Looking for this year’s Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) betting odds, race field and form guide? The expert tipsters at Neds have put together everything you need to know on the event.
russell balding stakes (Winners Stakes) 2025 Results
The official 2025 Russell Balding Stakes results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
- #2 Jimmysstar
- #12 Lady Shenandoah
- #13 Mazu
Ciaron Maher’s classy Group 1 winning sprinter, Jimmysstar ($2.50F), delivered on the big stage again when coming off a third in The Everest to salute for the punters in the 2025 Russell Balding Stakes results thanks to another peach of a ride by jockey Ethan Brown. Settling midfield, he was unleashed down the centre of the track and powered past a quality field that included six Everest runners. His sustained speed and timing were unmatched, leaving Lady Shenandoah and Mazu to fight for the minor placings. He will now be considered for a quick back-up and trip to Flemington for the Champions Sprint, which he pays $8 to win.
| 2. Jimmysstar (2) J: Ethan Brown58.5kg 1x523T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 12. Lady Shenandoah (10) J: James McDonald56.5kg 1x247T: Chris Waller | ||
| 13. Mazu (7) J: Rachel King56.5kg x5439T: Joseph Pride | ||
| 15. Coal Crusher (15) J: Chad Schofield56kg 20x56T: Joseph Pride | ||
| 4. Private Eye (9) J: Nash Rawiller57.5kg x1241T: Joseph Pride | ||
| 7. Strauss (13) J: Joao Moreira57.5kg x0x3xT: Ryo Takei | ||
| 14. With Your Blessing (3) J: Alysha Collett56.5kg 52313T: John P Thompson | ||
| 16. Amor Victorious (12) J: Regan Bayliss57.5kg 3187xT: Bjorn Baker | ||
| 1. Briasa (4) J: Tyler Schiller58.5kg 4x218T: M, W & J Hawkes | ||
| 8. Waterford (1) J: Dylan Gibbons57.5kg 4x010T: Chris Waller | ||
| 11. Airman (14) J: Zac Lloyd57.5kg 0x574T: M, W & J Hawkes | ||
| 3. War Machine (5) J: Tim Clark58.5kg 11x10T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | ||
| 9. Golden Mile (6) J: Tom Marquand57.5kg 330x0T: Joseph Pride | ||
| 5. Rothfire (8) J: Jason Collett57.5kg 7x971T: Robert Heathcote | ||
| 6. Iowna Merc (11) J: Josh Parr57.5kg 00x62T: Bjorn Baker |
The Russell Balding Stakes – formerly registered as the Winners Stakes – is a recent addition to the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival taking place as a key support act on the lucrative Golden Eagle Race Day at Royal Randwick (moved from Rosehill in 2025) in late October or early November.
Inaugurated in 2019 the event was, until 2024, renamed each season in honour of the previous year’s The Everest winner.
The first running was known as the Redzel Stakes with Redzel having won the first two editions of the world’s richest turf race in 2017 and 2018.
In 2020 the Winners Stakes was known as the Yes Yes Yes Stakes after the Chris Waller-trained youngster Yes Yes Yes took out the 2019 The Everest race the October prior.
For the third edition the Winners Stakes was run as the Classique Legend Stakes in honour of the 2020 The Everest champion Classique Legend.
Originally offering $1 million in stakes the then Winners Stakes prize money was increased to an incredible $3 million ahead of the 2022 edition.
The race is run and won over 1300m at set weights plus penalties and often attracts horses out of that year’s The Everest results.
In 2020 the Winners Stakes (Yes Yes Yes Stakes) winner Gytrash came off a lead-up third in the The Everest (1200m), while the year before the inaugural champion Pierata improved on a fifth in that year’s The Everest results.
In 2021 Eduardo won the Winners Stakes (Classique Legend Stakes) off a third in that spring’s The Everest trifecta.
The 2022 Winners Stakes ran as the Nature Strip Stakes after the Chris Waller-trained champion sprinter Nature Strip won the 2021 The Everest at his third attempt.
The 2023 Winners Stakes took place as the Giga Kick Stakes after three-year-old Giga Kick made history winning the 2022 The Everest, the first undefeated horse to do so.
The 2024 Winners Stakes was known as the Russell Balding Stakes having been renamed in honour Racing NSW’s former Chairman, Russell Balding, and was won by the defending champion Bella Nipotina backing up off a win in The Everest.
Bella Nipotina (2024) is the only horse to complete The Everest – Russell Balding Stakes double in the same year.
The 2025 Russell Balding Stakes winner Jimmysstar came via a luckless third in that year’s The Everest race.
The 2024 Russell Balding Stakes emerged as a pivotal form reference for the Group 1 Champions Sprint. Bella Nipotina upheld the race’s credibility with a strong third-place finish, while Sunshine In Paris, runner-up in the Balding Stakes, reversed the result by claiming victory in the Champions Sprint—turning the tables on Bella Nipotina in impressive fashion.
russell balding stakes (Winners Stakes) 2025 – QUICK info
- Former Race Name: Winners Stakes
- Race Day: Saturday November 1, 2025
- Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
- Surface: Turf
- Distance: 1300m
- Weight Class: Set Weights + Penalties
- Qualification: Three-year-olds and above
- Type: Thoroughbred
- Grade: Special Conditions
- Operator: Australian Turf Club
- Purse: $3,000,000
- Inaugural Race: 2019
- 2025 Russell Balding Stakes Winner: Jimmysstar
russell balding stakes 2025 Betting
There are many different ways to bet on the Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes), we’ve included some of the most popular options below:
| Bet Type | How To Place This Type Of Bet In This Year’s Russell Balding Stakes |
|---|---|
| How To Place This Type Of Bet In This Year’s Russell Balding Stakes | |
| Win Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s Russell Balding Stakes. |
| Place Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s Russell Balding Stakes. Pays less than a win bet, but offers safer odds. |
| Each-Way Bet | If your runner finishes 1st in the Russell Balding 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 Russell Balding 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 Russell Balding Stakes to win the Exacta. |
| Trifecta Bet | You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within the Russell Balding Stakes to win the Trifecta. |
| First Four | You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within the Russell Balding 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 Russell Balding Stakes, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie. |
How To Bet On The Russell Balding Stakes In 2025
- Login at neds.com.au
- Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
- Make sure to check out the form guide, once it’s released
- Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options
- Select the horse(s) for the race.
WHICH HORSE WILL WIN The russell balding stakes in 2025?
Which horse will win the 2025 Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) comes down to a number of key form factors including the barriers, form over the distance and their previous race experience against similar rivals.
When selecting the Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) winner it is also important to consider:
- Concorde Lead-Up: The Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick in early September is a good guide to the Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) with Gytrash completing the double in 2020.
- The Everest Horses: The first four Winners Stakes winners Pierata (2019), Gytrash (2020), Eduardo (2021) and Private Eye (2022) all came off lead-up runs in The Everest running fifth, third, third and second respectively in the world’s richest handicap. In 2024 Bella Nipotina completed the Russell Balding Stakes – The Everest double. In 2025 Jimmysstar ran 3rd in The Everest before winning the Russell Balding by nearly three lengths.
- Favourite Factor: Pierata (2019), Gytrash (2020) and Eduardo (2021) all started favourite in the race giving the punters’ picks a flawless record ahead of the race’s fourth edition in 2022 when Private Eye won at single figures but not the favourite. Bella Nipotina ($2.50 in 2024) and Jimmysstar ($2.50 in 2025) are the latest favourites to win.
russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) FAVOURITES 2025
The favourites in Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) betting for 2025 include Ciaron Maher’s The Everest third placegetter Jimmysstar, Team Hawkes’ classy Group 1 winning grey Briasa out to atone for his luckless eighth in The Everest from a wide draw, and Chris Waller’s Randwick track specialist mare Lady Shenandoah.
Pierata ($2.60 in 2019), Gytrash ($3.60 in 2020), Eduardo ($3 in 2021), Bella Nipotina ($2.50 in 2024) and Jimmysstar ($2.50 in 2025) all saluted for the punters.
russell balding stakes (Winners Stakes) 2025 FIELD
The official 2025 Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) field of final acceptances is made public on the Wednesday of race week and will be available right here.
The 2025 Russell Balding Stakes final field features a capacity line-up of sprinters including last start Group 3 Moonga Stakes winner Private Eye, Brisbane veteran Rothfire who broke a notable drought with his Group 3 Sydney Stakes win on The Everest Day, and The Everest third placegetter Jimmysstar drawn well in gate four.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Briasa
J: Tyler Schiller
T: M, W & J Hawkes |
14x218 | G | 4 | 58.5kg | |
|
2. Jimmysstar
J: Ethan Brown
T: Ciaron Maher |
41x523 | G | 2 | 58.5kg | |
|
3. War Machine
J: Tim Clark
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
111x10 | G | 5 | 58.5kg | |
|
4. Private Eye
J: Nash Rawiller
T: Joseph Pride |
3x1241 | G | 9 | 57.5kg | |
|
5. Rothfire
J: Jason Collett
T: Robert Heathcote |
27x971 | G | 8 | 57.5kg | |
|
6. Iowna Merc
J: Josh Parr
T: Bjorn Baker |
100x62 | G | 11 | 57.5kg | |
|
7. Strauss
J: Joao Moreira
T: Ryo Takei |
1x0x3x | H | 13 | 57.5kg | |
|
8. Waterford
J: Dylan Gibbons
T: Chris Waller |
64x010 | G | 1 | 57.5kg | |
|
9. Golden Mile
J: Tom Marquand
T: Joseph Pride |
0330x0 | G | 6 | 57.5kg | |
| 10. Jedibeel (12) Scratched: | |||||
|
11. Airman
J: Zac Lloyd
T: M, W & J Hawkes |
50x574 | G | 14 | 57.5kg | |
|
12. Lady Shenandoah
J: James McDonald
T: Chris Waller |
11x247 | M | 10 | 56.5kg | |
|
13. Mazu
J: Rachel King
T: Joseph Pride |
6x5439 | G | 7 | 56.5kg | |
|
14. With Your Blessing
J: Alysha Collett
T: John P Thompson |
x52313 | G | 3 | 56.5kg | |
|
15. Coal Crusher
J: Chad Schofield
T: Joseph Pride |
020x56 | G | 15 | 56kg | |
|
16. Amor Victorious
J: Regan Bayliss
T: Bjorn Baker |
23187x | G | 12 | 57.5kg | |
| 17. Caballus (2) Scratched: | |||||
| 18. Felix Majestic (3) Scratched: | |||||
| 19. Phearson (18) Scratched: | |||||
russell balding stakes (Winners Stakes) 2025 Tips
Favourite: #2 Jimmysstar ($2.60 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Best Bet: #2 Jimmysstar to salute for the punters (see above) – BET NOW
Best Roughie: #14 With Your Blessing ($21 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Our insider tips on the 2025 Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) will be detailed here the week of the $3 million feature and a full the Golden Eagle Day betting preview available on the Neds Blog.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2025 GOLDEN EAGLE DAY PREVIEW & TIPS
russell balding Stakes 2025 RACE DAY
The 2025 Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) takes place on the Golden Eagle Day at Randwick Racecourse (moved from Rosehill in 2025) on Saturday, November 1, 2025. The other key support races on the card include the:
- $10 million The Golden Eagle (1500m),
- $750,000 Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m), and the
- $500,000 The Four Pillars (1500m).
russell balding stakes (winners stakes) 2025 BARRIER DRAW
The official 2025 Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) barrier draw takes place the week of the race and will be published in our above Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) Field section.
russell balding stakes (Winners stakes) 2025 Nominations
2025 Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) nominations will be announced the week of the race and published below.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 617x50x574 | AIRMAN | G | 6 | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes | 106 |
| 2 | 174x23187x | AMOR VICTORIOUS | G | 6 | Bjorn Baker | 101 |
| 3 | x116x1x146 | ANGEL CAPITAL | H | 4 | Chris Waller | 110 |
| 4 | 11x414x218 | BRIASA | G | 5 | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes | 117 |
| 5 | x90887x1x5 | CABALLUS | G | 5 | Bjorn Baker | 101 |
| 6 | 03x5020x56 | COAL CRUSHER | G | 8 | Joseph Pride | 105 |
| 7 | 1148×66319 | DISNECK | G | 5 | Bjorn Baker | 94 |
| 8 | 9x3421x512 | EVAPORATE (NZ) | G | 4 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 110 |
| 9 | 42x400x270 | FELIX MAJESTIC | G | 6 | Gary Nickson | 93 |
| 10 | 43x60330x0 | GOLDEN MILE | G | 6 | Joseph Pride | 107 |
| 11 | 10112×3796 | HERE TO SHOCK (NZ) | G | 8 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 111 |
| 12 | 4221100×62 | IOWNA MERC | G | 6 | Bjorn Baker | 109 |
| 13 | x19028x840 | JEDIBEEL (NZ) | G | 6 | Brad Widdup | 106 |
| 14 | 0x1341x523 | JIMMYSSTAR (NZ) | G | 6 | Ciaron Maher | 116 |
| 15 | 11x111x247 | LADY SHENANDOAH | M | 4 | Chris Waller | 115 |
| 16 | 65516×5439 | MAZU | G | 7 | Joseph Pride | 109 |
| 17 | 1x2120x212 | MR BRIGHTSIDE (NZ) | G | 8 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 120 |
| 18 | 973664×368 | OSTRAKA | G | 5 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 104 |
| 19 | 9x4850644x | PHEARSON | G | 8 | Brad Widdup | 93 |
| 20 | 814x3x1241 | PRIVATE EYE | G | 8 | Joseph Pride | 114 |
| 21 | 64x427x971 | ROTHFIRE | G | 8 | Robert Heathcote | 111 |
| 22 | 6x2x1x0x3x | STRAUSS (JPN) | H | 5 | Ryo Takei | 107 |
| 23 | 80x2111x10 | WAR MACHINE (NZ) | G | 5 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 114 |
| 24 | 081x64x010 | WATERFORD (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 107 |
| 25 | 1412×52313 | WITH YOUR BLESSING (NZ) | G | 7 | John Thompson | 107 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
russell balding stakes (winners stakes) 2025 WEIGHTS
The Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) is a set weights plus penalties event. 2025 Russell Balding Stakes weights on the final acceptors will be published in our above Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) Field section.
Russell Balding Stakes (winners stakes) 2025 ACCEPTANCES
The Russell Balding Stakes 2025 acceptances close the Wednesday of race week and will be available in full in our above Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) Field section.
Bella Nipotina (57.5kg in 2024) and Jimmysstar (58.5kg in 2025) are the latest Russell Balding Stakes topweights to win.
2025 Russell Balding Stakes Topweights:
- #1 Briasa (58.5kg)
- #2 Jimmysstar (58.5kg)
- #3 War Machine (58.5kg)
Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) 2025 jOCKEYS
Russell Balding Stakes 2025 jockeys must be declared following acceptances and will be available in our above Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) Field section.
Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) 2025 SCRATCHINGS
2025 Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) scratchings must be declared by 7:30AM on race day morning – Saturday, November 1, 2025.
Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) PRIZE MONEY 2025
The 2025 Winners Stakes prize money is set at $3,000,000, distributed from first to tenth.
| Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $1,725,000 |
| 2nd | $560,000 |
| 3rd | $280,000 |
| 4th | $135,000 |
| 5th | $75,000 |
| 6th | $40,000 |
| 7th | $35,000 |
| 8th | $35,000 |
| 9th | $20,000 |
| 10th | $20,000 |
Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) RACE NUMBER 2025
The 2025 Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) race number is scheduled as Randwick Race 7 at 4:00pm (AEDT) on Saturday the 1st of November 2025 at Royal Randwick Racecourse.
Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) 2025 Form Guide
The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can check below for a link to our full 2025 Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) Form Guide following final acceptances.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 RUSSELL BALDING STAKES FORM GUIDE
Russell Balding Stakes (winners stakes) LIVE 2025
You can watch or listen to the 2025 Russell Balding Stakes live, across the following mediums.
Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)
Radio: Radio Sport National
Streaming: Racing NSW
Russell Balding Stakes / winners stakes Winners
Winners of the Russell Balding Stakes / Winners Stakes going back to the race’s inauguration in 2019 are displayed in the table below.
| YEAR | WINNER | 2ND | 3RD | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025
Russell Balding Stakes |
Jimmysstar | Lady Shenandoah | Mazu | 1:16.57 |
| 2024
Russell Balding Stakes |
Bella Nipotina | Sunshine In Paris | Lady Laguna | 1:14.96 (R) |
| 2023
Giga Kick Stakes |
Bella Nipotina | Private Eye | Think About It | 1:15.50 |
| 2022
Nature Strip Stakes |
Private Eye | Mazu | Kementari | 1:15.93 |
| 2021
Classique Legend Stakes |
Eduardo | Lost And Running | Standout | 1:15.16 |
| 2020
Yes Yes Yes Stakes |
Gytrash | Haut Brion Her | Imaging | 1:17.85 |
| 2019
Redzel Stakes |
Pierata | Trekking | Le Romain | 1:16.59 |
How do I bet on the 2025 Russell Balding Stakes?
Login at neds.com.au
Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
Make sure to check out the form guide, once it’s released
Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options
Select the horse(s) for the race.
Which horse will win the Russell Balding Stakes in 2025?
Which horse will win the 2025 Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) comes down to a number of key form factors including the barriers, form over the distance and their previous race experience against similar rivals.
When selecting the Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) winner it is also important to consider:
Concorde Lead-Up: The Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick in early September is a good guide to the Russell Balding Stakes (Winners Stakes) with Gytrash completing the double in 2020.
The Everest Horses: The first four Winners Stakes winners Pierata (2019), Gytrash (2020), Eduardo (2021) and Private Eye (2022) all came off lead-up runs in The Everest running fifth, third, third and second respectively in the world's richest handicap. In 2024 Bella Nipotina completed the Russell Balding Stakes - The Everest double. In 2025 Jimmysstar ran 3rd in The Everest before winning the Russell Balding by nearly three lengths.
Favourite Factor: Pierata (2019), Gytrash (2020) and Eduardo (2021) all started favourite in the race giving the punters' picks a flawless record ahead of the race's fourth edition in 2022 when Private Eye won at single figures but not the favourite. Bella Nipotina ($2.50 in 2024) and Jimmysstar ($2.50 in 2025) are the latest favourites to win.