Australia Preview for October 17, 2026
Courtesy of Sky Racing World
Ka Ying Rising’s attempt to win a second Everest is the biggest thing in Australian racing this week, but there’s plenty more happening. There are three other Group 1 races: one a fillies Classic, one the richest mile race for all ages in the country, and one an even richer handicap, the first leg of a historically important staying double. There’s also million-dollar races everywhere. Let’s try to find some betting options.
Randwick, Race 6, 12:25 a.m. Saturday ET
Sydney Stakes (G2), 1,200 meters (about six furlongs), $1.39 million, three-year-olds and up
The Everest isn’t the only big-money race at Randwick this weekend. A total of $21.7 million is up for grabs across 10 races, and $1.39 million of that is in this contest, essentially the consolation for horses that couldn’t get a slot holder to bank on them for the Everest.
The 16-horse race has been partly thrown into chaos with two favorites, #1 Overpass (11-1) and #13 Skybird (17-2), drawing the outside two barriers. Overpass probably has enough speed to overcome this, but the Royal Ascot placegetter has failed five times on heavy footing and will want conditions to improve.
Skybird does handle heavy ground and is in form, winning the Gilgai (G2) at her last start. If jockey Ben Melham can find a good position, she looks a very good chance.
Another with a wide draw is #12 Charm Stone (13-2), set to start from gate 10. She comes into the race after finishing third to Everest runner Jimmysstar in the Manikato (G1), and a similar effort will take her close.
By far the best-off among the favored brigade at the barriers is #15 Marhoona (13-2), who is set to start from gate 3. She was no match for Tempted in the Premiere, but there are no Tempteds in this field.
Just behind Marhoona in the Premiere was #6 Grafterburners (15-2). He probably starts from gate one and might be at generous odds considering how little there was between them that day. Another that might be worth looking at is #3 Pericles (16-1); he’s generally best at seven furlongs to a mile, but on heavy going he could be in the money.
There’s quite a bit to try to figure out here, but I’m going with Charm Stone and her recent Group 1 form.
Caulfield, Race 7, 12:45 a.m. ET
Thousand Guineas (G1), 1,600 meters (about one mile), $1.04 million, three-year-old fillies
- $10 win/$30 show: #4 De Armas ($40)
- $1 trifecta: 3,4 with 3,4,9 with 1,2,3,4,5,8,9 ($20)
Australia’s version of the English fillies’ classic has drawn a good, competitive field, without a standout, and with a variety of form lines.
Global Goal, the winner of Sydney’s equivalent, the Flight (G1) two weeks ago, isn’t here, but the form from that race is well represented by the narrow runner-up, #4 De Armas (15-2). That was her second run this campaign, and she could well be improved. The Sydney three-year-old form worked out well for Warwoven in the Caulfield Guineas last week, so it needs to be taken seriously here.
The only other runner who raced in Sydney last start is #11 Sing Your Song (20-1), who was third in a lower-grade race against older mares last start. She won a strong maiden the start before and could get some of this at odds.
Most of the Melbourne team took part in one of two lead-ups, the Jim Moloney on Sept. 27 and the Edward Manifold (G2) on Oct. 3. The Jim Moloney, raced on good footing over about seven furlongs, was won by #9 Regal Ambition (6-5) by a length after a good fight with #2 Pretty Baby (7-2). #13 Platinum Pearl (14-1) (third), #7 Rubi’s Choice (99-1) (fourth), #12 Katoto (16-1) (fifth), and #6 Grinzinger Heart (99-1) (seventh) also back up, but the first two look the best choices from that race.
The Edward Manifold was held over the Thousand Guineas distance of a mile, but it was on heavy ground. It was won by six lengths by #3 Saintly Dancer (10-1); the only filly backing up from the beaten brigade is 11th-place finisher #10 Salann (99-1). Saintly Dancer was second at her previous start to #5 Icelady (25-1); the ground was good that day, though Saintly Dancer may have improved with the extra distance in the Manifold.
Of the others, #1 Lara Antipova (25-1) beat the boys at Listed level two starts back over seven furlongs before finishing fourth, again to the males, in the Stutt (G2). Her jockey that day, Mark Zahra, has hopped off her to ride #8 Over The Bridge (15-2), winner of the six-furlong Champagne (G3) on the same day as the Jim Moloney.
There’s a lot of intriguing formlines here. It’s a little hard to line up, but De Armas showed enough in the Flight to suggest she may be hard to beat. Saintly Dancer looks the best of the locals.
Caulfield, Race 9, 2:15 a.m. ET
Caulfield Cup (G1), 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles), $4.53 million, three-year-olds and up
- $10 win/$20 show: #7 Enfjaar ($30)
- $1 trifecta: 2,7 with 2,7,9 with 1,2,7,9,10,12,16,17 ($24)
This is the traditional first leg of the Caulfield Cup–Melbourne Cup double, via which owners and punters have been trying to enrich themselves for more than a century. Its value is only shy of the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), run at the same distance, by less than $500,000, but handicap conditions make it less appealing to the superstar 1 1/2-mile horses of the world.
Nonetheless, it’s still drawn an international field, with two horses trained in England (#7 Enfjaar (15-2) and #10 Wine Dark Sea (19-1) and one from Ireland #13 Starford (23-1). All are well in the market. Of the rest, seven of the home-trained team, plus all four alternate entries, were bred in Europe, and a further four were bred in New Zealand, leaving just four Australian-breds.
One of those Australian-breds is last year’s winner #1 Half Yours (21-1). He completed the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double last year, but did so carrying 116 pounds and 117 pounds, respectively. This year he has 127 pounds, making his task much harder. He ran well for fifth in the Turnbull (G1) but might be a better chance in the Melbourne Cup.
The Turnbull was won by former West Australian #2 Cosmic Crusader (7-2). The ground was heavy that day, but he won very well, and he’s handled good ground in the past. However, he has to carry 123 pounds at a trip he hasn’t run before.
Trainer Ciaron Maher has eight potential runners, all bred in Europe: five of the 18 in the main field, and three alternate entries. His best-backed pair are #16 Zahrann (19-1) and #12 Saint George (21-1), first and second in the Naturalism (G3) two starts back. Neither could live with Cosmic Crusader in the Turnbull, but the increased distance helps here, while Zahrann benefits from being three pounds better off at the weights than Cosmic Crusader.
I wouldn’t ignore Maher’s supposed third string, #9 Royal Supremacy (15-1). Fifth in this last year after missing the start, he won at Group 3 level last start carrying 132 pounds and drops back to 120 pounds here.
Two former New Zealand Classic winners are in the field, both now with expat New Zealander Chris Waller. A victory for 2022 NZ Derby (G1) winner #11 Asterix (43-1) would be a surprise, but 2026 NZ Oaks (G1) winner #17 Ohope Wins (30-1) has a shot. She excels at 1 1/2 miles, and finished a useful sixth in the Turnbull to Cosmic Crusader. She meets him five pounds better off, though she has nine lengths to make up.
All three of the international raiders bring good form into this. Enfjaar and Wine Dark Sea both won at Group 3 level in England at their last start, though the latter won at 1 11/16 miles and may also be a better Melbourne Cup prospect. Starford was a little disappointing when third in the Lenebane at Roscommon in Ireland, but trainer Joseph O’Brien is having a fantastic season and knows how to win in Australia.
It’s not an easy race, but I’m going with Enfjaar, with Cosmic Crusader, Royal Supremacy, and Ohope Wins the biggest dangers.
Randwick, Race 9, 2:35 a.m. ET
King Charles III (G1), 1,600 meters (about one mile), $3.46 million, three-year-olds and up
- $5 superfecta: 5 with 1 with 2,3,4 with 2,3,4 ($30)
- $1 superfecta: 1 with 5 with 2,3,4 with 2,3,4 ($6)
Worth nearly twice the purse of the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) and held under the same weight-for-age conditions, yet there looks set to be just five runners. This is largely because of the presence of arguably Australia’s best horse, #5 Autumn Glow (1-2).
Defeated just once, when she couldn’t stretch her ability to 1 1/4 miles in the Queen Elizabeth (G1) in April, Autumn Glow has returned as imperious as ever, winning the Winx (G1) over Sheza Alibi and the Seven Sunrise (G2) over Aeliana and #1 Ceolwulf (5-2). She is understandably a raging hot favorite.
Ceolwulf has won this race the past two years and is clearly the best chance to beat Autumn Glow. However, he hasn’t done so in five attempts, and his best chance of doing so here probably ended when the hard front-running mare Pride of Jenni was withdrawn, meaning there is less chance of this turning into a stamina contest. The only thing in his favor is his stellar record in this event.
Ceolwulf was second last time out in the Epsom (G1) to #2 God’s Window (40-1), but that was under handicap conditions, and God’s Window is 20 pounds worse off here, so it’s hard to see that result replicated. The other two runners, #3 Just Folk (49-1)and #4 Militarize (40-1), are decent horses, but they’re probably here to try and earn the $294,000 available for finishing third.
Superfectas are probably the way to go here, and while most of the money will be weighted to an Autumn Glow victory, I’m also throwing a sneaky one in at a lesser stake with Ceolwulf on top.
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