Looking for this year’s Autumn Stakes betting guide, form and odds? The tipsters at Neds have put together everything you need to know before this year’s race.
Autumn Stakes Results
The official Autumn Stakes results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
- #1 Observer
- #3 Planet Red
- #10 Victorious Spirit
Ciaron Maher’s Vase – VRC Derby champ from the spring, Observer ($4EF), kicked off his autumn with a bang easily accounting for his rivals to salute as the equal favourite fresh in the 2026 Autumn Stakes results at Caulfield. Despite the 1400m being short of his best, the star three-year-old was emphatic with Ethan Brown in the saddle putting 1.25 lengths on the line over the Caulfield Guineas runner-up Planet Red to shoot to the top of all-in Australian Guineas betting.
| 1. Observer (7) J: Ethan Brown59.5kg 2311xT: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 3. Planet Red (10) J: Jamie Melham57kg 1432xT: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr | ||
| 10. Victorious Spirit (12) J: Zac Spain57kg 231xT: Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | ||
| 7. Onavuitton (6) J: Thomas Stockdale57kg 63x1T: Simon Zahra | ||
| 6. Top Reward (2) J: Michael Dee57kg 13xT: Clayton Douglas | ||
| 2. Buccleuch (4) J: Jye Mcneil58kg 111x6T: Patrick & Michelle Payne | ||
| 8. Crocodile (1) J: Ben Allen57kg 519x1T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | ||
| 5. Master Of The Air (9) J: Damian Lane57kg x116xT: Chris Waller | ||
| 4. Arcora (5) J: John Allen57kg 0052xT: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | ||
| 11. Top Conti (3) J: Lachlan King57kg T: Steven King | ||
| 12. Davida (8) J: Craig Williams55kg 1x711T: Danny O'brien | ||
| 9. Cyber Link (11) J: Beau Mertens57kg 1T: Greg Eurell |
Autumn Stakes Tips
Our exclusive Autumn Stakes tips will be detailed here the week of the race and a full betting preview available on the Neds Blog.
Run over 1,400 metres each year in February at Caulfield Racecourse, the Autumn Stakes is a Group 2 race with a $300,000 prize purse.
Open to three-year-olds and run at set weights plus penalties, the Autumn Stakes serves as a key lead-up to the autumn’s Group 1 mile races for this age group including Flemington’s Australian Guineas held the following month at HQ. Light Fantastic (2008) was the last to complete the Autumn Stakes – Australian Guineas double.
The 2024 Autumn Stakes also produced that year’s Australian Guineas winner with the runner-up Southport Tycoon going one better next start in the Group 1 at Flemington.
In 2025, Observer won the Autumn Stakes first-up as the reigning Victoria Derby champion from the spring.
Autumn Stakes – Quick Information
- Race Day: Saturday, February 7, 2026
- Track Location: Caulfield Racecourse
- Track Surface: Turf
- Track Direction: Left-handed
- Race Distance: 1,400 metres
- Weight Conditions: Set weights (with penalties)
- Qualification: Three-year-olds
- Type: Thoroughbred
- Grade: Group 2
- Operator: Melbourne Racing Club
- Prize Purse: $300,000
- Inaugural Race: 1968
- Autumn Stakes Winner: Observer
Autumn Stakes Betting
There are many different ways to bet on the Autumn 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 Autumn Stakes |
|---|---|
| Win Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s Autumn Stakes. |
| Place Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s Autumn Stakes. Pays less than a win bet but offers safer odds. |
| Each-Way Bet | If your runner finishes 1st in the Autumn 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 Autumn 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 Autumn Stakes to win the Exacta. |
| Trifecta Bet | You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within the Autumn Stakes to win the Trifecta. |
| First Four | You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within the Autumn 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 Autumn Stakes, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie. |
How To Bet on the Autumn Stakes in
- Login at neds.com.au
- Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
- Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on Autumn Stakes Betting above).
- Select the horse(s) for the race.
Which Horse Will Win the Autumn Stakes in ?
The best way to pick which horse will win the Autumn Stakes in is to take into account any lead-up form from the Autumn Racing Carnival, assess the barriers, consider the weight the horse will carry and look for those with previous winning form at the track.
Additional factors to consider when picking the Autumn Stakes winner include:
- Favourite Factor – Favourites have a strong recent record in this race.
- First-Up – The Autumn Stakes is often the autumn kick off for horses so looking for first-up runners with a strong record fresh can prove profitable. Poland (2021), Coastwatch (2022), Snow Patrol (2024), Angel Capital (2025) and Observer (2026) are the latest first-up winners of the Autumn Stakes.
Autumn Stakes Favourites
Favourites in Autumn Stakes betting include Ciaron Maher’s resuming Victoria Derby champion Observer, Caulfield Guineas runner-up from the spring Planet Red, and the Ben, Will & JD Hayes-trained Crocodile coming off a win fresh at Sandown Hillside on January 21.
Microphone ($2.60 in 2020), Angel Capital ($2.70 in 2025) and Observer ($4EF in 2026) are the latest Autumn Stakes favourites to win.
Autumn Stakes Field
The official Autumn Stakes field of final acceptances is announced on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below.
The Autumn Stakes 2026 field features a quality line-up of potential Australian Guineas bound three-year-olds including Ciaron Maher’s resuming Victoria Derby champ Observer and the spring’s Caulfield Guineas runner-up Planet Red.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Observer
J: Ethan Brown
T: Ciaron Maher |
x2311x | C | 7 | 59.5kg | |
|
2. Buccleuch
J: Jye Mcneil
T: Patrick & Michelle Payne |
2111x6 | G | 4 | 58kg | |
|
3. Planet Red
J: Jamie Melham
T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
x1432x | G | 10 | 57kg | |
|
4. Arcora
J: John Allen
T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young |
10052x | C | 5 | 57kg | |
|
5. Master Of The Air
J: Damian Lane
T: Chris Waller |
8x116x | C | 9 | 57kg | |
|
6. Top Reward
J: Michael Dee
T: Clayton Douglas |
13x | C | 2 | 57kg | |
|
7. Onavuitton
J: Thomas Stockdale
T: Simon Zahra |
63x1 | G | 6 | 57kg | |
|
8. Crocodile
J: Ben Allen
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
519x1 | G | 1 | 57kg | |
|
9. Cyber Link
J: Beau Mertens
T: Greg Eurell |
1 | C | 11 | 57kg | |
|
10. Victorious Spirit
J: Zac Spain
T: Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman |
231x | G | 12 | 57kg | |
|
11. Top Conti
J: Lachlan King
T: Steven King |
G | 3 | 57kg | ||
|
12. Davida
J: Craig Williams
T: Danny O'brien |
41x711 | F | 8 | 55kg |
Autumn Stakes Race Day
The 2026 Autumn Stakes takes place on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at Caulfield Racecourse. Previously, racing at the meeting was headlined by the year’s opening Group 1 race, the C.F. Orr Stakes over 1400m, before the Orr was moved to the spring in 2025. Now, along with the Autumn Stakes, the other key support races on the card include the:
- Group 2 $350,000 Blue Diamond Prelude Fillies (1100m),
- Group 3 $350,000 Blue Diamond Prelude Colts & Geldings (1100m),
- Group 2 $300,000 Rubiton Stakes (1100m),
- Group 3 $200,000 Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m) run in 2026 as the Senet Peter Le Grand Stakes,
- Group 3 $200,000 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m), and the
- Group 3 $200,000 TS Carlyon Cup (1600m) run in 2026 as the MRC Foundation Cup.
Autumn Stakes Barrier Draw
The Autumn Stakes barrier draw will be released to the public a few days before the race and published in our above Autumn Stakes Field section.
Autumn Stakes Nominations
Autumn Stakes nominations close at 12 PM on the Monday of race week.
2026 Autumn Stakes nominations extended until 10:00am (AEDT) – 03/02/2026
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0x2310052x | ARCORA | C | 3 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 90 |
| 2 | 1 | BEYOND QUESTION | G | 3 | Patrick Kearney | 62 |
| 3 | 62111×6 | BUCCLEUCH | G | 3 | Patrick & Michelle Payne | 75 |
| 4 | 519×1 | CROCODILE | G | 3 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 66 |
| 5 | 7373x162x4 | CUSTOM | F | 3 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 6 | 1 | CYBER LINK | C | 3 | Greg Eurell | 64 |
| 7 | 4x241x711 | DAVIDA | F | 3 | Danny O’Brien | 73 |
| 8 | 5x8x116x | MASTER OF THE AIR | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 67 |
| 9 | 215x2311x | OBSERVER | C | 3 | Ciaron Maher | 107 |
| 10 | 63×1 | ONAVUITTON | G | 3 | Simon Zahra | 65 |
| 11 | 1x1432x | PLANET RED | G | 3 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | 98 |
| 12 | TOP CONTI (NZ) | G | 3 | Steven King | ||
| 13 | 13x | TOP REWARD | C | 3 | Clayton Douglas | 68 |
| 14 | 231x | VICTORIOUS SPIRIT | G | 3 | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | 62 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Autumn Stakes Weights
Set weights plus penalties apply to this race. Final weights are announced at 4 PM on the Monday of race week with the official Autumn Stakes weights on the final acceptances to be published in our above Autumn Stakes Field section.
Coastwatch (58.5kg in 2022), Angel Capital (58.5kg) and Observer (59.5kg in 2026) are the latest Autumn Stakes topweights to win.
Autumn Stakes Topweights:
- No. 1 Observer (59.5kg)
Autumn Stakes Acceptances
Autumn Stakes final acceptances must be declared before 9:30 AM on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in our above Autumn Stakes Field section.
Autumn Stakes Jockeys
The final riders must be announced by 1 PM on the Wednesday of race week with the official Autumn Stakes jockeys to be published in our above Autumn Stakes Field section.
Autumn Stakes Scratchings
Autumn Stakes scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
Autumn Stakes Prize Money
The Autumn Stakes prize purse is set at $300,000 in total, distributed from places first through to eighth. There is a $10,000 SUPER VOBIS bonus for qualified horses.
| Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $180,000 |
| 2nd | $54,000 |
| 3rd | $27,000 |
| 4th | $13,500 |
| 5th | $7,500 |
| 6th | $6,000 |
| 7th | $6,000 |
| 8th | $6,000 |
Autumn Stakes Race Number
The Autumn Stakes race number is scheduled as Caulfield Race 5 at 2:30pm (AEDT) on Saturday, February 7, 2026. There are ten races in total that day at Caulfield Racecourse.
Autumn Stakes Form Guide
The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can check below for a link to our full Autumn Stakes Form Guide following final acceptances.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2026 AUTUMN STAKES FORM GUIDE
Autumn Stakes Live
You can watch or listen to the Autumn 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
Autumn Stakes Winners
Winners of the Autumn Stakes going back to the year 2000 are displayed in the table below.
| Year | Winner | Trainer/s | Jockey | Weight | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Observer | Ciaron Maher | Ethan Brown | 59.5 kgs | 1:22.39 |
| 2025 | Angel Capital | Clinton McDonald | Ben Melham | 58.5 kgs | 1:24.66 |
| 2024 | Snow Patrol | Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr. | Mark Zahra | 57 kgs | 1:23.54 |
| 2023 | Glint Of Silver | David Pfieffer | Blake Shinn | 57 kgs | 1:24.42 |
| 2022 | Coastwatch | Chris Waller | Craig Williams | 58 kgs | 1:24.28 |
| 2021 | Poland | Michael Moroney | Jordan Childs | 57 kgs | 1:23.00 |
| 2020 | Microphone | James Cummings | Damian Lane | 59.5 kgs | 1:22.88 |
| 2019 | Hawkshot | David Hayes | Mark Zahra | 56 kgs | 1:23.47 |
| 2018 | Holy Snow | Mick Price | Michael Dee | 56 kgs | 1:24.89 |
| 2017 | Oak Door | Robert Smerdon | Damian Lane | 56 kgs | 1:23.54 |
| 2016 | Mahuta | Darren Weir | Brad Rawiller | 59 kgs | 1:23.49 |
| 2015 | San Nicasio | Peter Moody | Ben Melham | 56 kgs | 1:23.66 |
| 2014 | Thunder Fantasy | Anthony Cummings | Mark Zahra | 56 kgs | 1:23.82 |
| 2013 | Mulaazem | Peter Moody | Luke Nolen | 56 kgs | 1:23.66 |
| 2012 | Pied A Terre | Peter Snowden | Mark Zahra | 56 kgs | 1:24.70 |
| 2011 | Dusty Star | Peter Morgan | Craig Williams | 55.5 kgs | 1:22.50 |
| 2010 | Denman | Peter Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 57.5 kgs | 1:23.38 |
| 2009 | Fravashi | Peter Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 57.5 kgs | 1:22.83 |
| 2008 | Light Fantastic | Mick Price | Steven King | 57 kgs | 1:23.26 |
| 2007 | Catechuchu | David Hayes | Craig Williams | 55.5 kgs | 1:24.78 |
| 2006 | Apache Cat | Greg Eurell | Glen Boss | 57.5 kgs | 1:24.72 |
| 2005 | Shinzig | Chris Waller | Steven King | 54 kgs | 1:23.40 |
| 2004 | Special Harmony | Lee Freedman | Damien Oliver | 55.5 kgs | 1:23.57 |
| 2003 | Titanic Jack | Tom Hughes | Patrick Payne | 56.5 kgs | 1:25.16 |
| 2002 | Dash For Cash | Rick Hore-Lacy | Greg Childs | 54.5 kgs | 1:24.11 |
| 2001 | Desert Sky | Mathew Ellerton | Greg Childs | 55.5 kgs | 1:25.17 |
| 2000 | Sudurka | Brian Mayfield-Smith | Patrick Payne | 58 kgs | 1:24.06 |