of 60 kg and a minimum weight of 52 kg. The race is also famous due to a triple dead-heat in 1956 involving Fighting Force, Ark Royal and Pandie Sun. From 2024, the VRC moved the race from Victoria Derby day to Makybe Diva Stakes day in September.

Name

*1869–1978 - Hotham Handicap *1979–1993 - The Dalgety *1994–1995 - Crown Quality *1996 - Ten News Stakes *1997 - Lean Cuisine Quality *1998–2008 - Saab Quality *2009–2018 - Lexus Stakes *2019–2021 - Lexus Hotham Stakes *2022–present - Lexus Archer Stakes

Distance

*1869–1971 - 1 miles (~2400 metres) *1972 onwards - 2500 metres

Grade

*1869–1978 - Principal Race *1979–1980 - Group 3 *1981–2003 - Group 2 *2004 onwards - Group 3

Doubles wins

The following thoroughbreds have won the Hotham Handicap –

in the same year. Shocking (2009),

Brew Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW, also known as Brew MP or Qualcomm BREW) is an obsolete application development platform created by Qualcomm, originally for code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile phones, featuring third-party a ...

(2000),

Think Big Think Big was an interventionist state economic strategy of the Third National Government of New Zealand, promoted by the Prime Minister Robert Muldoon (1975–1984) and his National government in the early 1980s. The Think Big schemes saw t ...

(1974), Baystone (1958), Foxzami (1949), Sirius (1944), Dark Felt (1943), White Nose (1931), King Ingoda (1922) and Nimblefoot (1870).

1953 and 1954 racebooks

File:1953 VRC Derby Racebook P1.jpg, 1953 VRC Derby racebook front cover File:1953 VRC Derby Racebook P2.jpg, 1953 VRC Derby raceday officials File:1953 VRC Hotham Handicap Racebook P1.jpg, 1953 VRC Hotham Handicap page showing the winner, My Hero File:1953 VRC Hotham Handicap Racebook P2.jpg, 1953 VRC Hotham Handicap page starters and results File:1954 VRC LKS Mackinnon Stakes Racebook P1.jpg, 1954 VRC Derby racebook front cover File:1954 VRC LKS Mackinnon Stakes Racebook P2.jpg, 1954 VRC Derby raceday officials File:1954 VRC Hotham Handicap Racebook P3.jpg, 1954 VRC Hotham Handicap page starters and results File:1954 VRC Hotham Handicap Racebook P4.jpg, 1954 VRC Hotham Handicap page showing the winner, Plato File:1954 VRC LKS Mackinnon Stakes Racebook P5.jpg, Back cover showing enclosure information for visitors

Winners

* 2024 - Point King * 2023 - Kalapour * 2022 - Surefire * 2021 - Great House * 2020 - Ashrun * 2019 - Downdraft * 2018 - Prince Of Arran * 2017 - Cismontane * 2016 - Oceanographer * 2015 - Excess Knowledge * 2014 - Signoff * 2013 - Ruscello * 2012 - Kelinni * 2011 - Niwot * 2010 - Maluckyday * 2009 - Shocking * 2008 - Moatize * 2007 - Sculptor * 2006 -

Maybe Better Maybe Better (foaled 12 August 2002) is an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2006 Group 3 Saab Quality and finished 3rd in the 2006 Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbour ...

* 2005 - Strasbourg * 2004 - Don Raphael * 2003 - Big Pat * 2002 - Requiem * 2001 - Maythehorsebewithu * 2000 -

* 1999 - The Warrior * 1998 - Star Binder * 1997 - Backslapper * 1996 - Few Are Chosen * 1995 - Coachwood * 1994 - Pindi * 1993 - Tennessee Jack * 1992 - Big Barron * 1991 - Rasheek * 1990 - Mount Olympus * 1989 - Coshking * 1988 - Copatonic * 1987 - Scarvila * 1986 - Sea Legend * 1985 - Silver Award * 1984 - Chagemar * 1983 - Chagemar * 1982 - Allez Bijou * 1981 - Mr. Cromwell * 1980 - Bohemian Grove * 1979 - Karu * 1978 - Jury * 1977 - Major Till * 1976 - Reckless * 1975 - Suleiman * 1974 -

* 1973 - Daneson * 1972 - Scotch And Dry * 1971 - Not Again * 1970 - Sudani * 1969 - Tails * 1968 - Raad * 1967 - Midlander * 1966 - Aveniam * 1965 - Sail Away * 1964 - Celero * 1963 - River Seine * 1962 - Le Storm * 1961 - Oreka * 1960 - Nilarco * 1959 - Grand Garry * 1958 - Baystone * 1957 - Baron Boissier * 1956 - † Fighting Force / Ark Royal / Pandie Sun * 1955 - Better Boy * 1954 - Plato * 1953 - My Hero * 1952 - Morse Code * 1951 - Glenvue * 1950 - Thracian Lad * 1949 -

Foxzami Foxzami (1944−1969) was a New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. In November 1949 at Flemington Racecourse, Foxzami won the Melbourne Cup. He carried a weight of 8-8 (120 pounds and started at odds of 16/1 in a field of 31 runners. Ridde ...

* 1948 - Howe * 1947 - Dark Marne * 1946 - Chaytor * 1945 - Arduli * 1944 - Sirius * 1943 - Dark Felt * 1942 - Dark Felt * 1941 - Son Of Aurous * 1940 - Dashing Cavalier * 1939 - Catalogue * 1938 - Spear Chief * 1937 - Frill Prince * 1936 - Balkan Prince * 1935 - Sarcherie * 1934 - Panto * 1933 - Pretzel * 1932 - Roc * 1931 - White Nose * 1930 - Cimbrian * 1929 - Shadow King * 1928 - Epilogue * 1927 - † Eridanus / Bicolor * 1926 - Beedos * 1925 - King Of Mirth * 1924 - Lilypond * 1923 - Englefield * 1922 - King Ingoda * 1921 - Wirriway * 1920 - Luteplayer * 1919 - Sea Bound * 1918 - Court Jester * 1917 - Lingle * 1916 - Dame Quickly * 1915 - Hush Money * 1914 - Uncle Matt * 1913 - Gladwyn * 1912 - Lord Alwyne * 1911 - Prizefighter * 1910 - Flavian * 1909 - Footpad * 1908 - Moani * 1907 - Tulkeroo * 1906 - Invergordon * 1905 - Demas * 1904 - Elvo * 1903 - Martyr * 1902 - Sojourner * 1901 - Ohio * 1900 - War God * 1899 - Miss Carbine * 1898 - Plutus * 1897 - Metford * 1896 - Mischief * 1895 - The Trier * 1894 - Foxtail * 1893 - Straightfire * 1892 - Hopetoun * 1891 - Pigeontoe * 1890 - Grey Gown * 1889 - Meteor * 1888 - Mara * 1887 - The Levite * 1886 - Claptrap * 1885 - Lesbia * 1884 - Favo * 1883 - Wallangra * 1882 - Odd Trick * 1881 - Saunterer * 1880 - Wellington * 1879 - Trump Yoss * 1878 - Levant * 1877 - The Vagabond * 1876 - Troy * 1875 - Kinchrachrie * 1874 - Newbold * 1873 - Imperial * 1872 - Early Morn * 1871 - Saladin * 1870 - Nimblefoot * 1869 - Aurora †

Dead heat A dead heat is a rare situation in various racing sports in which the performances of competitors are judged to be so close that no difference between them can be resolved. The result is declared a tie and the competitors are awarded a joint ra ...

References

{{reflist, 2 Horse races in Australia Open middle distance horse races Flemington Racecourse