Looking for this year’s best The Shorts betting markets, tips and form? The experts at Neds have put together everything you need to know before this year’s race.
The Shorts 2026 Results
The official 2026 The Shorts Stakes results will be available below once the race takes place at Randwick on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
- #5 Mazu
- #2 Joliestar
- #9 King’s Secret
The 2026 The Shorts results at Randwick delivered one of the feel-good results of the spring when veteran sprinter Mazu ($19) turned back the clock for Joe Pride and Rachel King, scoring a thrilling upset in the $1 million Group 2 feature at his fifth attempt. The eight-year-old son of Maurice, already a Group 1 winner and one of Sydney racing’s toughest performers, dug deep late to defeat Joliestar ($3.70) by a neck, with stablemate King’s Secret ($16) a nose away in third to give the Pride stable a memorable first-and-third finish. Mazu’s 11th career victory took his earnings beyond $8 million and again highlighted his remarkable durability, while connections indicated races such as the Premiere Stakes, Sydney Stakes, and Russell Balding Stakes are more likely spring targets than a return to The Everest. King was full of praise for the evergreen gelding after the win, noting that despite his quirky pre-race antics, Mazu remains as genuine as ever and “doesn’t know how old he is.”
2026 The Shorts Race Replay
2026 The Shorts Odds & Finishing Order
The2026 The Shorts odds are already drawing strong early interest, with punters analysing The Shorts odds 2026 to get a read on which elite sprinters are set to fire first‑up at Randwick. As one of the key early‑spring 1100m races — and a major stepping‑stone towards The Everest — the market typically reacts quickly to sharp trials, fresh‑form profiles and stable intent. With several top‑line sprinters expected to resume in this year’s edition, The Shorts betting 2026 offers punters a competitive landscape full of value, live market shifts and plenty of angles to assess before locking in their early plays.
The latest The Shorts 2026 odds followed by the official race finishing order after the event will be available below.
The Shorts 2026 Results
| 5. Mazu (1) J: Rachel King 56kg 3361x T: Joseph Pride | ||
| 2. Joliestar (10) J: James McDonald 56kg 11x3x T: Chris Waller | ||
| 9. King’s Secret (3) J: Andrew Adkins 55kg 382×4 T: Joseph Pride | ||
| 6. Spicy Martini (7) J: Taylor Marshall 56kg x121x T: Toby Edmonds | ||
| 3. Headwall (4) J: Zac Lloyd 56kg 2x1x2 T: Matthew Smith | ||
| 10. Mal Coupe (6) J: Tyler Schiller 55kg 246×7 T: Stephen O’halloran | ||
| 12. Flying For Fun (11) J: Mollie Fitzgerald 54kg 1949x T: Bryce Heys | ||
| 8. Grafterburners (5) J: Jason Collett 55kg x300x T: Kelly Schweida | ||
| 1. Ninja (8) J: Tommy Berry 57kg 215×1 T: Michael Freedman | ||
| 11. Brave One (9) J: Dylan Gibbons 55kg x919x T: M, W & J Hawkes | ||
| 4. Jokers Grin (2) J: Adam Hyeronimus 56kg x115x T: Chris Waller |
The Shorts 2026 Tips
Our exclusive The Shorts 2026 betting tips will be published here the week of the race and a full tipping preview available on the Neds Blog.
| 3. Headwall (4) J: Zac Lloyd 56kg 2x1x2 T: Matthew Smith |
| 2. Joliestar (10) J: James McDonald 56kg 11x3x T: Chris Waller |
| 5. Mazu (1) J: Rachel King 56kg 3361x T: Joseph Pride |
Run over 1,100 metres, The Shorts is a Group 2 race taking place at Randwick Racecourse in mid-September as the feature race on the program as of 2023.
The event previously ran on the same day as the George Main Stakes before that race was moved to The Everest Day in mid-October and renamed the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m). With a $1,000,000 prize purse, the event is a set weights plus penalties sprint for the short distance specialists and serves as a key lead-up to the world’s richest turf race – the $20 million The Everest.
In 2017 Redzel won The Shorts before becoming the inaugural The Everest winner. The 2019 The Shorts winner Pierata ran fifth in that year’s The Everest race but then won the Winners Stakes named that year in honour of the previous season’s The Everest champ, Redzel, who went back-to-back in 2017-18.
Classique Legend (2020) is the last sprinter to complete The Shorts – The Everest double.
In 2021 Eduardo improved on his second from the year before to win The Shorts and defeat the favourite Nature Strip.
Eduardo went on to complete the 2021 The Shorts – Winners Stakes double that spring with a third in The Everest results in between.
Nature Strip improved on his 2021 The Shorts second to win that year’s The Everest along with the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic in Melbourne. He returned in the autumn of 2022 for a third straight TJ Smith Stakes victory and also went to the UK and won Royal Ascot’s Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes by over four lengths.
Nature Strip returned in 2022 to win The Shorts before finishing fourth in that year’s The Everest results.
The 2023 The Shorts was won by the previous year’s The Everest runner-up Private Eye who handed trainer Joe Pride and jockey Nash Rawiller two wins in the event in three years following on from Eduardo (2021).
The 2025 The Shorts champion, Joliestar, went on to perform well after her midfield The Everest finish placing third in Flemington’s Champions Sprint before coming back in 2026 to take a number more feature races including the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes and TJ Smith.
Joliestar returned to defend her The Shorts title in 2026 but ultimately ran second to upset winner Mazu who finally won the event at his fifth attempt.
The Shorts 2026 – Quick Information
- Race Day: Saturday, September 19, 2026
- Track Location: Randwick Racecourse
- Track Surface: Turf
- Track Direction: Right-handed
- Race Distance: 1,100 metres
- Weight Conditions: Weight for age
- Qualification: Set weights (with penalties)
- Type: Thoroughbred
- Grade: Group 2
- Operator: Randwick Racecourse
- Prize Purse: $1,000,000
- Inaugural Race: 1867
- 2026 The Shorts Winner: Mazu
The Shorts Betting 2026
There are many different ways to bet on The Shorts, and we have included some of the most popular options below:
| Bet Type | How To Place This Type of Bet on This Year’s The Shorts |
|---|---|
| Win Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s The Shorts. |
| Place Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s The Shorts. Pays less than a win bet but offers safer odds. |
| Each-Way Bet | If your runner finishes 1st in The Shorts, 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 Shorts, in order to win the Quinella. |
| Exacta Bet | You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within The Shorts to win the Exacta. |
| Trifecta Bet | You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within The Shorts to win the Trifecta. |
| First Four | You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the correct order, within The Shorts 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 Shorts, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie. |
How To Bet on The Shorts 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 The Shorts Betting above).
- Select the horse(s) for the race.
Which Horse Will Win The Shorts in 2026
The best way to pick which horse will win The Shorts in 2026 is to take into account their lead-up spring racing form, assess the barriers, their short-distance record over 1100m and any previous Group race experience against similar rivals.
Additional factors to consider when picking The Shorts winner include:
- Local Edge – Sydney horses, especially those with plenty of Randwick Racecourse experience, have a strong record in The Shorts results.
- Past Performers – Sprinters returning for a second shot in The Shorts traditionally perform well in the Group 2. Overpass ran second in both the 2022 and 2023 The Shorts quinella. In 2026, Mazu won The Shorts in an upset at his incredible fifth attempt.
- Group 1 Runners – Proven Group 1 winners down in grade for The Shorts have a strong strike-rate.
The Shorts Favourites 2026
The Shorts 2026 favourites include Matthew Smith’s talented seven-year-old sprinter Headwall who ran second fresh when attempting a Concorde Stakes hat-trick, the Chris Waller-trained mare Joliestar looking to go back-to-back in the event after her 2025 victory and first-up Group 2 Missile Stakes winning four-year-old Ninja.
Pierata ($2.70 in 2019), Classique Legend ($4.40 in 2020), Nature Strip ($2.40 in 2022), and I Am Me ($2.60 in 2024) are the latest favourites in The Shorts betting to win.
The Shorts Field 2026
The official 2026 The Shorts field of final acceptances is announced the Wednesday leading up to the race and will be published in full below.
The 2026 The Shorts field features a dozen smart short-distance specialists including Chris Waller’s resuming Group 1 winning mare Joliestar drawn wide, the stable’s new addition Jokers Grin who won Perth’s The Quokka last year and the Michael Freedman-trained Ninja coming off a first-up Group 2 Missile Stakes win.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Ninja
J: Tommy Berry
T: Michael Freedman |
1215×1 | G | 8 | 57kg | |
|
2. Joliestar
J: James McDonald
T: Chris Waller |
111x3x | M | 10 | 56kg | |
|
3. Headwall
J: Zac Lloyd
T: Matthew Smith |
32x1x2 | G | 4 | 56kg | |
|
4. Jokers Grin
J: Adam Hyeronimus
T: Chris Waller |
1x115x | G | 2 | 56kg | |
|
5. Mazu
J: Rachel King
T: Joseph Pride |
x3361x | G | 1 | 56kg | |
|
6. Spicy Martini
J: Taylor Marshall
T: Toby Edmonds |
0x121x | M | 7 | 56kg | |
| 7. Marhoona (2) Scratched: | |||||
|
8. Grafterburners
J: Jason Collett
T: Kelly Schweida |
1x300x | H | 5 | 55kg | |
|
9. King’s Secret
J: Andrew Adkins
T: Joseph Pride |
x382x4 | G | 3 | 55kg | |
|
10. Mal Coupe
J: Tyler Schiller
T: Stephen O’halloran |
1246×7 | G | 6 | 55kg | |
|
11. Brave One
J: Dylan Gibbons
T: M, W & J Hawkes |
3x919x | G | 9 | 55kg | |
|
12. Flying For Fun
J: Mollie Fitzgerald
T: Bryce Heys |
x1949x | M | 11 | 54kg | |
The Shorts Race Day 2026
The 2026 The Shorts takes place on Saturday, September 19, 2026 the key race at the Randwick meeting that also features the running of the:
- Group 2 $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m),
- Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m),
- Group 2 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m), and the
- Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m).
The Shorts Barrier Draw 2026
The 2026 The Shorts barrier draw will be released the Wednesday of race week and published in our above The Shorts Field section.
The Shorts Nominations 2026
2026 The Shorts nominations close at 11:00 AM on the Monday of race week.
The Shorts 2026 nominations attracted 16 potential The Everest-bound sprinters led in all-in betting by Headwall coming off a good second fresh in the Concorde and the defending Chris Waller-trained champion mare Joliestar.
The Shorts Weights 2026
Set weights with penalties apply to this race. Final 2026 The Shorts weights will be announced by 4:00 PM on the Tuesday of race week with the final weights announced in our above The Shorts Field section.
Private Eye (58kg in 2023) was the last The Shorts topweight (or equal topweight) to win.
2026 The Shorts Topweights:
- No. 1 Ninja (57kg)
The Shorts Acceptances 2026
2026 The Shorts final acceptances must be declared before 9:00 AM on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in our above The Shorts Field section.
The Shorts Jockeys 2026
The final riders’ announcement is at 12:00 PM on the Wednesday of race week with the official 2026 The Shorts jockeys to be published in our above The Shorts Field section.
The Shorts Scratchings 2026
2026 The Shorts scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
The Shorts Prize Money 2026
The 2026 The Shorts prize purse is worth $1,000,000 in total, distributed from places first through tenth.
| Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $580,000 |
| 2nd | $190,000 |
| 3rd | $96,000 |
| 4th | $42,000 |
| 5th | $21,000 |
| 6th | $10,000 |
| 7th | $10,000 |
| 8th | $10,000 |
| 9th | $8,000 |
| 10th | $8,000 |
The Shorts Race Number 2026
The 2026 The Shorts race number is scheduled as Randwick Race 9 at 4:35pm (AEST) on Saturday, September 19, 2026. There are ten races in total that day at Randwick Racecourse.
The Shorts 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 The Shorts Form Guide following final acceptances.
The Shorts Live 2026
You can watch or listen to the 2026 The Shorts live, across the following mediums.
Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)
Radio: Radio Sport National
Streaming: Racing NSW
The Shorts Winners
Winners of The Shorts going back to 2000 are displayed in the table below. If you would like to see results going further back in history, please visit our The Shorts winners page for this race.
| Year | Winner | Trainer/s | Jockey | Weight | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Mazu | Joseph Pride | Rachel King | 56kg | 1:02.42 |
| 2025 | Joliestar | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 56kg | 1:02.13 |
| 2024 | I Am Me | Ciaron Maher | James McDonald | 55kg | 1:02.40 |
| 2023 | Private Eye | Joe Pride | Nash Rawiller | 58kg | 1:02.66 |
| 2022 | Nature Strip | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 58kg | 1:05.01 |
| 2021 | Eduardo | Joseph Pride | Nash Rawiller | 58kg | 1:03.54 |
| 2020 | Classique Legend | Les Bridge | Kerrin McEvoy | 57kg | 1:02.23 |
| 2019 | Pierata | Gregory Hickman | Tommy Berry | 58kg | 1:03.93 |
| 2018 | Ball Of Muscle | Joseph Pride | Glyn Schofield | 56kg | 1:02.87 |
| 2017 | Redzel | Peter & Paul Snowden | Hugh Bowman | 58kg | 1:01.83 |
| 2016 | Takedown | Gary Moore | Tim Clark | 56.5kg | 1:03.25 |
| 2015 | Rebel Dane | Gary Portelli | Brenton Avdulla | 58kg | 1:04.67 |
| 2014 | Terravista | Joseph Pride | Corey Brown | 56.5kg | 1:02.48 |
| 2013 | Sessions | Peter Snowden | Joshua Parr | 55kg | 1:03.26 |
| 2012 | Pampelonne | Tim Martin | Hugh Bowman | 56.5kg | 1:09.64 |
| 2011 | Love Conquers All | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Jim Cassidy | 56kg | 1:08.71 |
| 2010 | Hot Danish | Les Bridge | Tim Clark | 56.5kg | 1:09.51 |
| 2009 | Gold Trail | Gary Portelli | Nash Rawiller | 56kg | 1:04.82 |
| 2008 | Fritz’s Princess | Kris Lees | Jim Cassidy | 53.5kg | 1:04.03 |
| 2007 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2006 | Bentley Biscuit | Gai Waterhouse | Hugh Bowman | 55.5kg | 1:03.36 |
| 2005 | Black Ink | Les Kelly | Mathew Cahill | 54kg | 1:03.40 |
| 2004 | Dance The Waves | Grahame Begg | Danny Beasley | 52kg | 1:04.61 |
| 2003 | Lucky Night | Pat Farrell | Chris Munce | 53kg | 1:04.84 |
| 2002 | Empire | Max Lees | Hugh Bowman | 54kg | 1:04.11 |
| 2001 | Oamaru Force | David Hall | Glen Boss | 52.5kg | 1:03.47 |
| 2000 | Bradshaw | John Hawkes | Glen Boss | 53kg | 1:03.78 |