Looking for this year’s Colin Stephen Quality betting odds, field & tips? The experts at Neds have put together everything you need to know before the race.
2026 Colin Stephen Quality Odds
Colin Stephen Quality odds 2026 at Neds are already taking shape as punters assess the key stayers lining up for the 2400m Rosehill feature, with early Colin Stephen Quality betting 2026 markets highlighting proven long‑distance performers, fit spring improvers and horses using the race as a crucial stepping‑stone toward The Metropolitan. Prices tend to tighten quickly once form from the Kingston Town Stakes, Premier’s Cup and other staying lead‑ups settles, and punters typically gravitate toward runners showing strong late strength at 2000m, reliable Rosehill form and the right fitness profile to peak at the trip. As the staying ranks begin to sort themselves out, the Colin Stephen Quality odds 2026 give a clear early read on which contenders are ready to run out a genuine 2400m and which may present value as the Sydney spring unfolds.
The latest Colin Stephen Quality odds followed by the official race finishing order after the event will be available below.
Colin Stephen Quality 2026 Odds
| 1. Piggyback | ||
| 2. So You Are | ||
| 3. Bella Montagna | ||
| 4. Fernao | ||
| 5. Amplify | ||
| 6. Royal Supremacy | ||
| 7. Leonchroi | ||
| 8. Sam Hawkens | ||
| 9. Chief Little Rock |
Colin Stephen Quality 2026 Tips
Our insider 2026 Colin Stephen Quality tips will be detailed here the week of the race and a full betting preview published on the Neds Blog.
Run over 2,400 metres, the Colin Stephen Quality Handicap is a Group 3 race taking place at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse on Golden Rose Stakes Day in late September each Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. With a $250,000 prize purse, the event also offers a ballot free ride into the following weekend’s Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Royal Randwick.
Railings (2005) was the last horse to complete the Colin Stephen Quality – The Metropolitan double, also continuing on to claim the Caulfield Cup that year in Melbourne.
First run in 1870 as the Spring Stakes, the Colin Stephen Quality Handicap has held Group 3 status continually since 1987 and has run at Rosehill since 2011.
Plenty of star stayers have won the Colin Stephen Quality over history including Carbine (1890), Wakeful (1902), Poseidon (1907), triple champion Poitrel (1918-20), Phar Lap (1930-31), Peter Pan (1935), Flight (1944), Hydrogen (1953), and Gunsynd (1972).
In the race’s early years, a host of Melbourne Cup winners came off a Colin Stephen Quality lead-up run, but the double has not been achieved since Dalray (1952).
In 2021 the Colin Stephen Quality winner Entente went on to place second in The Metropolitan results next start.
Gai Waterhouse trained her tenth Colin Stephen Quality winner in 2022 with Grove Ferry.
Colin Stephen Quality 2026 – Quick Info
- Race Day: Saturday, September 26, 2026
- Track Location: Rosehill Racecourse
- Track Surface: Turf
- Track Direction: Right-handed
- Race Distance: 2,400 metres
- Weight Conditions: Quality handicap
- Qualification: Three-years-old and over
- Type: Thoroughbred
- Grade: Group 3
- Operator: Rosehill Racecourse
- Prize Purse: $250,000
- Inaugural Race: 1870
- 2026 Colin Stephen Quality Winner: TBD
Colin Stephen Quality 2026 Results
The official 2026 Colin Stephen Quality results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Colin Stephen Quality Betting 2026
There are many different ways to bet on the Colin Stephen Quality Handicap, and we have included some of the most popular options below:
| Bet Type | How To Place This Type of Bet 0n This Year’s Colin Stephen Quality |
|---|---|
| Win Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s Colin Stephen Quality Handicap. |
| Place Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s Colin Stephen Quality Handicap. Pays less than a win bet but offers safer odds. |
| Each-Way Bet | If your runner finishes 1st in the Colin Stephen Quality Handicap, 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 Colin Stephen Quality Handicap, in order to win the Quinella. |
| Exacta Bet | You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within the Colin Stephen Quality Handicap to win the Exacta. |
| Trifecta Bet | You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within the Colin Stephen Quality Handicap to win the Trifecta. |
| First Four | You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the correct order, within the Colin Stephen Quality Handicap 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 Colin Stephen Quality Handicap, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie. |
How to Bet on the Colin Stephen Quality in 2026
- Join up at neds
- Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
- 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 Colin Stephen Quality Handicap Betting above).
- Select the horse(s) for the race.
Which Horse Will Win the Colin Stephen Quality in 2026
The best way to pick which horse will win the Colin Stephen Quality in 2026 is to take into account their lead-up form in similar distance races, assess the barriers and consider the weight the horse will carry under the handicap conditions of the race.
Additional factors to consider when picking the Colin Stephen Quality winner include:
- Sydney Stayers – Locally-trained horses from Sydney have a solid recent record in the Colin Stephen Quality results.
- Waterhouse Factor – Since 1999 trainer Gai Waterhouse has enjoyed six Colin Stephen Quality wins most recently with Entente (2021). She prepared her 10th overall Colin Stephen Quality winner in 2022 with Grove Ferry.
Colin Stephen Quality Favourites 2026
Favourites in Colin Stephen Quality 2026 betting include the defending Ciaron Maher-trained winner Piggyback chasing back-to-back wins in the event, Bjorn Baker’s last start Listed Tatt’s Cup winner So You Are and smart mare Bella Montagna coming off a Newcastle Gold Cup third for Waterhouse & Bott.
Julienas ($2.60 in 2013) and Entente ($4.60 in 2021) are the latest Colin Stephen Quality favourites to win.
Colin Stephen Quality Field 2026
The official Colin Stephen Quality 2026 field of final acceptances is announced on the Wednesday of race week and will be published below.
Colin Stephen Quality Race Day 2026
The 2026 Colin Stephen Quality takes place on Saturday, September 26, 2026 as part of the Golden Rose Stakes Day card. The Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) for three-year-olds is the highlight at the meeting, which also includes the:
- Group 2 $400,000 Golden Pendant (1400m),
- Group 3 $300,000 Shannon Stakes (1500m), and the recently upgraded
- Group 3 $250,000 Heritage Stakes (1100m).
Colin Stephen Quality Barrier Draw 2026
The 2026 Colin Stephen Quality Handicap barrier draw will be released to the public a few days before the race and published in our above Colin Stephen Quality Field section.
Colin Stephen Quality Nominations 2026
2026 Colin Stephen Quality nominations close at 11:00 AM on the Monday of race week.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x995943134 | AMPLIFY | M | 5 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 2 | 51x2425x43 | BELLA MONTAGNA (NZ) | M | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 90 |
| 3 | 0x00x07540 | CHIEF LITTLE ROCK (IRE) | G | 6 | Patrick Kearney | 82 |
| 4 | 80×0062222 | FERNAO (IRE) | G | 8 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 84 |
| 5 | 62215×0201 | LEONCHROI (NZ) | G | 5 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | 75 |
| 6 | x51456x579 | PIGGYBACK | M | 6 | Ciaron Maher | 102 |
| 7 | 150x0331x9 | ROYAL SUPREMACY (IRE) | G | 6 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 8 | 1x7x870x06 | SAM HAWKENS (IRE) | G | 6 | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | 88 |
| 9 | 7317432421 | SO YOU ARE | G | 5 | Bjorn Baker | 99 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Colin Stephen Quality Weights 2026
Quality handicap conditions apply to this race. The lowest handicap weight is 53 kilograms and the highest 61 kilograms. Final 2026 Colin Stephen Quality weights will be announced by 4:00 PM on the Tuesday of race week with weights on the final acceptors to be published in our above Colin Stephen Quality Field section.
2026 Colin Stephen Quality Topweight:
- TBC
Colin Stephen Quality Acceptances 2026
2026 Colin Stephen Quality final acceptances must be declared before 9:00 AM on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in our above Colin Stephen Quality Field section.
Colin Stephen Quality Jockeys 2026
The final riders’ announcement is at 12:00 PM on the Wednesday of race week with the official 2026 Colin Stephen Quality jockeys to be published in our above Colin Stephen Quality Field section.
Colin Stephen Quality Scratchings 2026
2026 Colin Stephen Quality scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Colin Stephen Quality Prize Money 2026
The 2026 Colin Stephen Quality Handicap prize purse is worth $250,000 in total, distributed from places first through to eighth.
| Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $140,000 |
| 2nd | $46,250 |
| 3rd | $22,400 |
| 4th | $11,000 |
| 5th | $6,100 |
| 6th | $4,000 |
| 7th | $3,500 |
| 8th | $3,500 |
| 9th | $3,500 |
| 10th | $3,500 |
Colin Stephen Quality Race Number 2026
The 2026 Colin Stephen Quality race number is TBC for Saturday, September 26, 2026. There are ten races in total that day at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse.
Colin Stephen Quality 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 Colin Stephen Quality Form Guide following final acceptances.
Colin Stephen Quality Live 2026
You can watch or listen to the 2026 Colin Stephen Quality Handicap live, across the following mediums.
Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)
Radio: Radio Sport National
Streaming: Racing NSW
Colin Stephen Quality Winners
Winners of the Colin Stephen Quality Handicap going back to the year 2000 are displayed in the table below. If you would like to see results going back to the race’s inauguration in 1870, please visit our Colin Stephen Quality winners’ page for this race.
| Year | Winner | Trainer/s | Jockey | Weight | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2025 | Piggyback | Ciaron Maher | Tim Clark | 55.5 kgs | 2:28.98 |
| 2024 | First Light | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 54 kgs | 2:29.22 |
| 2023 | Athabascan | John O’Shea | Tom Sherry | 55 kgs | 2:29.13 |
| 2022 | Grove Ferry | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 55 kgs | 2:29.34 |
| 2021 | Entente | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 56.5 kgs | 2:27.36 |
| 2020 | Attorney | Matthew Smith | Jason Collett | 54 kgs | 2:29.90 |
| 2019 | Stampede | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Adam Hyeronimus | 59 kgs | 2:29.87 |
| 2018 | Miss Admiration | Mick Price | Jay Ford | 53 kgs | 2:29.55 |
| 2017 | Auvray | Richard Freedman | Glyn Schofield | 57 kgs | 2:30.35 |
| 2016 | Allergic | John O’Shea | James McDonald | 58 kgs | 2:30.88 |
| 2015 | Amelie’s Star | Peter Moody | Joshua Parr | 56.5 kgs | 2:30.84 |
| 2014 | Deane Martin | Bruce Wallace | Brenton Avdulla | 55 kgs | 2:29.51 |
| 2013 | Julienas | Gai Waterhouse | Nash Rawiller | 59 kgs | 2:30.56 |
| 2012 | Kelinni | Chris Waller | Glyn Schofield | 55.5 kgs | 2:30.48 |
| 2011 | Lamasery | David Vandyke | Brenton Avdulla | 57 kgs | 2:29.93 |
| 2010 | No Wine No Song | Kevin Moses | Jim Cassidy | 58 kgs | 2:30.45 |
| 2009 | Mr Clangtastic | Marc Conners | Craig Agnew | 57 kgs | 2:29.85 |
| 2008 | Get Up Jude | Diane Poidevin Laine | Blake Shinn | 53 kgs | 2:31.15 |
| 2007 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2006 | Exinite | Kris Lees | Larry Cassidy | 52.5 kgs | 2:28.80 |
| 2005 | Railings | John Hawkes | Darren Beadman | 55.5 kgs | 2:32.55 |
| 2004 | Don Raphael | Kerry Parker | Glen Boss | 56.5 kgs | 2:29.83 |
| 2003 | Outlaws | John Hawkes | Darren Beadman | 53.5 kgs | 2:29.17 |
| 2002 | Red Trinket | Gai Waterhouse | Chris Munce | 54 kgs | 2:30.52 |
| 2001 | Dress Circle | Gai Waterhouse | Lenny Beasley | 52 kgs | 2:14.92 |
| 2000 | Coco Cobanna | Gai Waterhouse | Chris Munce | 55.5 kgs | 2:31.41 |