Australian Cup

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

Australian Cup 2026 Results

The official 2026 Australian Cup results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday, March 28, 2026. 

The Ciaron Maher-trained Light Infantry Man ($21) was huge late nudging out his front-running stablemate Pride Of Jenni to enjoy a narrow but convincing upset in the 2026 Australian Cup results going back-to-back with a successful title defence in the time-honoured classic. Ridden by Harry Coffey, Light Infantry Man relished the fast pace and step back up to 2000m third-up and fit ahead of a potential Sydney run in the $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes on April 11.

Australian Cup 2026 Tips

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

Run over 2,000 metres each March at Flemington Racecourse, the Australian Cup is a Group 1 classic run and won since 1863. 

It was previously held on ‘Super Saturday’ at headquarters alongside the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) but was moved to its own feature race meeting later in the month ahead of the 2023 edition.

The Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) held earlier during the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival is the key lead-up into the Australian Cup and Fiorente (2014) was the last galloper to complete the double. 

The weight-for-age feature currently offers $2 million in prize money, and many turf greats have taken out the event including in recent times Northerly (2001, 2003) and current race record holder Makybe Diva (2005) best known for her historic Melbourne Cup three-peat.

The late, great ‘Cups’ King’ Bart Cummings famously won the Australian Cup on 13 occasions with his last success being in 2008 with Sirmione.

In 2022 Duais won the Australian Cup before a next-up victory in Sydney’s Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m), while the form was also franked by the runner-up Think It Over who won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick during April’s The Championships.

The All-Star Mile race currently serves as a key lead-up into the Australian Cup.

Cascadian went back-to-back winning the Australian Cup in 2023 and 2024 and came via the All-Star Mile on both occasions (2nd at The Valley in 2023 and 3rd at Caulfield in 2024).

In 2025, Light Infantry Man (3rd) also won the Australian Cup off a lead-up All-Star Mile run.

Cascadian beat Pride Of Jenni home in the 2024 Australian Cup quinella with the runner-up going on to frank the form with her masterful, all-the-way, 6.5 length demolition job in that autumn’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) in Sydney.

Pride Of Jenni returned as the 2025 Australian Cup favourite but faded on the turn home and finished a distant second last behind stablemate Light Infantry Man.

In 2026, Light Infantry Man successfully defended his title to become the latest dual Australian Cup champion when narrowly denying the very brave Pride Of Jenni in an all-Maher quinella.

Australian Cup 2026 – Quick Information

• Race Day: Saturday, March 28, 2026
• Track Location: Flemington Racecourse
• Track Surface: Turf
• Track Direction: Left-handed
• Race Distance: 2,000 metres
• Weight Conditions: Weight for age
• Qualification: Three-year-olds and over (maidens ineligible)
• Type: Thoroughbred
• Grade: Group 1
• Operator: Victoria Racing Club
• Prize Purse: $2,000,000
• Inaugural Race: 1863
• 2026 Australian Cup Winner: Light Infantry Man

Australian Cup Betting 2026

There are many different ways to bet on the Australian 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 Australian Cup
Win Bet	Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s Australian Cup.
Place Bet	Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s Australian Cup. Pays less than a win bet but offers safer odds.
Each-Way Bet	If your runner finishes 1st in the Australian 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 Australian 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 Australian Cup to win the Exacta.
Trifecta Bet	You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within the Australian Cup to win the Trifecta.
First Four	You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within the Australian 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 Australian Cup, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie.

How To Bet on The Australian Cup in 2026

1. Login at neds.com.au
2. Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
3. Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on Australian Cup Betting above).
4. Select the horse(s) for the race.

Which Horse Will Win the Australian Cup in 2026

The best way to pick which horse will win the Australian Cup in 2026 is to take into account their lead-up autumn racing form, assess the barriers, look for the proven WFA performers and those with previous wins at the Flemington track.

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

• Peter Young Lead-Up: From 2014 – 2026 seven Australian Cup winners came via the Peter Young Stakes, most recently Light Infantry Man (2nd in 2026) for his second success in the Group 1.
• Lay The Favourites: The favourites in Australian Cup betting have a poor record in the past decade with Humidor (2017) and Cascadian (2023) the last to salute for the punters.
• Boys’ Club: Since Dane Ripper (1998) the great Makybe Diva (2005) and Duais (2022) are the only mares to have beaten home the boys in the Australian Cup results.
• Experience Over Youth: The only three-year-old Australian Cup winner since Saintly (1996) was Super Cool (2013).

Australian Cup Favourites 2026

Favourites in 2026 Australian Cup betting at time of publish include Birdman coming off the Group 2 Blamey Stakes / Peter Young Stakes double, two-time All-Star Mile champ Tom Kitten for Godolphin and the 2024 second placed mare Pride Of Jenni.

Humidor ($4.20 in 2017) followed by Cascadian ($4 in 2023) are the last Australian Cup favourites to win.

Australian Cup Field 2026

The official 2026 Australian Cup field of final acceptances will be announced the Wednesday of race week and published in full below. 

The Australian Cup 2026 final field is now out featuring a dozen of the season’s top WFA horses including dual All-Star Mile champ Tom Kitten and the Chris Waller-trained Birdman chasing a hat-trick off back-to-back Group 2 wins in Melbourne this prep.

Flemington R8 - TAB Australian Cup (G1)

Final Race time: 

	Entrant	Last 6	Sex	Barrier	Weight
	1. Tom Kitten J: Craig Williams T: Anthony & Sam Freedman	453x11	G	12	59kg
	2. Light Infantry Man J: Harry Coffey T: Ciaron Maher	552x14	G	9	59kg
	3. Apulia J: William Pike T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes	101152	H	2	59kg
	4. Just Fine J: Jordan Childs T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	929x93	G	11	59kg
	5. Birdman J: Ben Melham T: Chris Waller	68x411	G	5	59kg
	6. Sabaj J: Beau Mertens T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr	110x24	G	6	59kg
	7. Mark Twain J: Lachlan Neindorf T: Phillip Stokes	0009x3	G	4	59kg
	8. Pride Of Jenni J: Declan Bates T: Ciaron Maher	1718x3	M	10	57kg
	9. Damask Rose J: Jamie Melham T: Mark Walker	0x2327	M	1	57kg
	10. Leica Lucy J: Damian Lane T: Chris Waller	432x56	M	3	57kg
	11. Basilinna J: Jye Mcneil T: Emma-Lee & David Browne	21x7x7	M	8	57kg
	12. Philia J: Daniel Stackhouse T: David Vandyke	18x644	M	7	57kg

View Results

Australian Cup Race Day 2026

The 2026 Australian Cup takes place at Flemington on Saturday, March 28, 2026, as the sole Group 1 race on Australian Cup Day. 

The key support race at the meeting is the Group 3 $200,000 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m).

Australian Cup Barrier Draw 2026

The 2026 Australian Cup barrier draw will be released to the public a few days before the race and published in our above Australian Cup Field section. 

Australian Cup Nominations 2026

2026 Australian Cup nominations close at midday on the Monday of race week and will be updated below once announced. 

The 2026 Australian Cup nominations attracted 16 gallopers led in all-in betting by Chris Waller’s last start Peter Young Stakes champ Birdman chasing a hat-trick and dual All-Star Mile hero Tom Kitten.

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	23×1101152	APULIA	H	5	Ben, Will & JD Hayes	109
2	310052×921	ARCORA	C	3	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	100
3	x10221x7x7	BASILINNA (NZ)	M	5	Emma-Lee & David Browne	99
4	251768×411	BIRDMAN (IRE)	G	5	Chris Waller	109
5	x5760x2327	DAMASK ROSE (NZ)	M	4	Mark Walker	102
6	13x258x0x4	DESERT HERO (GB)	G	6	Ciaron Maher	105
7	14×2321125	FIORENOT	G	5	Tom Dabernig	78
8	7x6110x267	IMMEDIACY (NZ)	G	5	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	98
9	100x929x93	JUST FINE (IRE)	G	8	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	105
10	114x432x56	LEICA LUCY (NZ)	M	4	Chris Waller	107
11	x069552x14	LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (FR)	G	7	Ciaron Maher	112
12	1x860009x3	MARK TWAIN (NZ)	G	6	Phillip Stokes	96
13	x11118x644	PHILIA	M	4	David Vandyke	92
14	910x1718x3	PRIDE OF JENNI	M	8	Ciaron Maher	118
15	22x6110x24	SABAJ	G	4	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	104
16	73x5453x11	TOM KITTEN	G	5	Anthony & Sam Freedman	116

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Australian Cup Weights 2026

Standard weight for age conditions apply to this race. 2026 Australian Cup weights are announced at midday on the Monday of race week with weights final acceptances to be published in our above Australian Cup Field section. 

Australian Cup Acceptances 2026

Final 2026 Australian Cup acceptances must be declared before 9:30 AM on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in our above Australian Cup Field section. 

Australian Cup Jockeys 2026

The final riders’ announcement is at 1 PM on the Wednesday of race week with the official 2026 Australian Cup jockeys to be published in our above Australian Cup Field section. 

Australian Cup Scratchings 2026

2026 Australian Cup scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Saturday, March 28, 2026. 

Australian Cup Prize Money 2026

The 2026 Australian Cup prize purse is worth $2,000,000 in total, distributed from places first through to eighth.

Place	Prize Money
1st	$1,200,000
2nd	$360,000
3rd	$180,000
4th	$90,000
5th	$50,000
6th	$40,000
7th	$40,000
8th	$40,000

Australian Cup Race Number 2026

The 2026 Australian Cup race number is scheduled as Flemington Race 8 at 4:15pm (AEDT) on Saturday, March 28, 2026. There are ten races in total that day at Flemington Racecourse.

Australian 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 Australian Cup Form Guide following final acceptances. 

CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL 2026 AUSTRALIAN CUP FORM GUIDE

Australian Cup Live 2026

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

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

Free to air television: Channels 78 (and 68 in regional areas)

Radio: Radio Sport National

Streaming: Racing.com 

Mobile: Neds App

Australian Cup Winners

Winners of the Australian Cup going back to the year 2000 are displayed in the table below. You can find a full list of winners, going back to 1863, right here on our Australian Cup winners’ page.

Year	Winner	Trainer/s	Jockey	Weight	Time
2026	Light Infantry Man	Ciaron Maher	Harry Coffey	59 kgs	2:03.45
2025	Light Infantry Man	Ciaron Maher	Ethan Brown	59 kgs	2:00.41
2024	Cascadian	James Cummings	Ben Melham	59 kgs	2:00.05
2023	Cascadian	James Cummings	Ben Melham	59 kgs	2:01.43
2022	Duais	Edward Cummings	Joshua Parr	57 kgs	2:00.82
2021	Homesman	James Cummings	Jye McNeil	59 kgs	2:01.47
2020	Fifty Stars	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	John Allen	59 kgs	2:02.18
2019	Harlem	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Jamie Kah	59 kgs	2:01.50
2018	Harlem	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Michael Walker	59 kgs	2:00.46
2017	Humidor	Darren Weir	Damian Lane	59 kgs	2:01.07
2016	Preferment	Chris Waller	Hugh Bowman	59 kgs	2:03.96
2015	Spillway	David Hayes	Michael Walker	59 kgs	2:00.09
2014	Fiorente	Gai Waterhouse	Damien Oliver	59 kgs	2:03.64
2013	Super Cool	Mark Kavanagh	Michael Rodd	54.5 kgs	2:00.93
2012	Manighar	Peter Moody	Luke Nolen	59 kgs	2:01.22
2011	Shocking	Mark Kavanagh	Corey Brown	59 kgs	2:00.95
2010	Zipping	Robert Hickmott	Nicholas Hall	59 kgs	2:03.69
2009	Niconero	David Hayes	Craig Williams	59 kgs	2:03.14
2008	Sirmione	Bart Cummings	Peter Mertens	59 kgs	2:00.82
2007	Pompeii Ruler	Mick Price	Craig Newitt	59 kgs	2:01.53
2006	Roman Arch	Robbie Laing	Craig Newitt	58 kgs	2:02.87
2005	Makybe Diva	Lee Freedman	Glen Boss	55.5 kgs	1:58.73
2004	Lonhro	John Hawkes	Darren Beadman	58 kgs	2:01.67
2003	Northerly	Fred Kersley	Patrick Payne	58 kgs	2:01.47
2002	Old Comrade	Lindsey Smith	Paul Harvey	58 kgs	1:59.89
2001	Northerly	Fred Kersley	Greg Childs	58 kgs	1:59.46
2000	Intergaze	Rod Craig	Craig Carmody	58 kgs	2:00.98