How to play Day One of the 2026 Sydney Championships

The Sydney Championships are like a two-day version of Champions Day at Ascot in England in mid-October. Most of the races aren’t new – in fact, some have been around for more than a century – but they’ve had their prizemoney boosted, re-packaged and re-marketed to become the climax of the Sydney autumn carnival.

Day one arrives at Randwick racecourse this weekend (Friday night and early Saturday morning ET). There are 10 races on the card, and we’ll focus on the four Group 1 contests.

Race 6, 12:20 a.m ET: Sires’ Produce (G1), 1,400 meters (about 7 furlongs), 2yos, $687,000

• $10 win/$30 show: #4 Campione d’Italia ($40)
• $1 Trifecta: 4,12 with 4,5,12 with 1,4,5,6,9,12,13 ($20)

With Golden Slipper (G1) winner Guest House not appearing and thus turning down the opportunity of completing Sydney’s important Juvenile Triple Crown, this race has something of a consolation feel about it.

However, Golden Slipper second-place finisher #12 Streisand is still there. Her Slipper effort after being on the early pace was admirable, and she’s a deserving favorite. 

The question mark over her is whether she’s going to be at her peak after a long six-race juvenile campaign, which also included winning the Blue Diamond (G1) in Melbourne. Also, she has an extra furlong to deal with at Randwick, a tougher course than the Slipper venue of Rosehill.

For this reason, I’m tipping #4 Campione d’Italia to beat her. After a dogged victory in the Skyline (G2), he made up a lot of ground for fourth in the Slipper, suggesting he’d be better at seven furlongs. In addition, he has the services of James McDonald, who got off fellow Chris Waller trainee #1 Fireball (seventh in the Slipper) to ride him.

#5 Paradoxium is talented, having won the Todman (G2) two starts back, but as in the Slipper, he’s got a horribly wide barrier draw. If he can find a position close to the rail without exerting too much energy, he could be a chance. Others for exotics include #6 Zambales, #9 Wolf Gap, and #13 Miss Chanel.

Race 7, 12:55 a.m. ET: T J Smith Stakes (G1), 1,200 meters (about 6 furlongs), open, $2.06 million

• $10 win/$30 show: #2 Briasa ($40)
• $1 Trifecta: 2,7 with 2,6,7 with 1,2,3,4,6,7 ($16)

This relatively new race, founded in 1997, has quickly become the premier autumn sprint in Sydney because it is weight-for-age, and thus attracts the best sprinters in a country primarily known for its sprinters. Subsequent northern hemisphere winners Takeover Target, Black Caviar, Chautauqua, and Nature Strip are among its winners.

This year has an open look about it. Last year’s winner, #2 Briasa, is back, having fought bravely for fourth while giving away a lot of weight when resuming in the Galaxy (G1) two weeks ago. Also returning from last year are runner-up #4 Overpass, fourth-placed #1 Jimmysstar, and #6 Joliestar, who had an unusually bad day when ninth.

All four of these horses contested the Everest (G1) in spring, in which Jimmysstar was third, Overpass fourth, Joliestar fifth, and Briasa eighth (from a bad draw). The Everest link doesn’t end there, as the field also includes last-placed #8 Magic Time, who, at his best, is very good, and two veterans of the 2022 Everest, winner #3 Giga Kick and third-place finisher #5 Mazu.

The market, however, is led by the three-year-old #7 Tentyris. Winner of the stallion-making Coolmore Stud Stakes (G1) in spring, he won the Lightning (G1) in February before a disappointing fifth in the Newmarket (G1) when carrying a lot of weight for his age. He pulled up with cardiac arrhythmia after that, so he may well improve on that.

It’s an even and very interesting race. The form horse is arguably Joliestar, but her habit of missing out on the biggest occasions worries me. Jimmysstar was disappointing on resuming and probably is best at seven furlongs, as is Giga Kick these days. With Tentyris’ health not certain, I’m backing Briasa for a repeat.

Race 8, 1:35 a.m. ET: Doncaster Mile (G1), 1,600 meters (about 1 mile), open, $2.75 million

• $30 win: #15 Sheza Alibi ($30)
• $1 Trifecta: 15 with 1,2,7 with 1,2,5,7,8,16 ($15)

The handicap conditions here usually make this a very competitive race. But it can also be won by very good horses, especially on the way up, if they haven’t got too far up the weights, such as the champion three-year-old filly Sunline in 1999.

This year’s event features another outstanding three-year-old filly on the way up. #15 Sheza Alibi has won her last four races, and at her most recent start had a wide transit path before easily racing past Caulfield Guineas (G1) winner #7 Autumn Boy in the Randwick Guineas (G1).

Autumn Boy then franked that form by winning the 1 1/4-mile Rosehill Guineas (G1) two weeks ago. He has the advantage of a better barrier than Sheza Alibi here, but it’s hard to imagine him turning the tables based on the Randwick Guineas – especially as he’s two pounds worse off at the weights. 

Of the others, #1 Gringotts and #2 Pericles deserve consideration after running second and third in the George Ryder (G1), especially since they don’t have Autumn Glow to contend with this time, but they have a lot of weight to concede to Sheza Alibi. The best-placed at the weights might be #5 Linebacker and #8 Steparty, both of which are decent horses at a mile on their day, and the three-year-old #16 Sixties. But if she’s healthy and gets a half-decent chance, you have to think it’s set up for Sheza Alibi.

Race 9, 2:15 a.m. ET: Australian Derby (G1), 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles), 3yos, $1.38 million

• $10 win/$30 show: #2 Road To Paris ($40)
• $1 Trifecta: 1,2 with 1,2,3 with 1,2,3,4,5,6 ($16)

What happened to #1 Observer in the Rosehill Guineas (G1)? He came into the race having won four in a row, but seemed to race well below his best in finishing third behind Autumn Boy and #3 Green Spaces. A defeat to Autumn Boy was almost excusable, but being close to several other horses rated 20 pounds below him suggested he wasn’t at his best.

Perhaps the biggest issue for Observer was the soft track at Rosehill; most of his form is on a good surface. There’s every chance it will be soft again, so presuming that’s the case, I’m going to take him on with #2 Road To Paris.

A visitor from New Zealand, Road To Paris won the New Zealand Derby (G1) on March 7. He’s always had talent but has been a bit wayward; however, he looks to be putting things together. Roger James, who trains Road To Paris with Robert Wellwood, has won the New Zealand Derby a record seven times, but despite several big-race wins in Australia, this race has eluded him. He’s handled soft going before, and is a decent chance at reasonable odds, especially with Hong Kong maestro Zac Purton aboard.

Green Spaces has to be a chance based on his Rosehill Guineas effort, while #5 Storm Leopard is on the improve and #4 Deal Done Fast and #6 One Step Closer are proven at the trip, finishing third and fourth behind Observer in the Victoria Derby (G1).