Ladbrokes Tip: The Underwood Stakes – Turnbull Stakes is a popular spring betting double
The Turnbull Stakes is a 2000m Group 1 classic held at Flemington Racecourse at the start of October during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival each year.
The headline race on the card and only event holding elite level status, the set weights plus penalties clash is open to horses aged four and above and is worth $750,000 in prize money after being reduced in stakes from $1 million ahead of the 2023 edition.
On the same day as the Turnbull Stakes, Western Australia hosts the Listed Kalgoorlie Cup (2300m).
Many Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup bound horses go into those majors via the Turnbull Stakes, which has been a Group 1 race since 2010.
Named in honour of Richard Turnbull in 1948 who was the current Victoria Racing Club chairman, the event first ran in 1865 and has been won by many turf greats.
Notable Turnbull Stakes winners over the years include Wakeful (1903), dual champ Ajax (1938 & 1940) who won on non-consecutive years, Bernborough (1946), Rising Fast (1954), Dulcify (1979), Vo Rogue (1987 & 1988), Let’s Elope (1991), Sunline (2001), Makybe Diva (2005), Zipping (2010), Green Moon (2012), and Winx (2017) who saluted by six and a half lengths in her Flemington debut. Winx also returned enjoying back-to-back Turnbull Stakes wins in 2018.
Trainer Chris Waller enjoyed his fourth consecutive Turnbull Stakes victory in 2020 with Verry Elleegant saluting ahead of her next-up victory in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m). Verry Elleegant would also go on to make history winning the 2022 Melbourne Cup.
In 2021 Incentivise became the latest galloper to complete the Turnbull Stakes – Caulfield Cup double before his second to Verry Elleegant in that year’s Melbourne Cup results.
The 2023 Turnbull Stakes results saw the previous year’s Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip return to winning form with a dominant upset.
In 2024 trainer Chris Waller prepared the Turnbull Stakes quinella with Via Sistina saluting to hand the stable a sixth win in 10 years.
This season the Turnbull Stakes ran on Saturday, October 5, 2024 as a lead-up to the Cox Plate and Spring Cup races and was won in a photo-thriller by Chris Waller’s now four-time Group 1 winning mare Via Sistina ($4) who narrowly beat stablemate Buckaroo.
2024 Turnbull Stakes Results

2024 Turnbull Stakes winner Via Sistina was strong late in a thrilling finish to post her fourth Group 1 win. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The official Turnbull Stakes 2024 results and Flemington finishing order will be available below once the race is run and won on Saturday, October 5, 2024.
- 1st: #4 Via Sistina
- 2nd: #3 Buckaroo
- 3rd: #6 Eliyass
Via Sistina ($4) was excellent charging home late to hold off her also gallant stablemate Buckaroo in a thrilling 2024 Turnbull Stakes result that saw trainer Chris Waller prepare the quinella and enjoy his sixth win in 10 years. The Cox Plate or Caulfield Cup will both now be considered for the four-time Group 1 winning mare with the shorter The Valley feature on October 26 the likely next up option.
2024 Turnbull Stakes Odds
The season’s top Turnbull Stakes 2024 betting odds and links to our markets on the Group 1 spring feature at Flemington will be available below once open so stay tuned to back your early Turnbull Stakes tips at the right price.
Early market betting odds on the 2025 Turnbull Stakes will be displayed below once available. Odds are subject to fluctuation. For current odds on all of our live markets, please visit ladbrokes.com.au.
Turnbull Stakes Race Facts
- Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024
- Track: Flemington Racecourse
- Distance: 2000m
- Conditions: Set Weights + Penalties
- Status: Group 1
- Prize Money: $750,000
- First Run: 1865
Turnbull Stakes Betting
Turnbull Stakes betting odds traditionally favour horses with previous Group 1 form and six-year-olds as this older age group has dominated the recent results with seven winners from 2011 – 2024 including most famously Winx (2017) and two years later the fellow Chris Waller-trained Kings Will Dream (2019). Winx also won again the following year (2018) as a seven-year-old. Smokin’ Romans (2022) was the last six-year-old Turnbull Stakes winner, before Gold Trip won as a seven-year-old in 2023.
Horses drawn in double digit barriers are found further down the Turnbull Stakes markets with the only horses to jump from wider than gate eight since Makybe Diva (16 of 16 in 2005) being Preferment (9 of 15 in 2015), Verry Elleegant (9 of 15 in 2020), Gold Trip (16 of 16 in 2023), and Via Sistina (12 of 16 in 2024).
Favourites in the Turnbull Stakes odds only have a mediocre recent record in the race in the past decade with six winning from 2006 – 2024 including Hartnell (2016), super star mare Winx (2017-18) back-to-back and most recently Verry Elleegant ($5 in 2020).
Verry Elleegant returned as the the $2.10 favourite in the 2021 Turnbull Stakes but ran fourth to Incentivise ($2.70).
There was a notable upset in Turnbull Stakes betting in 2022 with Smokin’ Romans saluting at $21 and again in 2023 with Gold Trip winning at Turnbull Stakes odds of $19.
Turnbull Stakes Field
The Turnbull Stakes race field has a capacity of 16 starters and most recently ran at its capacity in 2023 when the previous year’s Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip won from the outside barrier and again in 2024 with Via Sistina saluting for the Chris Waller stable.
The race had not featured under 12 starters since 1999 when Sky Heights beat home just five rivals in a diminutive six starter field until 2017 when Winx scared off her rivals. The super mare beat home only six other runners in 2017 and then in 2018 Winx defeated nine others in a slightly larger Turnbull Stakes field. The 2021 Turnbull Stakes field ran with just nine starters.
The Turnbull Stakes final acceptances close the week of the race and usually feature a host of previous Group 1 winners looking for more elite level glory with proven performers dominating the markets.

Hartnell (2016) saluted for the Flemington punters as the favourite in Turnbull Stakes betting. Photo Credit: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Good lead-up races for horses heading into the Turnbull Stakes field including the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield – a double last completed by Elvstroem (2004) – and Sydney’s Group 2 Hill Stakes (1800m) held at Randwick.
The Hill Stakes – Turnbull Stakes double was completed on back-to-back years by Preferment (2015) and Hartnell (2016) in recent years.
From 2020 the Hill Stakes has run on the same day in Sydney as the Turnbull Stakes after a change to the spring line-up.
In 2024 Chris Waller’s Underwood Stakes winner Buckaroo ran a brave second to his stablemate Via Sistina in the Turnbull Stakes results next start.
2024 Turnbull Stakes Field
The official Turnbull Stakes 2024 Final Field & Barriers are announced by Racing Victoria on the Wednesday of race week and will be listed below as soon as announced.
Chris Waller’s last start Underwood champion Buckaroo heads betting on the 16-horse 2024 Turnbull Stakes field at Flemington this weekend.
2024 Turnbull Stakes Nominations
The early Turnbull Stakes 2024 Nominations on the Spring Cups’ lead-up are taken the Monday ahead of race day and will be published below once confirmed.
|
Last 10 |
Horse |
Sex |
Age |
Trainer |
Ballot |
Weight |
True Weight |
Penalty |
Hcp Rating |
1 |
32x2x12x15 |
VIA SISTINA (IRE) |
M |
7 |
Chris Waller |
1 |
57kg |
|
|
117 |
2 |
21x8132x96 |
ATISHU (NZ) |
M |
7 |
Chris Waller |
2 |
56kg |
|
|
114 |
3 |
5x5356x811 |
BUCKAROO (GB) |
G |
6 |
Chris Waller |
3 |
58kg |
|
|
113 |
4 |
10x0213x48 |
KALAPOUR (IRE) |
G |
8 |
Kris Lees |
4 |
58kg |
|
|
109 |
5 |
343x4411x8 |
CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) |
H |
5 |
Ciaron Maher |
5 |
58kg |
|
|
108 |
6 |
4x274313x0 |
BOIS D’ARGENT (GB) |
G |
8 |
Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald |
6 |
58kg |
|
|
108 |
7 |
16x62521x4 |
WARMONGER (NZ) |
G |
4 |
Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) |
7 |
57kg |
|
|
106 |
8 |
110x85x050 |
JUST FINE (IRE) |
G |
7 |
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
8 |
58kg |
|
|
104 |
9 |
5x110x27x8 |
PLACE DU CARROUSEL (IRE) |
M |
6 |
Anthony & Sam Freedman |
9 |
55kg |
|
|
112 |
10 |
0x441131x0 |
FAWKNER PARK (IRE) |
G |
6 |
Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald |
10 |
57kg |
|
|
110 |
11 |
1x211x1x11 |
ELIYASS (FR) |
G |
6 |
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
11 |
56.5kg |
|
|
109 |
12 |
1781291×21 |
POSITIVITY (NZ) |
M |
4 |
Andrew Forsman |
12 |
53.5kg |
|
|
103 |
13 |
66x01540x2 |
HUETOR (FR) |
G |
8 |
Peter Snowden |
13 |
56kg |
|
|
109 |
14 |
5x24041x57 |
VOW AND DECLARE |
G |
9 |
Danny O’Brien |
14 |
56kg |
|
|
106 |
15 |
211626×630 |
TRUST IN YOU (NZ) |
G |
6 |
Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley |
15 |
56kg |
|
|
99 |
16 |
90x3669x02 |
SHARP ’N’ SMART (NZ) |
G |
5 |
Graeme & Deborah Rogerson |
16 |
55kg |
|
|
107 |
17 |
2x317062x1 |
YOUNG WERTHER (NZ) |
G |
7 |
Danny O’Brien |
17 |
55kg |
|
|
106 |
18 |
6933×75524 |
DUKE DE SESSA (IRE) |
G |
6 |
Ciaron Maher |
18 |
55kg |
|
|
104 |
19 |
1x0570x079 |
FRANCESCO GUARDI (IRE) |
G |
7 |
Chris Waller |
19 |
55kg |
|
|
104 |
20 |
10172x00x8 |
LE DON DE VIE (GB) |
G |
9 |
Ciaron Maher |
20 |
55kg |
|
|
104 |
21 |
13x24234x9 |
KNIGHT’S CHOICE |
G |
5 |
John Symons & Sheila Laxon |
21 |
55kg |
|
|
102 |
22 |
735662×870 |
BANKERS CHOICE (NZ) |
G |
7 |
Michael Moroney & Glen Thompson |
22 |
55kg |
|
|
102 |
23 |
4x212256x0 |
VALIANT KING (GB) |
G |
5 |
Chris Waller |
23 |
55kg |
|
|
98 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Turnbull Stakes Tips
Turnbull Stakes tips favour horses coming out of a race like the Group 1 Underwood Stakes, which has produced a host of recent winners.
The last horse to complete the Underwood Stakes – Turnbull Stakes double meanwhile was Elvstoem (2004).
Betting tips also rate six-year-olds highly because of their good record in the race and those drawn an inside alley, while mares aren’t shied away from with six winning female gallopers since 2007 including Lucia Valentina (2014), the brilliant Winx (2017, 2018), the fellow Chris Waller-trained Verry Elleegant (2020), and another Waller mare in Via Sistina (2024).
2024 Turnbull Stakes Tips
Our Ladbrokes’ insider Turnbull Stakes 2024 betting tips and exotic Flemington racing selections will be detailed for punters below so bookmark this page for the hopeful spring horses to back for the win this season.
- To Win: #6 Eliyass ($4.80 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Absolute vintage edition of the Turnbull Stakes with so many in-form horses and genuine winning contenders! Really tough race to call but have landed on Eliyass to extend the picket fence and remain unbeaten at this distance. The airborne Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained French import has been the picture of consistency down under stringing together a nice record. Unbeaten in Australia and a dual Group 3 winner now after a last start Kingston Town Stakes win over this distance at Randwick. Up in grade now and needing to go to another level but looks well weight wise and even from the outside alley (16) can get the job done again.
Turnbull Stakes Form Guide
The Turnbull Stakes form guide shows punters the saddlecloth number, jockey, trainer, weight and barrier for each horse in the field along with other important information like the galloper’s record at the track and distance and their lead-up form. All of this is crucial when placing bets, including looking for graduates out of the Underwood Stakes.
In 2023 the Turnbull Stakes form was franked by the winner Gold Trip who went on finish third in that year’s Caulfield Cup trifecta.
The Turnbull form was further franked by the runner-up West Wind Blows who was second next start in the Caulfield Cup in 2023, while Soulcombe was third in the Turnbull before his second in the Melbourne Cup quinella.
Turnbull Stakes Form Facts
- The only horses to win the Turnbull Stakes from a double-digit barrier draw since Makybe Diva (16 of 16 in 2005) are Preferment (9 of 15 in 2015), Verry Elleegant (9 of 15 in 2020), Gold Trip (16 of 16 in 2023), and Via Sistina (12 of 16 in 2024).
- Since the Turnbull Stakes win by Makybe Diva six other Turnbull Stakes winners have been mares with Devil Moon (2007), Lucia Valentina (2014), dual champion Winx (2017, 2018), Verry Elleegant (2020), and Via Sistina (2024).
- From 2011 – 2024 six favourites in Turnbull Stakes betting saluted for the punters including Winx (2017, 2018) who was the odds-on favourite for both of her wins at Flemington and the also Waller-trained Verry Elleegant ($5 in 2020).
2024 Turnbull Stakes Form
A link to our comprehensive Turnbull Stakes 2024 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.
Turnbull Stakes Results
The Turnbull Stakes results and finishing order are known when the event jumps at Caulfield at the early October meeting and shows the winner, the margin by which they won by and the time they did it in as well as any horses scratched from the original field.
In recent years Turnbull Stakes results have been dominated by six-year-olds and those coming off a Sydney lead-up run.
All the Turnbull Stakes winners from 2014-18 had their final run in Sydney including Preferment (2015) and Hartnell (2016) who won the Hill Stakes at Randwick before success in the Flemington Group 1.
Winx (2017) meanwhile came off a George Main Stakes win before her runaway effort for her 21st straight victory in the Turnbull Stakes. Winx also took out the Turnbull Stakes results in 2018 to complete the George Main – Turnbull interstate double for the second straight year.
In 2019 Kings Will Dream changed that proven lead-up form into the Turnbull Stakes winning the race on the back of an unplaced run in Flemington’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m). In 2021 Incentivise became the latest horse to complete the Makybe Diva Stakes – Turnbull Stakes double.
Notable Turnbull Stakes winners include Vo Rouge (1987-88), Super Impose (1989), Let’s Elope (1991), Northerly (2002), Makybe Diva (2005), Zipping (2010), Green Moon (2012), Hartnell (2016), the world’s best mare Winx (2017, 2018), next-up Caulfield Cup winner Verry Elleegant (2020), the Peter Moody-trained Incentivise (2021), and the reigning Melbourne Cup champion from the previous spring Gold Trip (2023).
Via Sistina (2024) was the last Turnbull Stakes winning mare and the first since the fellow Waller-trained Verry Elleegant (2020).
Elvstroem holds the current Turnbull Stakes race record winning in 2004 in a time of 2 minutes 00:40 seconds.
Past Turnbull Stakes Winners
Recent Turnbull Stakes winners and placegetters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.
Year |
Winner |
2nd |
3rd |
Time |
2024 |
Via Sistina |
Buckaroo |
Eliyass |
2:02.62 |
2023 |
Gold Trip |
West Wind Blows |
Soulcombe |
2:01.6 |
2022 |
Smokin’ Romans |
Maximal |
Young Werther |
2:02.2 |
2021 |
Incentivise |
Young Werther |
Chapada |
2:01.4 |
2020 |
Verry Elleegant |
Toffee Tongue |
Finche |
2:01.8 |
2019 |
Kings Will Dream |
Finche |
Hartnell |
2:03.5 |
2018 |
Winx |
Youngstar |
Kings Will Dream |
2:01:6 |
2017 |
Winx |
Ventura Storm |
Humidor |
2:02.0 |
2016 |
Hartnell |
Jameka |
Tally |
2:01.0 |
2015 |
Preferment |
Royal Descent |
Set Square |
2:01.3 |
2014 |
Lucia Valentina |
Lidari |
Brambles |
2:01.8 |
2013 |
Happy Trails |
Puissance De Lune |
Fawkner |
2:02.9 |
2012 |
Green Moon |
Seville |
December Draw |
2:02.1 |
2011 |
December Draw |
Glass Harmonium |
Playing God |
2:03.9 |
2010 |
Zipping |
Shocking |
Shoot Out |
2:03.2 |
2009 |
Efficient |
Predatory Pricer |
Scenic Shot |
2:01.6 |
2008 |
Littorio |
Master O’Reilly |
Zipping |
2:02.4 |
2007 |
Devil Moon |
Scenic Shot |
Haradasun |
2:03.4 |
2006 |
Sphenophyta |
Our Smoking Joe |
Aqua D Amore |
2:01.9 |
2005 |
Makybe Diva |
Lad Of The Manor |
Confectioner |
2:01.5 |
2004 |
Elvstroem |
Mummify |
Confectioner |
2:00.4 |
2003 |
Studebaker |
Pentastic |
Strasbourg |
2:04.0 |
2002 |
Northerly |
Dash For Cash |
Fields Of Omagh |
2:02.3 |
2001 |
Sunline |
Universal Prince |
Primrose Sands |
2:03.9 |
2000 |
Fairway |
Sunline |
Diatribe |
2:02.2 |
FAQ
When is the Turnbull Stakes 2024?
Saturday, October 5, 2024
What is the prize money for the Turnbull Stakes 2024?
$750,000
Where is the Turnbull Stakes 2024?
Flemington Racecourse, 448 Epsom Rd, Flemington VIC 3031.