Date change for Spring G1

The Melbourne Racing Club have announced a significant date change to one of the key Group One races in the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

The Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) will now be run on September 22nd, a week earlier than previous years.

The move means that the 1400-metre handicap will now sit alongside the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes, leaving the Underwood Stakes as the sole Group One the following week (Sunday, September 30).

The date change means that the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis will now be held just 7 days before the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and leaves a three-week gap before the Toorak Handicap.

The Bobbie Lewis (1200m) has traditionally been a lead-up race for the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes with 4 of the past 11 winners coming through the event.