The Kembla Grange Classic is a Group 3 event run in March at Kembla Grange Racecourse in New South Wales by a field of three-year-old fillies with ATC Oaks potential.
2025 Kembla Grange Classic Results
- 1st: #17e Verona Rose
- 2nd: #10 Inevitable Truth
- 3rd: #5 Brigidine Gal
Kembla Grange Classic News
The Keith F Nolan Classic – now run as the Kembla Grange Classic – is a Group 3 race run at Kembla Grange Racecourse each March by the Illawarra Turf Club during the autumn.
2025 Kembla Grange Classic Results
- 1st: #17e Verona Rose ($14)
- 2nd: #10 Inevitable Truth
- 3rd: #5 Brigidine Gal
A perfectly timed ride by Kerrin McEvoy saw the Gary Portelli trained Castelvecchio filly Verona Rose ($14) celebrate her third win from as many career starts when coming right through the centre of a wall of fillies inside the final 50m to snare a narrow upset in Friday’s 2025 Kembla Grange Classic results at Group 3 level.
Kembla Grange Classic 2025 Odds & Results
Carlton Dry 3.5 Kembla Grange Classic (G3)
| Runner Details | Win | Place |
|---|---|---|
|
1st
17. Verona Rose (10) J: Kerrin McEvoy 54kg
T: Gary Portelli |
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2nd
10. Inevitable Truth (9) J: Tyler Schiller 54kg
T: John Sargent |
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3rd
5. Brigidine Gal (8) J: Regan Bayliss 54kg
T: Joseph Pride |
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4th
2. Dominetta (11) J: Rachel King 54kg
T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
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5th
9. Canny Queen (7) J: Reece Jones 54kg
T: Brad Widdup |
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6th
12. Sun 'N' Sand (3) J: Tom Sherry 54kg
T: B Joseph & P & M Jones |
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7th
18. You Wahng (5) J: Tommy Berry 54kg
T: Kris Lees |
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8th
19. Kaffir Lily (4) J: Alysha Collett 54kg
T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald |
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9th
8. Atomic Clock (14) J: Ashley Morgan 54kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
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10th
6. Good Sort (6) J: Zac Lloyd 54kg
T: Chris Waller |
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11th
15. Island Dream (15) J: Jason Collett 54kg
T: Chris Waller |
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12th
11. Spaceballs (13) J: Tim Clark 54kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
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13th
7. Idle Flyer (1) J: Jay Ford 54kg
T: Matthew Smith |
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14th
1. Rag Queen (12) J: Louise Day 54kg
T: David Payne |
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15th
13. My Phar Lady (2) J: Andrew Adkins 54kg
T: Richard & Will Freedman |
Data retrieved: 27/05/2025 06:34:04 AM (Australia/Brisbane)
The event is a 1600m mile event for three-year-old fillies at set weights plus penalties and offers $250,000 in total prize money.
Fillies in the Kembla Grange Classic field may come off a Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival lead-up in a race like the recently upgraded Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m).
The best out of the race may back-up in a tougher Sydney race including the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens at the end of the month and Single Gaze (2016) was the last filly to complete the Keith Nolan Classic – Vinery Stud Stakes double.
More recently, Frankely Awesome ran second in both the Kembla Grange Classic and Vinery Stud Stakes in 2019. The Group 1 ATC Oaks (2400m) during Royal Randwick’s The Championships in April is another later option.
The 2022 Kembla Grange Classic form was franked with the runner-up Hope In Your Heart returning in the spring to win a number of races before a fourth in the $10 million The Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill and second in the $1 million The Gong (1600m) which is the richest race held annually at Kembla Grange.
Gin Martini meanwhile ran third in both the Kembla Grange Classic and Group 1 ATC Oaks in 2022.
In 2023 the Kembla Grange Classic form was franked with the winner Pavitra running second next start in the Vinery Stud Stakes results, while runner-up So Dazzling also finished second in the Group 1 ATC Oaks that prep.
The Kembla Grange Classic 2024 winner Queen Of Dragons went on to run a next-up fourth in that year’s Vinery Stud Stakes results, while the runner-up Our Gold Hope also finished second in Brisbane’s Group 1 Queensland Oaks that winter.
The Kembla Grange Classic 2025 ran on Friday March 14, 2025 as a key lead-up to the Vinery Stud Stakes and was won in a thrilling late burst up the middle by unbeaten filly Verona Rose ($14) for trainer Gary Portelli.
| 2025 Kembla Grange Classic | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Friday March 14, 2025 |
| Track: | Kembla Grange Racecourse |
| Distance: | 1600m |
| Race Type: | 3YO Fillies / Set Weights + Penalties |
| Status: | Group 3 |
| Prize Money: | $250,000 |
2025 Kembla Grange Classic Finishing Order
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17e | VERONA ROSE | Gary Portelli | Kerrin McEvoy | 10 | 54kg | $14 | |||
| 2 | 10 | INEVITABLE TRUTH | John Sargent | Tyler Schiller | 0.2L | 9 | 54kg | $26 | ||
| 3 | 5 | BRIGIDINE GAL | Joseph Pride | Regan Bayliss | 0.4L | 8 | 54kg | $16 | ||
| 4 | 2 | DOMINETTA | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Ms Rachel King | 0.6L | 11 | 54kg | $2.35F | ||
| 5 | 9 | CANNY QUEEN (NZ) | Brad Widdup | Reece Jones | 0.8L | 7 | 54kg | $41 | ||
| 6 | 12 | SUN ’N’ SAND | Barbara Joseph, Paul & Matt Jones | Tom Sherry | 1.3L | 3 | 54kg (cd 54.5kg) | $18 | ||
| 7 | 18e | YOU WAHNG | Kris Lees | Tommy Berry | 1.5L | 5 | 54kg (cd 55kg) | $21 | ||
| 8 | 19e | KAFFIR LILY | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Ms Alysha Collett | 4L | 4 | 54kg | $151 | ||
| 9 | 8 | ATOMIC CLOCK | Ciaron Maher | Ashley Morgan | 4.1L | 14 | 54kg | $61 | ||
| 10 | 6 | GOOD SORT | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd | 4.4L | 6 | 54kg | $10 | ||
| 11 | 15 | ISLAND DREAM | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 5.4L | 15 | 54kg | $16 | ||
| 12 | 11 | SPACEBALLS | Ciaron Maher | Tim Clark | 5.5L | 13 | 54kg | $4.80 | ||
| 13 | 7 | IDLE FLYER | Matthew Smith | Jay Ford | 5.8L | 1 | 54kg | $12 | ||
| 14 | 1 | RAG QUEEN | David Payne | Ms Louise Day | 7.1L | 12 | 54kg | $101 | ||
| 15 | 13 | MY PHAR LADY | Richard & Will Freedman | Andrew Adkins | 7.2L | 2 | 54kg | $91 | ||
| 3 | MORE TERRITORIES | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Zac Lloyd | 0 | ||||||
| 14 | MOVIN OUT (NZ) | Chris Waller | 0 | |||||||
| 16 | BELLE DETELLE | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 0 | ||||||
| 4 | DECLICHY BOULEVARD | Chris Waller | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2025 Kembla Grange Classic Betting
The autumn’s best Kembla Grange Classic 2025 betting odds will be available here at Races.com.au the week of the race complete with market links to Ladbrokes.com.au.
Pretty Amazing ($2.90 in 2022) was the last favourite in Kembla Grange Classic betting to win.
2025 Kembla Grange Classic Form
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 KEMBLA GRANGE CLASSIC FORM GUIDE
2025 Kembla Grange Classic Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Kembla Grange Classic 2025 Tips on the Friday Group 3 this March.
- To Win: #9 Canny Queen ($34 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Tipping an upset in the Kembla Grange Classic this year with Canny Queen looking a forgotten value runner in the markets at $34 a time of publish. The Brad Widdup trained Ace High filly brings in some consistent form having run two of her past three. At her latest, she narrowly saluted for the punters at a much shorter price over the mile at Gosford. She’s one of the few in this Group 3 field proven at the distance and that’s a big plus for us! A three-time winner from seven starts she looks well placed here having recently run well against the older mares with a heap more weight on her back. 54kg and a mid-field draw here with Reece Jones to ride. Peaking, is versatile able to make up ground like she did last start or be on speed. Can surprise.
2025 Kembla Grange Classic Field
The Keith F Nolan Classic field – now the Kembla Grange Classic – features a classy line-up of three-year-old fillies progressing to tougher and or longer distance races during the autumn in Sydney.
The official 2025 Kembla Grange Classic field and barriers are set for release the Wednesday before the race and will be published in full below.
The Kembla Grange Classic 2025 final field features a smart line-up of fillies led in betting by Group 1 performed Zoustar filly Dominetta coming off a Surround Stakes run for Waterhouse & Bott.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6x07479x07 | RAG QUEEN | David Payne | Ms Louise Day | 12 | 54kg | 69 | ||
| 2 | 3x1238x7 | DOMINETTA | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Ms Rachel King | 11 | 54kg | 74 | ||
| 3 | 16x5647x18 | MORE TERRITORIES | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Zac Lloyd | 19 | 54kg | 81 | ||
| 4 | x21x322x76 | DECLICHY BOULEVARD | Chris Waller | 16 | 54kg | 76 | |||
| 5 | 331×41 | BRIGIDINE GAL | Joseph Pride | Regan Bayliss | 8 | 54kg | 70 | ||
| 6 | x412x339x3 | GOOD SORT | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd | 6 | 54kg | 69 | ||
| 7 | 51×2110 | IDLE FLYER | Matthew Smith | Jay Ford | 1 | 54kg | 70 | ||
| 8 | 45×114 | ATOMIC CLOCK | Ciaron Maher | Ashley Morgan | 14 | 54kg | 65 | ||
| 9 | 157×8121 | CANNY QUEEN (NZ) | Brad Widdup | Reece Jones | 7 | 54kg | 66 | ||
| 10 | 0x252447x2 | INEVITABLE TRUTH | John Sargent | Tyler Schiller | 9 | 54kg | |||
| 11 | 52×13 | SPACEBALLS | Ciaron Maher | Tim Clark | 13 | 54kg | 64 | ||
| 12 | 11×21 | SUN ’N’ SAND | Barbara Joseph, Paul & Matt Jones | Tom Sherry | 3 | 54kg | 63 | ||
| 13 | 63439×11 | MY PHAR LADY | Richard & Will Freedman | Andrew Adkins | 2 | 54kg | 63 | ||
| 14 | 313x | MOVIN OUT (NZ) | Chris Waller | 18 | 54kg | 90 | |||
| 15 | 311 | ISLAND DREAM | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 17 | 54kg | 66 | ||
| 16 | 2231 | BELLE DETELLE | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 15 | 54kg | 55kg | 65 | |
| 17e | 1×1 | VERONA ROSE | Gary Portelli | Kerrin McEvoy | 10 | 54kg | 66 | ||
| 18e | 31×1 | YOU WAHNG | Kris Lees | 5 | 54kg | 61 | |||
| 19e | 24×14 | KAFFIR LILY | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Ms Alysha Collett | 4 | 54kg | 57 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2025 Kembla Grange Classic Nominations
Early nominations for the Kembla Grange Classic in 2025 will be provided below the week of the race.
Keith F Nolan Classic History
The Keith Nolan Classic – officially the Keith F Nolan Classic – is named in honour of the Illawarra Turf Club’s founding chairman Keith F. Nolan who ed away in 2005. The event has been run and won since 2003, and the inaugural winner was Ain’t Seen Nothing. Since then, plenty of quality fillies have won the race including Hot Danish (2007), Allez Wonder (2009), Brazilian Pulse (2011), Appearance (2012) and Single Gaze (2016).
The race began as a Listed event and gained its current Group 3 status in 2010. For one year in 2011 the Keith Nolan Classic ran at Rosehill Gardens due to the unsuitable conditions at Kembla Grange Racecourse, which is one of New South Wales’ leading provincial racetracks.
In 2022 the event was moved to Goulburn Racecourse due to heavy rainfall and an unsuitable track at Kembla Grange.
Recent Keith F Nolan / Kembla Grange Classic Winners
See below for the full list of Keith Nolan Classic winners and results going back to the inaugural edition in 2003.
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Kembla Grange Classic |
1st | Verona Rose | 1 minute 35.75 seconds |
| 2nd | Inevitable Truth | ||
| 3rd | Brigidine Gal | ||
| 2024 Kembla Grange Classic |
1st | Queen Of Dragons | 1 minute 36.28 seconds |
| 2nd | Our Gold Hope | ||
| 3rd | Waikato | ||
| 2023 Kembla Grange Classic |
1st | Pavitra | 1 minute 34.35 seconds |
| 2nd | So Dazzling | ||
| 3rd | Pierossa | ||
| 2022 Kembla Grange Classic |
1st | Pretty Amazing | 1 minute 39.21 seconds |
| 2nd | Hope In Your Heart | ||
| 3rd | Gin Martini | ||
| 2020 Kembla Grange Classic |
1st | Miravalle | 1 minute 35.76 seconds |
| 2nd | Elizabeel | ||
| 3rd | Pippali | ||
| 2020 Kembla Grange Classic |
1st | Asiago | 1 minute 36.10 seconds |
| 2nd | Shout The Bar | ||
| 3rd | All Saints’ Eve | ||
| 2019 Kembla Grange Classic |
1st | Pohutukawa | 1 minute 37.57 seconds |
| 2nd | Frankely Awesome | ||
| 3rd | Scarlet Dream | ||
| 2018 Kembla Grange Classic |
1st | Luvaluva | 1 minute 35.55 seconds |
| 2nd | Torvill | ||
| 3rd | Wedgie | ||
| 2017 Kembla Grange Classic |
1st | Dawn Wall | 1 minute 36.6 seconds |
| 2nd | Lubiton | ||
| 3rd | Faraway Town | ||
| 2016 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | Single Gaze | 1 minute 37.3 seconds |
| 2nd | Dixie Blossoms | ||
| 3rd | Asinara | ||
| 2015 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | Slightly Sweet | 1 minute 35.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Wine Tales | ||
| 3rd | Heavens Above | ||
| 2014 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | Zanbagh | 1 minute 37.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Role Model | ||
| 3rd | Metaphorical | ||
| 2013 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | Cameo | 1 minute 35.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Royal Descent | ||
| 3rd | Gold Epona | ||
| 2012 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | Appearance | 1 minute 38 seconds |
| 2nd | She Goes To Rio | ||
| 3rd | Aliyana Tilde | ||
| 2011 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | Brazilian Pulse | 1 minute 52 seconds |
| 2nd | Fibrilation | ||
| 3rd | Honor Net | ||
| 2010 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | Slapstick | 1 minute 35.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Mirrasalo | ||
| 3rd | Spinnawitch | ||
| 2009 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | Aleez Wonder | 1 minute 34.6 seconds |
| 2nd | Above Perfection | ||
| 3rd | Miss Darcey | ||
| 2008 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | Bernicia | 1 minute 37.5 seconds |
| 2nd | Raise | ||
| 3rd | Heavenly Glow | ||
| 2007 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | Hot Danish | 1 minute 37.21 seconds |
| 2nd | Miss Pageantry | ||
| 3rd | Rose Of Sharon | ||
| 2006 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | Pasikatera | 1 minute 36.81 seconds |
| 2nd | No Name For A Lady | ||
| 3rd | China Jade | ||
| 2005 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | Ponte Piccolo | 1 minute 36.28 seconds |
| 2nd | Pleasure Ground | ||
| 3rd | Villa Bled | ||
| 2004 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | La Nikita | 1 minute 35.21 seconds |
| 2nd | Timbourina | ||
| 3rd | Touched By God | ||
| 2003 Keith F Nolan Classic |
1st | Ain’t Seen Nothin’ | 1 minute 34.80 seconds |
| 2nd | Domielle | ||
| 3rd | Huit | ||
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