Looking for this year’s Winter Challenge betting odds, field and race day tips? The experts at Neds have put together everything you need to know before this year’s race.
Winter Challenge 2026 Tips
Our insider 2026 Winter Challenge tips will be available here the week of the race and a full Winter Challenge Day betting preview published on the Neds Blog.
Run over 1,500 metres, the Winter Challenge is a Listed race taking place at Randwick Racecourse at the end of the Sydney Winter Racing Carnival in late July each year. With a $200,000 prize purse, the quality handicap clash makes a nice late season Black-Type for middle-distance performers or can serve as an early lead-up to the mile feature races held during the spring.
The Winter Challenge currently runs on the same day as Adelaide’s Group 3 SA Sires’ Produce Stakes.
A number of nice horses have won the Winter Challenge race in recent years including Kris Lees’ 2020 champion Mugatoo who went on to win the following year’s then $5 million The All-Star Mile in Melbourne.
The 2022 Winter Challenge form was franked with the third-placed Gold Trip going on to run second in that spring’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) before winning the iconic Melbourne Cup race at Flemington over the two miles.
Winter Challenge 2026 – Quick Information
- Race Day: Saturday, July 18, 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: Listed
- Operator: Australian Turf Club
- Prize Purse: $200,000
- 2026 Winter Challenge Winner: TBD
Winter Challenge 2026 Results
The official 2026 Winter Challenge results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday, July 18, 2026.
Winter Challenge Betting 2026
There are many different ways to bet on the Winter Challenge, and we have included some of the most popular options below:
| Bet Type | How To Place This Type of Bet on This Year’s Winter Challenge |
|---|---|
| Win Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s race. |
| Place Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s race. Pays less than a win bet but offers safer odds. |
| Each-Way Bet | If your runner finishes 1st in the race, 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 race, in order to win the Quinella. |
| Exacta Bet | You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within the race to win the Exacta. |
| Trifecta Bet | You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within this race to win the Trifecta. |
| First Four | You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within this race 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 Winter Challenge, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie. |
How To Bet on The Winter Challenge in 2026
- Join up at neds.com.au
- 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 Winter Challenge Betting above).
- Select the horse(s) for the race.
Which Horse Will Win the Winter Challenge in 2026?
The best way to pick which horse will win the Winter Challenge in 2026 is to take into account their lead-up winter racing form, assess the barriers and look at the allocated weights.
Additional factors to consider when picking the Winter Challenge winner include:
- Tempo – Look for horses that have recently done well at races between 1,200 and 1,500 metres.
- Best Lead Up – In recent years the Civic Stakes run a month earlier has proved a key lead-up into the Winter Challenge.
- Waller Factor – Trainer Chris Waller has dominated the Winter Challenge results with six of the seven winners from 2014-21 most recently Order Again (2021). Waller also prepared three of the first four over the line in the 2021 Winter Challenge results.
Winter Challenge Favourites 2026
Favourites in 2026 Winter Challenge betting will be updated here the week of the event.
Mugatoo ($4.60EF in 2020), Cross Talk ($2.60 in 2022) and Robusto ($3.10 in 2025) are the latest Winter Challenge favourites to win.
Winter Challenge 2026 Field
The official Winter Challenge 2026 field of final acceptances will be announced on the Wednesday of race week and published here.
Winter Challenge 2026 Race Day
2026 Winter Challenge race day takes place on Saturday, July 18, 2026 and is also host to the $160,000 July Sprint (1100m).
Winter Challenge 2026 Barrier Draw
The 2026 Winter Challenge barrier draw will be released to the public a few days before the race and published in our above Winter Challenge Field section.
Winter Challenge 2026 Nominations
2026 Winter Challenge nominations close at 11:00 AM on the Monday of race week.
Winter Challenge 2026 Weights
Quality handicap conditions apply to this race. Minimum weight is 53 kilograms. Maximum weight is 61 kilograms. Final 2026 Winter Challenge 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 Winter Challenge Field section.
Robusto (60kg in 2025) was the last Winter Challenge topweight to win.
2026 Winter Challenge Topweight:
- TBD
Winter Challenge 2026 Acceptances
The 2026 Winter Challenge final acceptances must be declared before 9:00 AM on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in our above Winter Challenge Field section.
Winter Challenge 2026 Jockeys
The final riders’ announcement is at 12:00 PM on the Wednesday of race week with the official 2026 Winter Challenge jockeys to be published in our above Winter Challenge Field section.
Winter Challenge 2026 Scratchings
2026 Winter Challenge scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2026.
Winter Challenge Prize Money 2026
The 2026 Winter Challenge prize purse is worth $200,000 in total, distributed from places first through tenth.
| Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $109,000 |
| 2nd | $36,375 |
| 3rd | $17,500 |
| 4th | $8,750 |
| 5th | $5,375 |
| 6th | $4,000 |
| 7th | $3,500 |
| 8th | $3,500 |
| 9th | $3,500 |
| 10th | $3,500 |
Winter Challenge Race Number 2026
The 2026 Winter Challenge race number is TBC for Saturday, July 18, 2026. There is a total of 1- races that day at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse.
Winter Challenge 2026 Form Guide
The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can check below for a link to our full 2026 Winter Challenge Form Guide following final acceptances.
Winter Challenge Live 2026
You can watch or listen to the 2026 Winter Challenge live, across the following mediums.
Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)
Radio: Radio Sport National
Streaming: Racing NSW
Winter Challenge Winners
Winners of the Winter Challenge going back to 2012 are displayed in the table below.
| Year | Winner | Trainer/s | Jockey | Weight | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2025 | Robusto | Bjorn Baker | Joshua Parr | 60 kgs | 1:29.14 |
| 2024 | Jojo Was A Man | Ciaron Maher | Reece Jones | 53 kgs | 1:30.06 |
| 2023 | Barbie’s Fox | Ben & JD Hayes | Zac Lloyd | 53 kgs | 1:28.81 |
| 2022 | Cross Talk | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Jean Van Overmeire | 53 kgs | 1:30.80 |
| 2021 | Order Again | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 58 kgs | 1:30.50 |
| 2020 | Mugatoo | Kris Lees | Hugh Bowman | 57.5 kgs | 1:30.27 |
| 2019 | Seaway | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 54.5 kgs | 1:29.59 |
| 2018 | Mister Sea Wolf | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 55 kgs | 1:29.59 |
| 2017 | Shiraz | Kim Waugh | Jason Collett | 55.5 kgs | 1:29.73 |
| 2016 | Marenostro | Chris Waller | Tye Angland | 56.5 kgs | 1:31.10 |
| 2015 | He’s Your Man | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 55 kgs | 1:29.07 |
| 2014 | Coup Ay Tee | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 54 kgs | 1:30.56 |
| 2013 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2012 | Spinnawitch | Jarrod Austin | Blake Shinn | 54 kgs | 1:36.61 |