Peter Young Stakes

Looking for this year’s Peter Young Stakes betting guide, form and racing tips? The expert tipsters at Neds have put together everything you need to know before this year’s race.

Peter Young Stakes 2026 Results

The official 2026 Peter Young Stakes results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday, March 14, 2026. 

Chris Waller’s progressive five-year-old import Birdman ($3.30) continued his outstanding prep securing his second Group 2 victory on the trot with a soft win in the 2026 Peter Young Stakes results. Having gone to another level this campaign, the Free Eagle gelding came via a lead-up Blamey Stakes win at HQ and was given a perfectly timed ride by Ben Melham. Having sat on pace, Birdman delivered when asked on the straight, moving up to the leader before hitting the front inside the final furlong and drawing away for an effortless 1.75 length win. He has now firmed in from $6 to $3 outright favouritism in the all-in Group 1 Australian Cup odds to take out the Group 1 on March 28.

Peter Young Stakes 2026 Tips

Our exclusive 2026 Peter Young Stakes tips will be detailed here the week of the race and a full betting preview available on the Neds Blog.

Run over 1,800 metres in early March at Caulfield Racecourse, the Peter Young Stakes is a Group 2 event held during the coveted Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival.

It was previously part of February’s Blue Diamond Stakes Day card before moving to its own feature meet in mid-March as of 2025 on the same day in Melbourne that Sydney hosts the Group 1 Coolmore Classic.

The weight-for-age staying race offers a lucrative $500,000 in prize money as of 2025.

The best out of the Peter Young Stakes often continue onto the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) and Fiorente (2014) was the last horse to complete the double. 

Horses that perform well in the Peter Young Stakes over the autumn often return in the spring for a shot at the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.

In 2022 Emissary ran third in the Peter Young before a brave second to Gold Trip in that year’s Melbourne Cup results. The 2022 Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip meanwhile resumed in the 2023 Peter Young Stakes running second to his stablemate Steinem.

Gold Trip returned in the 2023 Peter Young Stakes finishing third and was back in the spring winning the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes and running third in the Caulfield Cup. He also rounded out the Peter Young Stakes 2024 trifecta when third first-up behind classy Kiwi mare Campionessa.

In 2025 the Peter Young Stakes was won by Pride Of Jenni in her brilliant return to racing following a bleeding attack from the spring prior.

The 2025 Peter Young Stakes proved a genuine springboard for elite performers, with Pride Of Jenni using her win as a launchpad to dominate later in the year and claim the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington. The race’s strength was underlined again by runner‑up Zardozi, who franked the form in the autumn by finishing third in the Australian Cup at her very next start, rounding out a high‑class trifecta and reinforcing the Peter Young as a serious form reference.

Peter Young Stakes 2026 – Quick Information

• Race Day: Saturday, March 14, 2026
• Track Location: Caulfield Racecourse 
• Track Surface: Turf
• Track Direction: Left-handed
• Race Distance: 1,800 metres
• Weight Conditions: Weight for age
• Qualification: Open (maidens ineligible)
• Type: Thoroughbred
• Grade: Group 2
• Operator: Melbourne Racing Club
• Prize Purse: $500,000
• Inaugural Race: 1900
• 2026 Peter Young Stakes Winner: Birdman

Peter Young Stakes Betting 2026

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

Bet Type	How To Place This Type of Bet on This Year’s Peter Young Stakes
Win Bet	Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s Peter Young Stakes.
Place Bet	Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s Peter Young Stakes. Pays less than a win bet but offers safer odds.
Each-Way Bet	If your runner finishes 1st in the Peter Young Stakes, 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 Peter Young Stakes, in order to win the Quinella.
Exacta Bet	You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within the Peter Young Stakes to win the Exacta.
Trifecta Bet	You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within the Peter Young Stakes to win the Trifecta.
First Four	You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within the Peter Young Stakes 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 Peter Young Stakes, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie.

How To Bet on The Peter Young Stakes in 2026

1. Log in 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 Peter Young Stakes Betting above).
5. Select the horse(s) for the race.

Which Horse Will Win the Peter Young Stakes

The best way to pick which horse will win the Peter Young Stakes in 2026 is to take into account their lead-up autumn racing form, assess the barriers, consider the weight the horse will carry and back the proven Melbourne winners. 

Additional factors to consider when picking the Peter Young Stakes winner include: 

• Lead-Up Factors – The TS Carylon Cup serves as a nice guide with Miss Siska (2020) the last to do the double.
• Favourites – The short-priced favourites have an excellent recent record in the Peter Young Stakes results.

Peter Young Stakes Favourites 2026

Favourites in 2026 Peter Young Stakes betting include Chris Waller’s Cox Plate runner-up from the spring Buckaroo coming off a Group 1 Futurity Stakes second fresh, the stable’s impressive last start Group 2 Blamey Stakes winner at HQ Birdman, and Ciaron Maher’s reigning Australian Cup champ Light Infantry Man who saluted in the Group 3 TS Carlyon Cup at his latest in early February.

Avilius ($1.95 in 2019) followed by Cascadian ($2.05 in 2022) and Campionessa ($2.70 in 2024) are the last Peter Young Stakes favourites to win.

Peter Young Stakes 2026 Field

The official 2026 Peter Young Stakes field of final acceptances is announced on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below once announced. 

The Peter Young Stakes 2026 final field features a small but class line-up of Australian Cup hopefuls including Ciaron Maher’s last start Group 3 TS Carlyon Cup winner Light Infantry Man who won last year’s Australian Cup and Chris Waller’s first-up Group 1 Futurity Stakes runner-up Buckaroo.

Caulfield R8

Final Race time: 

	Entrant	Last 6	Sex	Barrier	Weight
	1. Light Infantry Man J: Harry Coffey T: Ciaron Maher	9552x1	G	1	59kg
	2. Buckaroo J: Jye Mcneil T: Chris Waller	2320x2	G	2	59kg
	3. Apulia J: Luke Currie T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes	110115	H	6	59kg
	4. Bankers Choice J: Daniel Stackhouse T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes	2x030x	G	4	59kg
	5. Birdman J: Ben Melham T: Chris Waller	768x41	G	5	59kg
	6. Whisky On The Hill J: Declan Bates T: Glen Thompson	351x56	G	3	59kg
	7. Chief Little Rock (5)  Scratched:
	8. Basilinna J: Dean Yendall T: Emma-Lee & David Browne	221x7x	M	7	57kg

View Results

Peter Young Stakes Race Day 2026

The 2026 Peter Young Stakes takes place at Caulfield Racecourse on Saturday, March 14, 2026, and the Peter Young Stakes is the sole Group status race on the card. The other key event on the Peter Young Stakes Day card is the $1 million The Showdown (1200m) open only to Two-Years-Old, VOBIS Sires eligible horses.

Peter Young Stakes Barrier Draw 2026

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

Peter Young Stakes Nominations 2026

2026 Peter Young Stakes nominations close at 12:00 PM on the Monday of race week. 

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	x23x110115	APULIA	H	5	Ben, Will & JD Hayes	109
2	2x31820x11	ASTRAL FLAME	M	4	Enver Jusufovic	82
3	11372x030x	BANKERS CHOICE (NZ)	G	8	Ben, Will & JD Hayes	102
4	0x10221x7x	BASILINNA (NZ)	M	5	Emma-Lee & David Browne	99
5	248x62640x	BERKSHIRE BREEZE (IRE)	G	7	Ciaron Maher	96
6	x251768x41	BIRDMAN (IRE)	G	5	Chris Waller	105
7	70x32320x2	BUCKAROO (GB)	G	7	Chris Waller	115
8	6582510×98	CASINO SEVENTEEN	G	8	Gavin Bedggood	103
9	2122x310x	CHIEF LITTLE ROCK (IRE)	G	5	Anthony & Sam Freedman	90
10	13x258x0x4	DESERT HERO (GB)	G	6	Ciaron Maher	105
11	63007×8822	GREGOLIMO (FR)	G	8	Glen Thompson	78
12	237×831537	HOLYMANZ (NZ)	G	6	Ciaron Maher	101
13	0x069552x1	LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (FR)	G	7	Ciaron Maher	112
14	x24183x7x7	PORTLAND (IRE)	G	5	Matthew Smith	90
15	522x21218x	VIVY AIR	M	5	Ciaron Maher	107
16	8591351×56	WHISKY ON THE HILL (GB)	G	6	Glen Thompson	101

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Peter Young Stakes Weights 2026

Standard weight for age conditions apply to this race. Final weights are announced at 4:00 PM on the Monday of race week with the official 2026 Peter Young Stakes weights on the final acceptances to be published in our above Peter Young Stakes Field section. 

Peter Young Stakes Acceptances 2026

2026 Peter Young Stakes final acceptances must be declared before 9:30 AM on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in our above Peter Young Stakes Field section. 

Peter Young Stakes Jockeys 2026

The final riders must be announced by 1:00 PM on the Wednesday of race week with the official 2026 Peter Young Stakes jockeys to be published in our above Peter Young Stakes Field section. 

Peter Young Stakes Scratchings 2026

2026 Peter Young Stakes scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Saturday, March 14, 2026. 

Peter Young Stakes Prize Money 2026

The 2026 Peter Young Stakes prize purse is worth $500,000 in total, distributed from places first through to eighth.

Place	Prize Money
1st	$300,000
2nd	$90,000
3rd	$45,000
4th	$22,500
5th	$12,500
6th	$10,000
7th	$10,000
8th	$10,000

Peter Young Stakes Race Number 2026

The 2026 Peter Young Stakes race number is scheduled as Caulfield Race 8 at 4:15pm (AEDT) on Saturday, March 14, 2026. There are ten races in total that day at Caulfield Racecourse.

Peter Young Stakes 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 Peter Young Stakes Form Guide following final acceptances. 

CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL 2026 PETER YOUNG STAKES FORM GUIDE

Peter Young Stakes Live 2026

You can watch or listen to the 2026 Peter Young Stakes 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

Peter Young Stakes Winners

Winners of the Peter Young Stakes going back to the year 2000 are displayed in the table below.

Year	Winner	Trainer/s	Jockey	Weight	Time
2026	Birdman	Chris Waller	Ben Melham	59kg	1:48.60
2025	Pride Of Jenni	Ciaron Maher	Craig Newitt	57kg	1:47.99
2024	Campionessa	Mark Walker	Michael Dee	57kg	1:50.45
2023	Steinem	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	John Allen	57kg	1:48.40
2022	Cascadian	James Cummings	Damien Oliver	59kg	1:51.59
2021	Paradee	Danny O’Brien	John Allen	57kg	1:49.64
2020	Miss Siska	Grahame Begg	Damian Lane	57kg	1:49.564
2019	Avilius	James Cummings	Hugh Bowman	59kg	1:49.16
2018	Gailo Chop	Darren Weir	Mark Zahra	59kg	1:48.26
2017	Stratum Star	Darren Weir	Mark Zahra	59kg	1:48.25
2016	Bow Creek	John O’Shea	Damien Oliver	59kg	1:48.61
2015	Mourinho	Peter Gelagotis	Vlad Duric	59kg	1:48.00
2014	Fiorente	Gai Waterhouse	Damien Oliver	59kg	1:50.09
2013	Foreteller	Chris Waller	Dwayne Dunn	59kg	1:50.97
2012	Lucas Cranach	Anthony Freedman	Nash Rawiller	59kg	1:48.82
2011	Heart Of Dreams	Mick Price	Damien Oliver	59kg	1:48.82
2010	La Rocket	Dale Sutton	Stephen Baster	59kg	1:49.04
2009	Theseo	Gai Waterhouse	Nash Rawiller	59kg	1:47.83
2008	Princess Coup	Mark Walker	Damien Oliver	56.5kg	1:51.00
2007	Pompeii Ruler	Mick Price	Craig Newitt	59kg	1:49.28
2006	Our Smoking Joe	Lee Freedman	Noel Callow	58kg	1:50.21
2005	Elvstroem	Tony Vasil	Nash Rawiller	58kg	1:49.56
2004	Lonhro	John Hawkes	Darren Gauci	58kg	1:50.98
2003	Northerly	Fred Kersley	Patrick Payne	58kg	1:51.81
2002	Northerly	Fred Kersley	Damien Oliver	58kg	1:49.23
2001	Cent Home	Jim Wallace	David Walker	58kg	1:47.19
2000	Royal Voyage	Mathew Ellerton	Greg Childs	58kg	1:49.17