Doncaster Prelude

Looking for this year’s Doncaster Prelude betting odds, field and race tips? The experts at Neds have put together everything you need to know before this year’s race.

Doncaster Prelude 2026 Results

The official 2026 Doncaster Prelude results will be available below once the race is run on Saturday, March 28, 2026.

Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr’s in-form Shalaa seven-year-old Welwal ($11) proved too strong for his rivals when given a peach of a ride by the flying Zac Lloyd off speed and off the fence to power home by 1.5 lengths in the 2026 Doncaster Prelude results. Still sixth at the top of the home straight, Welwal ran on strongly over the final 300m before hitting the lead and drawing clear for a soft victory – Lloyd’s fourth on the Tancred Stakes Day card. Welwal isn’t currently nominated for the Doncaster Mile with connections now weighing up whether to pay the late entry for him to back-up into the Group 1 at Randwick.

Doncaster Prelude 2026 Tips

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

CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2026 TANCRED STAKES DAY PREVIEW & TIPS

Run over 1,500 metres each year in late March on Tancred Stakes Day, the Doncaster Prelude is a Group 3 race taking place at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse. With a $250,000 prize purse, the event is contested under quality handicap conditions.

The winner also earns a ballot exemption into the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) run a week later on Day 1 of Randwick’s ‘The Championships’. 

While no horse has completed the Prelude – Doncaster double in a single season, the 2020 Prelude winner Cascadian returned the following autumn to salute in the Doncaster Mile 2021 results.

Tancred Stakes Day 2025 was called off on Saturday due to heavy rainfall with all 10 races, including the 2025 Doncaster Prelude, postponed until Tuesday April 1.

Doncaster Prelude 2026 – Quick Information

• Race Day: Saturday, March 28, 2026
• Track Location: Rosehill Gardens Racecourse
• Track Surface: Turf
• Track Direction: Right-handed
• Race Distance: 1,500 metres
• Weight Conditions: Quality handicap
• Qualification: Three-year-olds and over
• Type: Thoroughbred
• Grade: Group 3
• Operator: Australian Turf Club
• Prize Purse: $250,000
• Inaugural Race: 1985
• 2026 Doncaster Prelude Winner: Welwal

Doncaster Prelude Betting 2026

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

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

How To Bet on The Doncaster Prelude 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 Doncaster Prelude Betting above).
4. Select the horse(s) for the race.

Which Horse Will Win the Doncaster Prelude

The best way to pick which horse will win the Doncaster Prelude in 2026 is to take into account their lead-up autumn racing form, assess the barriers, consider the weights and look for the proven Sydney-raced gallopers. 

Additional factors to consider when picking the Doncaster Prelude winner include: 

• Best Lead Up – You simply can’t go past the George Ryder Stakes.
• Top Trainer – Chris Waller has an excellent recent record in the Doncaster Prelude results. Since 2006 Waller has prepared five Doncaster Prelude winners, most recently Mister Sea Wolf (2019). 
• Wide Barriers – Outside barriers have produced the bulk of the Doncaster Prelude winners in the past decade.

Doncaster Prelude Favourites 2026

Favourites in 2026 Doncaster Prelude betting include Cliff Brown’s Golden Eagle runner-up from the spring Sepals coming off a fourth fresh in the Newmarket Handicap and the in-form Robbie Griffiths-trained Enxuto who ran third in the Ajax Stakes last time out.

Yao Dash ($3.90 in 2021), Mr Mozart ($3.50 in 2022), and Another Wil ($1.75 in 2024) are the last Doncaster Prelude favourites to win.

Doncaster Prelude 2026 Field

The 2026 Doncaster Prelude field of final acceptances is announced on the Wednesday of race week and will be published here once confirmed. 

The 2026 Doncaster Prelude final field features a capacity line-up of middle-distance types chasing the ballot exemption for next Saturday’s Group 1 with markets led by the Cliff Brown-trained Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke winner Sepals racing second-up off a fourth in the Newmarket Handicap.

Rosehill R9

Final Race time: 

	Entrant	Last 6	Sex	Barrier	Weight
	1. Sepals J: Tommy Berry T: Cliff Brown	1102x4	G	7	59.5kg
	2. Globe J: Tom Sherry T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr	2421x0	G	10	59kg
	3. Kovalica J: Nash Rawiller T: Chris Waller	54305x	G	3	58kg
	4. Robusto J: Josh Parr T: Bjorn Baker	7320x2	G	8	58kg
	5. Feroce J: Billy Egan T: Dominic Sutton	380x27	G	1	57.5kg
	6. Sandpaper J: Rachel King T: Bjorn Baker	026154	G	9	57kg
	7. Land Legend (17)  Scratched:
	8. Waterford J: James McDonald T: Chris Waller	10060x	G	11	56kg
	9. Welwal J: Zac Lloyd T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr	276x34	G	2	55.5kg
	10. Green Fly (15)  Scratched:
	11. Magnatear (2)  Scratched:
	12. Ducasse J: Regan Bayliss T: Michael Freedman	5358x2	G	6	53.5kg
	13. Enxuto J: Jason Collett T: Robbie Griffiths	24x323	G	5	53.5kg
	14. Lord Penman J: Kerrin Mcevoy T: Chris Waller	720x17	G	4	53.5kg
	15. Cool Jakey (3)  Scratched:
	16. Hellsing (11)  Scratched:
	17. Snow In May (14)  Scratched:

View Results

Doncaster Prelude Race Day 2026

The 2026 Doncaster Prelude takes place at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, March 28, 2026 as part of the Tancred Stakes Day 2026 card.

The meeting features a bumper ten-race program. The other key races on the card include the:

• Group 1 $1,500,000 Tancred Stakes (2400m),
• Group 2 $750,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m),
• Group 2 $300,000 Tulloch Stakes (2000m),
• Group 2 $300,000 Emancipation Stakes (1500m),
• Group 2 $300,000 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m),
• Group 3 $250,000 Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m), and the
• Group 3 $250,000 TL Baillieu Handicap (1400m).

Doncaster Prelude Barrier Draw 2026

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

Doncaster Prelude Nominations 2026

2026 Doncaster Prelude nominations close at 11 AM on the Monday of race week. 

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	x148x46612	AMREEKIYAH	M	4	Peter Snowden	75
2	2402×51056	COOL JAKEY	G	6	Joseph Pride	94
3	1x5x3413x2	COTE ATLANTIQUE (IRE)	G	5	Henry Dwyer	98
4	40x45358x2	DUCASSE	G	5	Michael Freedman	98
5	37x6497x60	ENCAP	G	5	Gary Portelli	100
6	753424×323	ENXUTO	G	5	Robbie Griffiths	98
7	16x6380x27	FEROCE (NZ)	G	4	Dominic Sutton	106
8	3x0x2421x0	GLOBE (NZ)	G	7	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	110
9	65x313028x	GOLDEN PATH (NZ)	G	6	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	106
10	545468×411	GREEN FLY (GB)	G	7	Anthony & Sam Freedman	99
11	140×072230	HELLSING (IRE)	G	6	Annabel & Rob Archibald	90
12	1x21314x32	JUSTADEEL	G	5	Ben, Will & JD Hayes	92
13	31x054305x	KOVALICA (NZ)	G	6	Chris Waller	107
14	68x395000x	LAND LEGEND (FR)	G	6	Ciaron Maher	104
15	1x27720x17	LORD PENMAN (NZ)	G	4	Chris Waller	98
16	31561×4433	MAGNATEAR	G	6	Richard & Will Freedman	95
17	55x3718x51	MODELLA	M	4	Lee & Cherie Curtis	87
18	77x77320x2	ROBUSTO	G	6	Bjorn Baker	107
19	5×07026154	SANDPAPER	G	6	Bjorn Baker	105
20	114x1102x4	SEPALS	G	4	Cliff Brown	110
21	158x3473x8	SNOW IN MAY	M	4	Tom Charlton	94
22	x481325x51	TUILERIES	M	4	Peter Snowden	104
23	2169×90459	WAR ETERNAL (NZ)	G	7	Bjorn Baker	92
24	64x010060x	WATERFORD (IRE)	G	7	Chris Waller	103
25	0x86276x34	WELWAL (GB)	G	7	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	102
26	216x98x536	WONDER BOY	G	4	Jerome Hunter	86

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Doncaster Prelude Weights 2026

Quality handicap conditions apply to this race. The minimum weight is 54 kg. Final weights are announced at 4 PM on the Tuesday of race week with the official 2026 Doncaster Prelude weights on the final acceptors to be published in our above Doncaster Prelude Field section. 

Just Folk (59kg in 2025) was the last Doncaster Prelude topweight to win.

2026 Doncaster Prelude Topweight:

• No. 1 Sepals (59.5kg)

Doncaster Prelude Acceptances 2026

2026 Doncaster Prelude final acceptances must be declared before 9:00 AM on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in our above Doncaster Prelude Field section. 

Doncaster Prelude Jockeys 2026

The final riders’ announcement is at 12 PM on the Wednesday of race week with the official 2026 Doncaster Prelude jockeys to be published in our above Doncaster Prelude Field section. 

Doncaster Prelude Scratchings 2026

2026 Doncaster Prelude scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Saturday, March 28, 2026. 

Doncaster Prelude Prize Money 2026

The 2026 Doncaster Prelude prize purse is worth $250,000 in total, distributed from places first through to tenth.

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

Doncaster Prelude Race Number 2026

The 2026 Doncaster Prelude race number is scheduled as Rosehill Race 9 at 5:15pm (AEDT) on Saturday, March 28, 2026. There are ten races in total that day at Rosehill Racecourse. 

Doncaster Prelude 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 Doncaster Prelude Form Guide following final acceptances. 

CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL 2026 DONCASTER PRELUDE FORM GUIDE

Doncaster Prelude Live 2026

You can watch or listen to the 2026 Doncaster Prelude live, across the following mediums.

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

Radio: Radio Sport National

Streaming: Racing NSW

Doncaster Prelude Winners

Winners of the Doncaster Prelude going back to the year 2000 are displayed in the table below. You can view the full list of Doncaster Prelude winners here.

Year	Winner	Trainer/s	Jockey	Weight	Time
2026	Welwal	Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr	Zac Lloyd	55.5 kgs	1:30.19
2025	Just Folk	Gavin Bedggood	Tommy Berry	59 kgs	1:30.39
2024	Another Wil	Ciaron Maher	Ms Jamie Kah	53 kgs	1:28.44
2023	Bandersnatch	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Brenton Avdulla	56.5 kgs	1:29.97
2022	Mr Mozart	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	William Pike	53 kgs	1:31.74
2021	Yao Dash	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Craig Williams	53 kgs	1:28.34
2020	Cascadian	James Cummings	James McDonald	58 kgs	1:31.66
2019	Mister Sea Wolf	Chris Waller	James McDonald	59 kgs	1:34.47
2018	Cellarman	Chris Waller	Brenton Avdulla	54.5 kgs	1:29.99
2017	Spectroscope	John O’Shea	Corey Brown	53 kgs	1:33.65
2016	Havana Cooler	John O’Shea	James McDonald	54.5 kgs	1:29.03
2015	Excess Knowledge	Gai Waterhouse	Kerrin McEvoy	55.5 kgs	1:29.85
2014	Weary	Chris Waller	Hugh Bowman	56.5 kgs	1:31.49
2013	Skyerush	Guy Walter	Blake Shinn	58 kgs	1:36.13
2012	Fast Clip	Gai Waterhouse	Tommy Berry	55 kgs	1:35.20
2011	My Kingdom Of Fife	Chris Waller	Dwayne Dunn	54 kgs	1:34.86
2010	Brilliant Light	Kerry Parker	Jay Ford	56 kgs	1:35.70
2009	Dao Dao	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Darren Beadman	57 kgs	1:24.78
2008	Valedictum	Danny O’Brien	Darren Beadman	58 kgs	1:26.30
2007	Mr Ubiquitous	Chris Waller	Damien Oliver	54 kgs	1:23.86
2006	Gorgonite	Jason Deamer	Danny Nikolic	53 kgs	1:22.88
2005	Osca Warrior	Gwenda Markwell	Justin Sheehan	58 kgs	1:29.06
2004	Allgunadoit	Kevin Moses	Darren Beadman	53.5 kgs	1:28.82
2003	Helsinborg	John Hawkes	Greg Childs	53 kgs	1:23.29
2002	Defier	Guy Walter	Damien Oliver	55.5 kgs	1:22.03
2001	Final Fantasy	Bruce Cross	Mark de Montfort	53 kgs	1:21.51
2000	Le Zagaletta	Lee Freedman	Danny Beasley	56.5 kgs	1:30.02