The 2026 edition of the Missile Stakes runs on Thursday, August 6, 2026 at Randwick Racecourse to kick off Group racing in Sydney for the spring.
The 2026 Missile Stakes launches Sydney’s late‑winter sprinting season in style, and Ladbrokes punters are already diving into the latest Missile Stakes odds 2026 and expert Missile Stakes betting 2026 tips for one of the most influential Group 2 kick‑offs of the year. As a traditional starting point for elite sprinters and early spring hopefuls, the race consistently delivers sharp market moves, strong Randwick form lines and plenty of value for punters chasing an early edge on their spring carnival betting. With class runners resuming, fitness‑forward types targeting early black‑type, and pace‑driven setups shaping the markets, this page gives you the key race insights, historical trends and high‑value stats needed to place a bet on one of the most important early‑season races on the Australian spring racing calendar — your essential guide to Missile Stakes odds and Missile Stakes betting in 2026.
2026 Missile Stakes Odds
The top Missile Stakes 2026 odds will be provided below as soon as betting on the Group 2 race at in Sydney opens.
| 2. Ninja (5) J: Tommy Berry 57.5kg 1215xT: Michael Freedman | ||
| 3. Napoleonic (6) J: Chad Schofield 56.5kg 8x30xT: John O’shea & Tom Charlton | ||
| 1. Angel Capital (2) J: James McDonald 57.5kg 4326xT: Chris Waller | ||
| 4. Midnight Dynamite (3) J: Kerrin Mcevoy 56kg 12131T: Bjorn Baker | ||
| 8. Aviatress (4) J: Adam Farragher 54.5kg 0x4x5T: Liam Ruddy | ||
| 7. Gangsta Granny (1) J: Tim Clark 54.5kg x123xT: M, W & J Hawkes | ||
| 5. Way To The Stars (7) J: Rachel King 56kg 683×4T: Matthew Smith |
Missile Stakes Tips
Looking for the proven first-up sprinters with form in tougher company are good Missile Stakes betting tips.
Other important tips to look at when making your Missile Stakes selections include keeping an eye out for runners with winning form at the track and those suited at the weight scale.
Any smart three-year-olds in the Missile Stakes field that ran well over the autumn in races like the Randwick Guineas (1600m) also make a nice Missile Stakes tip. In 2018 the Missile Stakes winner Pierata finished second in the Randwick Guineas earlier that year.
Ladbrokes Tip: The Missile Stakes is a starting point for Group 1-bound sprinters in the spring
2026 Missile Stakes Tips
Our insider Missile Stakes 2026 tips and Group 2 race selections will be listed below the week of the race so stay tuned for the runners to back in the spring lead-up this season.
2026 MISSILE STAKES TIPS, PREDICTIONS & BEST BETS
| 1. Angel Capital (2) J: James McDonald 57.5kg 4326xT: Chris Waller |
| 4. Midnight Dynamite (3) J: Kerrin Mcevoy 56kg 12131T: Bjorn Baker |
| 6. Fully Lit (2) Scratched: | |||
Latest Missile Stakes News
The Missile Stakes is a Group 2 sprint race held at the very start of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival at either Rosehill Gardens or Randwick Racecourse (as of 2024) in early August.
Run under set weights plus penalties conditions, the Missile Stakes is contested over 1200m and offers $300,000 in total prize money. Recently upgraded from its previous Group 3 status, it is the first Group race of the new racing season in Sydney.
The bulk of the runners in the race are kicking off their campaigns and heading towards tougher assignments in Sydney and Melbourne over the coming weeks / months including Caulfield’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) or the new opening elite-level of the season, the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) in Sydney. The Show County Quality on Winx Stakes Day is also a potential next-up option for Missile Stakes graduates.
Recently the 2020 Missile Stakes winner Eduardo went on to frank the form the following year winning Sydney’s Group 1 The Galaxy and Brisbane’s Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in 2021.
The Missile Stakes also now serves as a key early lead-up into the $20 million The Everest held in October.
There was no Missile Stakes race held in 2025 after the abandoned race meeting was ultimately cancelled.
Missile Stakes Race Info
- Date: Thursday, August 6, 2026
- Track: Randwick Racecourse
- Distance: 1200m
- Conditions: Set weights plus Penalties (Three-years-old & Upward)
- Status: Group 2
- Prize Money: $300,000
- First Run: 1978
2026 Missile Stakes Results
The official Missile Stakes 2026 results and finishing order will be detailed below once the race is run and won on Thursday, August 6, 2026.
- #2 Ninja
- #3 Napoleonic
- #1 Angel Capital
Missile Stakes Betting
Horses with proven ability at the 1200m sprint distance and a good Sydney race record feature high-up the Missile Stakes odds each spring.
Of the resuming runners in the field, the best in Missile Stakes betting are those with a nice record first-up, while the in-form winter runners coming to the end of their campaigns are also handy in markets each season.
Alizee (2019), I Am Me (2023) and Schwarz (2024) are the latest first-up champions in the Missile Stakes.
Alizee was also the odds-on favourite in Missile Stakes betting saluting for the punters and was joined by Eduardo ($2.30 in 2020), I Am Me ($2.40 in 2023) and Schwarz ($2.50 in 2024) as the latest favourites to get the job done.
There was a notable upset in 2023 with Hard Empire saluting at Missile Stakes odds of $71.
Missile Stakes Field
The Missile Stakes race field can feature a capacity of 18 starters but rarely reaches the limit. In fact, in recent years the Missile Stakes final field has drawn diminutive line-ups including just eight runners in 2017, ten in 2018, only five in 2019 and just six in 2020 following seven scratchings as the track was rated a Heavy (9). In 2021 just seven horses lined up in small but classy Missile Stakes field.
Fit winter types can also feature in the Missile Stakes line-up and boast the edge over the resuming sprinters. Many horses make their four-year-old debuts in the Missile Stakes field having performed well over the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival in races like the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) as three-year-olds. In 2018 the Missile Stakes winner Pierata won first-up after a Randwick Guineas second last time out. He would also go on to run two Group 1 placings in the VRC Classic (2018) at Flemington and The Galaxy (Rosehill) in 2019 before his Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) win at Randwick in April of 2019.
Missile Stakes nominations close the Monday before the race with final acceptances and the barrier draw released on the Wednesday.
The Missile Stakes field features a classy line-up of sprinters and middle-distance gallopers, the bulk of which are first-up off a winter spell. It is the first Group race of the season, and many runners have bigger targets coming up including Randwick’s Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m), a weight-for-age event.
2026 Missile Stakes Field
The official Missile Stakes 2026 final field and barriers will be provided in full below the week leading-up to the race as soon as acceptances are taken by Racing NSW.
The 2026 Missile Stakes field features a small but quality line-up of spring hopefuls including the resuming Chris Waller-trained Angel Capital and Bjorn Baker’s flying last start Winter Challenge winner Midnight Dynamite.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Angel Capital
J: James McDonald
T: Chris Waller |
x4326x | H | 2 | 57.5kg | |
|
2. Ninja
J: Tommy Berry
T: Michael Freedman |
31215x | G | 5 | 57.5kg | |
|
3. Napoleonic
J: Chad Schofield
T: John O'shea & Tom Charlton |
28x30x | H | 6 | 56.5kg | |
|
4. Midnight Dynamite
J: Kerrin Mcevoy
T: Bjorn Baker |
112131 | G | 3 | 56kg | |
|
5. Way To The Stars
J: Rachel King
T: Matthew Smith |
8683x4 | G | 7 | 56kg | |
| 6. Fully Lit (2) Scratched: | |||||
|
7. Gangsta Granny
J: Tim Clark
T: M, W & J Hawkes |
3x123x | M | 1 | 54.5kg | |
|
8. Aviatress
J: Adam Farragher
T: Liam Ruddy |
40x4x5 | M | 4 | 54.5kg | |
2026 Missile Stakes Nominations
The Missile Stakes 2026 early nominations close the Monday of race week with the full list of potential runners to be published below.
2026 Missile Stakes nominations extended until 11:00am (AEST) – 04/08/2026
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | True Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2472x3342x | LADY SHENANDOAH | M | 5 | Chris Waller | 1 | 57kg | 115 | ||
| 2 | 1462x4326x | ANGEL CAPITAL | H | 5 | Chris Waller | 2 | 57.5kg | 112 | ||
| 3 | x2313x123x | GANGSTA GRANNY | M | 5 | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes | 3 | 54.5kg | 108 | ||
| 4 | 41x228x30x | NAPOLEONIC | H | 4 | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | 4= | 56.5kg | 106 | ||
| 5 | 161×112131 | MIDNIGHT DYNAMITE | G | 5 | Bjorn Baker | 4= | 56kg | 106 | ||
| 6 | 7x218683x4 | WAY TO THE STARS | G | 8 | Matthew Smith | 6= | 56kg | 102 | ||
| 7 | x868x02896 | INFANCY | M | 6 | Kris Lees | 6= | 55.5kg | 102 | ||
| 8 | x21340x4x5 | AVIATRESS | M | 6 | Liam Ruddy | 6= | 54.5kg | 102 | ||
| 9 | 311x31215x | NINJA | G | 4 | Michael Freedman | 9 | 57.5kg | 101 | ||
| 10 | 505512320x | FULLY LIT | G | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 10 | 56kg | 98 | ||
| 11 | x0742658x8 | AZTEC RULER | G | 7 | Matt Laurie | 11 | 56kg | 94 | ||
| 12 | 58x42621x5 | TORQUE TO BE SURE | G | 4 | Matthew Dunn | 12 | 56kg | 88 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Missile Stakes Form Guide
The Missile Stakes form guide features all the essential information including the saddlecloth numbers, barriers, jockeys, trainers and recent runs of the horses in the field.
The Missile Stakes form has stacked up in other good spring Group races over the years including the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m), which has been recently renamed to the Winx Stakes and elevated to a Group 1 event.
In 2013 Rain Affair won the Missile Stakes before a third in the Warwick Stakes next time out. In 2011 Pinwheel ran third in the Missile before a Warwick Stakes victory and came back in 2012 to complete the Missile Stakes – Warwick Stakes double.
The best out of the Missile Stakes can also go onto Group 1 company during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. In 2014 Sweet Idea won the Missile Stakes before finishing second to Dissident in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield next time out. That same year the Missile Stakes third place-getter Rebel Dane also ran third next start in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in Victoria.
The Missile Stakes form was franked in 2018 when the champion Pierata went on to run third that spring in Melbourne’s Group 1 VRC Classic (1200m) over the Cup Carnival, second in the following year’s Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) in Sydney and first in the 2019 All Aged Stakes results at elite-level.
The 2023 Missile Stakes form was franked with the winner, I Am Me, heading to Melbourne to run second in both the Manikato Stakes and Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
The 2024 Missile Stakes form was franked with the winner, Schwarz, going on to win the Group 1 William Reid Stakes in the autumn of 2025.
2026 Missile Stakes Form Guide
A link to our detailed Missile Stakes 2026 form guide will be available below after the field is announced for the $300,000 August feature.
COMPLETE 2026 MISSILE STAKES FORM GUIDE & RACE COMMENTARY
Past Missile Stakes Results
The Missile Stakes race results have been dominated by local Sydney sprinters running first-up for the season.
Notable recent Missile Stakes winners include Schwarz (2024), Eduardo (2020), Godolphin’s classy mare Alizee (2019), Pierata (2018), Sweet Idea (2014), Rain Affair (2013 & 2011), Pinwheel (2012), and Dance Hero (2005).
I Am Me (2023) was the last Missile Stakes winning mare.
There have been four multiple Missile Stakes winners throughout history: Rain Affair (2013 and 2011), Klokka (1993 & 1994), Joanne (1991 & 1992), and the first Campaign King (1987 & 1988).
Guineas holds the current Missile Stakes race record winning in 1997 in a time of 1 minute 02:68 seconds.
Recent Missile Stakes Winners
Recent Missile Stakes winners and placegetters dating back to the year 1999 are detailed in the below table.
| Year | Winner | Trainer/s | Jockey | Weight | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2025 (Abandoned) | |||||
| 2024 | Schwarz | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | James McDonald | 56.5 kgs | 1:09.73 |
| 2023 | I Am Me | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Tim Clark | 54 kgs | 1:09.67 |
| 2022 | Hard Empire | Toby & Trent Edmonds | Rachel King | 56 kgs | 1:10.70 |
| 2021 | Phobetor | Michael Costa | Tommy Berry | 56 kgs | 1:08.54 |
| 2020 | Eduardo | Joe Pride | Nash Rawiller | 56 kgs | 1:12.01 |
| 2019 | Alizee | James Cummings | Hugh Bowman | 56.5 kgs | 1:11.25 |
| 2018 | Pierata | Gregory Hickman | James McDonald | 58.5 kgs | 1:08.41 |
| 2017 | Invincible Gem | Kris Lees | Corey Brown | 56.5 kgs | 1:11.82 |
| 2016 | Tycoon Tara | Peter & Paul Snowden | Blake Shinn | 56.5 kgs | 1:15.64 |
| 2015 | Burbero | Bjorn Baker | Rory Hutchings | 58.5 kgs | 1:09.13 |
| 2014 | Sweet Idea | Gai Waterhouse | Tommy Berry | 56.5 kgs | 1:09.44 |
| 2013 | Rain Affair | Joseph Pride | Nash Rawiller | 58.5 kgs | 1:10.83 |
| 2012 | Pinwheel | Peter Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 58.5 kgs | 1:09.74 |
| 2011 | Rain Affair | Joseph Pride | Corey Brown | 58.5 kgs | 1:10.71 |
| 2010 | Love Conquers All | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Jim Cassidy | 58.5 kgs | 1:12.48 |
| 2009 | Teasing | Tim Martin | Chris Munce | 56.5 kgs | 1:04.42 |
| 2008 | Captain Bax | Kris Lees | Tim Clark | 58.5 kgs | 1:05.44 |
| 2007 | German Chocolate | Paul Cave | Zac Purton | 58.5 kgs | 1:04.61 |
| 2006 | Imprisoned | John O’Shea | Michael Rodd | 57.5 kgs | 1:06.27 |
| 2005 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2004 | Dance Hero | Gai Waterhouse | Lenny Beasley | 57 kgs | 1:02.80 |
| 2003 | Spark Of Life | Allan Denham | Chris Munce | 57 kgs | 1:02.82 |
| 2002 | Lonhro | John Hawkes | Darren Beadman | 57.5 kgs | 1:03.53 |
| 2001 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2000 | Sportsbrat | Gary Portelli | Hugh Bowman | 57.5 kgs | 1:06.69 |
| 1999 | Padstow | John Size | Lenny Beasley | 57.5 kgs | 1:03.76 |
FAQs
How do I bet on the 2026 Missile Stakes?
Bet online or via the latest iOS/Android apps with Ladbrokes.
The first step is to create an account at Ladbrokes. The process is quick and easy!
Once you've created your account you can make a deposit via credit card, or any other of our secure payment methods. Next up, head to the racing page and find the race and runner that's right for you.
Which horse will win the 2026 Missile Stakes?
The best way to pick which horse will win the Missile Stakes is to take into account the form, assess the barriers, and consider the weight the horse will carry (among other factors). Check out Ladbrokes in the lead up to the race for full form information.
When is the Missile Stakes 2026?
The 2026 Missile Stakes is scheduled to run in Sydney on Saturday August 8 as the opening Group 2 race of the season. It is due to run as Randwick Race 8 at 3:40pm (AEST) on Saturday's bumper 10-race Missile Stakes Day card.
What is the prize money for the Missile Stakes 2026?
The 2026 Missile Stakes prize money is set at $300,000 which is paid from 1st to 10th place including $170,000 going to the Missile Stakes winner.
Where is the Missile Stakes 2026?
The 2026 Missile Stakes will take place at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, which is located at Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031.
What distance is the Missile Stakes run over?
The Missile Stakes is run over 1200 metres, a traditional early‑spring sprint trip that consistently rewards horses with sharp speed, strong first‑up profiles and proven short‑course form. This distance at both Roshill and Randwick often produces pressure‑on racing and reliable form lines for punters analysing Missile Stakes odds and early Missile Stakes betting.
How many horses run in the Missile Stakes?
The Missile Stakes generally attracts a compact field of around 8–12 runners, consistent with its position as Sydney’s first major Group 2 sprint of the new season. Field sizes can shift slightly year‑to‑year depending on how many stables choose to kick off their early‑spring campaigns here, but punters can usually expect a tight, high‑quality lineup — ideal for analysing Missile Stakes odds and shaping early Missile Stakes betting plays.