The Percy Sykes Stakes, registered as the Keith Mackay Handicap, is an Australian Turf ClubGroup 2Thoroughbredhorse race, for two-year-old fillies, at set weights with penalties, over a distance of 1200 metres, held at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in the autumn during the ATC Championships series. It is run on the same day as the Sydney Cup. Total prize money for the race is A$1,000,000.[1]
History
The registered racename is named in honour of the former AJC Chairman Keith Mackay.
In 2014 the ATC substantially increased the prizemoney and the race was scheduled as part of the ATC Championships series and renamed the race to the Royal Randwick Stakes.[2]
In 2015 the race was once again renamed in honour of the veterinarian Percy Sykes (1920–2014), who had saved Tulloch and had worked with famous trainers in the industry, including T J Smith, Bart Cummings, Gai Waterhouse and Jack Denham.[3]