Adelaide Cup

Looking for this year’s Adelaide Cup betting tips, field and form guide? The tipsters at Neds have put together everything you need to know before this year’s race.

Adelaide Cup 2026 Results

The official 2026 Adelaide Cup results will be available below once the race takes place on Monday, March 9, 2026. 

The 2026 Adelaide Cup results saw a thrilling photo-finish with the lightly-raced but progressive Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained Tivaci four-year-old, American Wolf ($21), going stride-for-stride with the favourite Highland Bling the closing stages before getting his neck out right on the line to salute in an upset thanks to a patient ride by Jett Stanley. Stanley was thrown from the winning galloper post-race but ran back to scale to the cheers of the crowd.

Adelaide Cup 2026 Tips

Our insider 2026 Adelaide Cup tips will be detailed here the week of the race and a full betting preview published on the Neds Blog.

Run over 3,200 metres every March, the Adelaide Cup is a Group 2 race, held during the Autumn racing season. With a prize purse of just over $350,000, it attracts South Australia’s best stayers, with some of nationwide talent thrown in.

It is one of the few genuine two-mile events still held in Australia, with the most famous being the coveted Melbourne Cup at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.

If you’re looking for a nice lead in to this race, look no further than the 2600 metre Lord Reims Stakes – a race named in honour of triple Adelaide Cup champion Lord Reims (1987-89). 

The Adelaide Cup was downgraded from a Group 1 to a Group 2 race in 2007 but still holds plenty of prestige among the staying ranks.

Many class horses have won the Adelaide Cup since its inauguration back in 1864 including dual Melbourne Cup champion Rain Lover (1968), Hyperon (1978) who won the following year’s Melbourne Cup, Just A Dash (1981) who did the Adelaide – Melbourne Cup double that season, and the great grey Subzero (1992).

Adelaide Cup 2026 – Quick Information

• Race Day: Monday, March 9, 2026
• Track Location: Morphettville Racecourse
• Track Surface: Turf
• Track Direction: Left-handed
• Race Distance: 3,200 metres
• Weight Conditions: Handicap
• Qualification: Three-year-olds and over
• Type: Thoroughbred
• Grade: Group 2
• Operator: South Australian Jockey Club
• Prize Purse: $350,000
• Inaugural Race: 1864
• 2026 Adelaide Cup Winner: American Wolf

Adelaide Cup Betting 2026

There are many different ways to bet on the Adelaide Cup, and we have included some of the most popular options below:

Bet Type	How To Place This Type of Bet on This Year’s Adelaide Cup
Win Bet	Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s Adelaide Cup.
Place Bet	Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s Adelaide Cup. Pays less than a win bet but offers safer odds.
Each-Way Bet	If your runner finishes 1st in the Adelaide Cup, you will collect both the Win and the Place dividend. If your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd you will collect the Place dividend.
Quinella Bet	You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in any order, within the Adelaide Cup, in order to win the Quinella.
Exacta Bet	You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within the Adelaide Cup to win the Exacta.
Trifecta Bet	You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within the Adelaide Cup to win the Trifecta.
First Four	You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within the Adelaide Cup to win the First 4.
Quadrella Bet (Quaddie)	You must select the winners of four nominated races to win the Quaddie. This means you would have to select three other races apart from the Adelaide Cup, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie.

How To Bet on the Adelaide Cup in 2026

1. Login at neds.com.au
2. Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
3. Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
4. Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on Adelaide Cup Betting above).
5. Select the horse(s) for the race.

Which Horse Will Win the Adelaide Cup in 2026

The best way to pick which horse will win the Adelaide Cup in 2026 is to take into account their lead-up autumn racing form, assess the barrier draw, consider the weight the horse will carry and look for the proven stayers. 

Additional factors to consider when picking the Adelaide Cup winner include: 

• Local Legends – South Australian stayers love to clinch the top prize in this one.
• Age Matters – No three-year-old has won the Adelaide Cup since The Hind (1998).
• Proven Stayers – Experience at the two-miles is a good indicator for success in the Adelaide Cup race. 
• Weight Factor – Since 2010 just three Adelaide Cup winners have carried more than 55.5kg to victory most recently Daqiansweet Junior (56.5kg in 2022).

Adelaide Cup Favourites 2026

Favourites in Adelaide Cup 2026 betting include last December’s Ballarat Cup champ Berkeley Square coming off a lead-up win at Flemington, the local Phillip Stokes-trained five-year-old Highland Bling who ran a devastatingly close second in the Group 3 Lord Reims at his latest, and last year’s runner-up Newfoundland from the Waterhouse/Bott yard looking to go one better.

Daqiansweet Junior ($4.20 in 2022) was the last Adelaide Cup favourite to win.

Adelaide Cup 2026 Field

The official 2026 Adelaide Cup field of final acceptances is announced on the Thursday prior to the race and will be published below once confirmed.

The 2026 Adelaide Cup field features a bumper crop of autumn stayers led in betting by the Phillip Stokes-trained Lord Reims runner-up Highland Bling and the rails-drawn top-weight Berkeley Square giving the weight away to his rivals but coming off a good win at Flemington with more kilos on his back.

Morphettville R7 - Sportsbet Adelaide Cup (G2)

Final Race time: 

	Entrant	Last 6	Sex	Barrier	Weight
	1. Berkeley Square J: Luke Nolen T: Dan O'sullivan	351031	G	1	59.5kg
	2. Newfoundland J: Tim Clark T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	25x519	G	15	54kg
	3. Eventually J: Teagan Voorham T: Sarah Rutten	411x01	M	14	53kg
	4. Komachi J: Lucy Fiore T: Will Clarken	131218	G	5	53kg
	5. Crimson Vine J: Kayla Crowther T: Sarah Rutten	x37123	M	10	53kg
	6. Highland Bling J: Lachlan Neindorf T: Phillip Stokes	812x52	G	17	53kg
	7. Kirkliston Blu J: Dom Tourneur T: Roslyn Day	124184	G	9	53kg
	8. Dictionary J: Teo Nugent T: John Moloney	955155	G	6	53kg
	9. Hasta La War J: Stacey Metcalfe T: Sue Murphy	9x9789	G	11	53kg
	10. Hurry Curry J: Jamie Melham T: Danny O'brien	604461	M	4	53kg
	11. Samuel Langhorne J: Luke Cartwright T: Michael Kent	337x46	G	18	53kg
	12. Urban Outlook J: Ashley Morgan T: J G Symons & S Laxon	525110	G	16	53kg
	13. American Wolf J: Jett Stanley T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	x73337	G	8	53kg
	14. Sentimental Flame J: Will Price T: Travis Doudle	39x093	M	3	53kg
	15. Alainge J: Sairyn Fawke T: Garret Lynch	308371	M	12	53kg
	16. Zibulon J: Patrick Moloney T: Paul Preusker	6921x3	G	2	53kg
	17. Sabre Athena J: Kate Walters T: Mark Greig	831x09	M	7	53kg
	18. Chance Taken J: Dylan Caboche T: Chris Bieg	0x9586	G	13	53kg

View Results

Adelaide Cup Race Day 2026

2026 Adelaide Cup Day takes place on Monday, March 9, 2026. While the Adelaide Cup is the only Group status race on the card there are three Listed features including the Morphettville Guineas (1600m). 

Adelaide Cup Barrier Draw 2026

The 2025 Adelaide Cup barrier draw will be released to the public a few days before the race and will be published in our above Adelaide Cup Field section. 

Adelaide Cup Nominations 2026

2026 Adelaide Cup nominations close the Tuesday prior to Adelaide Cup Day. 

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	3572308371	ALAINGE	M	5	Garret Lynch	63
2	8x40x73337	AMERICAN WOLF (NZ)	G	4	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	72
3	4664351031	BERKELEY SQUARE	G	6	Dan O’Sullivan	107
4	1322223×26	BLUESTONE (NZ)	G	5	Michael Kent	72
5	53050×9586	CHANCE TAKEN (NZ)	G	5	Chris Bieg	54
6	70x0x37123	CRIMSON VINE (NZ)	M	6	Sarah Rutten	82
7	10×5955155	DICTIONARY	G	6	John Moloney	77
8	x3580x0315	EL JAMES (NZ)	G	5	Symon Wilde	72
9	x079411x01	EVENTUALLY	M	7	Sarah Rutten	90
10	x515491360	FULL OF COURAGE (NZ)	G	4	Chris Bieg	66
11	246×700462	GARACHICO (GB)	G	7	Dominic Sutton	90
12	08009×9789	HASTA LA WAR	G	10	Sue Murphy	76
13	0x0x812x52	HIGHLAND BLING (IRE)	G	5	Phillip Stokes	79
14	50×3604461	HURRY CURRY (NZ)	M	4	Danny O’Brien	76
15	5344124184	KIRKLISTON BLU	G	5	Roslyn Day	79
16	1463131218	KOMACHI (IRE)	G	8	Will Clarken	88
17	242325×519	NEWFOUNDLAND (IRE)	G	7	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	96
18	1542×46216	NO RUMOURS	G	5	Paul Preusker	63
19	320411×477	PARADISE STORM (FR)	G	5	Henry Dwyer	82
20	8075831×09	SABRE ATHENA	M	7	Mark Greig	61
21	x746337x46	SAMUEL LANGHORNE (NZ)	G	6	Michael Kent	76
22	567539×093	SENTIMENTAL FLAME	M	5	Travis Doudle	68
23	04342219×5	SUFFOLK STAR (GB)	G	6	Paul Preusker	64
24	0466525110	URBAN OUTLOOK (GB)	G	6	John Symons & Sheila Laxon	73
25	546x6921x3	ZIBULON (FR)	G	6	Paul Preusker	63

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Adelaide Cup Weights 2026

A handicap applies to this race. Final weights are announced on the Tuesday of race week with the official 2026 Adelaide Cup weights on the final acceptances to be published in our above Adelaide Cup Field section. 

2026 Adelaide Cup Topweight:

• No. 1 Berkeley Square (59.5kg)

Adelaide Cup Acceptances 2026

2026 Adelaide Cup final acceptances must be declared before 9:00am (local time) on the Thursday prior to the race and will be published in our above Adelaide Cup Field section. 

Adelaide Cup Jockeys 2026

The final riders must be announced by the Thursday prior to the race with the official 2026 Adelaide Cup jockeys to be published in our above Adelaide Cup Field section. 

Adelaide Cup Scratchings 2026

2026 Adelaide Cup scratchings close at 7:00 AM on Monday, March 9, 2026. 

Adelaide Cup Prize Money 2026

The 2026 Adelaide Cup prize purse is worth $350,000 in total, distributed from places first through to eighth.

Place	Prize Money
1st	$191,250
2nd	$62,250
3rd	$31,000
4th	$17,500
5th	$13,000
6th	$7,000
7th	$7,000
8th	$7,000
9th	$7,000
10th	$7,000

Adelaide Cup Race Number 2026

The 2026 Adelaide Cup race number is scheduled as Morphettville Race 7 at 4:15pm (ACDT) onMonday, March 9, 2026. There are nine races in total that day at Morphettville Racecourse.

Adelaide Cup Form Guide 2026

The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can check below for a link to our full 2026 Adelaide Cup Form Guide following final acceptances. 

CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL 2026 ADELAIDE CUP FORM GUIDE

Adelaide Cup Live 2026

You can watch or listen to the 2026 Adelaide Cup live, across the following mediums.

Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)

Radio: Radio Sport National

Streaming: Racing.com

Adelaide Cup Winners

Winners of the Adelaide Cup going back to the year 2000 are displayed in the table below. For a full list of winners going back to the race’s inauguration in 1864, please check our Adelaide Cup winners’ page.

Year	Winner	Sex	Age	Weight	Time
2026	American Wolf	Gelding	4 years	53.0 kg	3:23.45
2025	Silent Surrente	Mare	6 years	53.5 kg	3:22.76
2024	Excelleration	Gelding	7 years	53.5 kg	3:23.49
2023	Rebel Racer	Gelding	6 years	53 kg	3:23.85
2022	Daqiansweet Junior	Gelding	4 years	56.5 kg	3:28.80
2021	Good Idea	Gelding	6 years	53 kg	3:22.00
2020	King Of Leogrance	Gelding	5 years	54 kg	3:24.76
2019	Surprise Baby	Gelding	4 years	53 kg	3:25.94
2018	Fanatic	Mare	5 years	57.5 kg	3:25.28
2017	Annus Mirabilis	Gelding	6 years	55.5 kg	3:24.25
2016	Purple Smile	Gelding	5 years	53 kg	3:24.19
2015	Tanby	Gelding	8 years	53 kg	3:25.51
2014	Outback Joe	Gelding	6 years	54 kg	3:22.09
2013	Norsqui	Gelding	6 years	56 kg	3:24.43
2012	Rialya	Gelding	4 years	54 kg	3:23.35
2011	Muir	Gelding	5 years	54 kg	3:23.46
2010	Capecover	Gelding	7 years	57 kg	3:28.8
2009	Zavite	Gelding	6 years	57.5 kg	3:22.7
2008	Lacey Underall	Mare	5 years	53 kg	3:22.0
2007	Gallic	Gelding	7 years	58 kg	3:20.9
2006	Exalted	Gelding	6 years	52.5 kg	3:25.1
2005	Demerger	Mare	4 years	57 kg	3:21.92
2004	Pantani	Gelding	5 years	51 kg	3:27.58
2003	Pillage “n Plunder	Gelding	5 years	53.5 kg	3:28.43
2002	The A Train	Gelding	5 years	50.5 kg	3:29.37
2001	Apache King	Gelding	5 years	51 kg	3:29.70
2000	Bohemiath	Gelding	5 years	51 kg	3:24.68