The latest edition of the Winx Stakes took place on Saturday, August 22, 2026 to kick off Group 1 racing for the spring in Sydney and was won by Chris Waller’s now four-time Group 1 winning mare Autumn Glow ($1.75F).
The 2026 Winx Stakes opens the Sydney Group 1 calendar with a genuine bang, and Ladbrokes punters are already zeroing in on the latest Winx Stakes odds and expert Winx Stakes betting tips for this elite 1400m weight‑for‑age showdown. As the first major test of the new season, the race regularly attracts headline acts, returning champions and rising middle‑distance talents looking to stamp themselves as spring contenders. Early market activity is always fierce, with trial form, first‑up strike rates, stable confidence and Randwick suitability all driving price shifts. For punters chasing an edge, this page delivers the sharp insights, key trends and market‑moving factors that shape one of Australia’s most influential early‑spring Group 1 betting races.
2026 Winx Stakes Results
The full Winx Stakes 2026 Results and Finishing Order will be published below once the new Group 1 Sydney race is run and won on Saturday, August 22, 2026.
- #8 Autumn Glow
- #14 Sheza Alibi
- #2 Gringotts
Autumn Glow ($1.70F) delivered exactly what punters were hoping for in the 2026 Winx Stakes results at Randwick, the superstar mare resuming with a dominant performance to put away Midnight Dynamite and hold Sheza Alibi at bay by 1.39 lengths for her fourth Group 1 victory. Freshened after her lone career defeat in the Queen Elizabeth, she was back to her brilliant best at 1400m, settling just behind the speed for James McDonald before unleashing her trademark surge inside the final furlong to take her record to 12 wins from 13 starts. Chris Waller celebrated his 10th Winx Stakes triumph, praising her professionalism, gate speed and ability to lift when it’s “go time”, noting she was forward enough without being fully wound up. Sheza Alibi lost no admirers with a strong first‑up second, but Autumn Glow’s emphatic return saw her firm sharply in 2026 The Everest futures betting, tightening from $13 into $6 as she again shapes as one of the headline acts of the Sydney spring.
2026 Winx Stakes Replay
2026 Winx Stakes Odds & Finishing Order
The latest Winx Stakes 2026 betting odds on the runners in the one of the country’s more recent Group 1 races, dominated by the now retired Winx from 2016-18, will be provided below once markets open the week of the race followed by the official finishing order after the event.
Winx Stakes 2026 Results
| 8. Autumn Glow (3) J: James McDonald 57kg 1113x T: Chris Waller | ||
| 14. Sheza Alibi (1) J: Luke Nolen 56.5kg x111x T: Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | ||
| 2. Gringotts (5) J: Ethan Brown 59kg x924x T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 12. Lady Shenandoah (2) J: Kerrin Mcevoy 57kg 3342x T: Chris Waller | ||
| 1. Ceolwulf (6) J: Chad Schofield 59kg 1x66x T: Joseph Pride | ||
| 11. Idle Flyer (7) J: Tyler Schiller 57kg x411x T: Matthew Smith | ||
| 4. Midnight Dynamite (4) J: Tim Clark 59kg 21314 T: Bjorn Baker | ||
| 7. Green Spaces (11) J: Rachel King 58.5kg 6621x T: Bjorn Baker | ||
| 3. Lindermann (10) J: Hugh Bowman 59kg 3922x T: Chris Waller | ||
| 10. Fangirl (8) J: Tommy Berry 57kg x834x T: Chris Waller | ||
| 9. Aeliana (9) J: Nash Rawiller 57kg 2211x T: Chris Waller |
Winx Stakes Tips
Good Winx Stakes tips including looking at past performers in the race that are still running well, horses with a nice Randwick race record and Group 1 runners heading into races like the King Charles III Stakes later in the spring.
Winx Stakes tips are dominated by proven Group 1 horses with strong form in similar class races from the autumn carnival earlier in the year or any horses finishing up a winter prep chasing a shot at elite level success.
Chris Waller-trained mares have a gun recent record in the race so also make a good Winx Stakes betting tip if presenting in the right form and race fitness with Fangirl (2023) improving on her second the year before, dual hero Via Sistina (2024 & 2025) and superstar Autumn Glow (2026) as the odds-on favourite the latest to win for the stable.
Ladbrokes Tip: The Winx Stakes has been a gun guide to King Charles III Stakes in recent years
2026 Winx Stakes Predictions & Best Bets
Our Ladbrokes’ insider Winx Stakes 2026 tips and Group 1 Randwick racing selections will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned for the weight-for-age spring gallopers to back and sack.
FULL 2026 WINX STAKES TIPS, PREVIEW & SRM SELECTIONS
| 8. Autumn Glow (3) J: James McDonald 57kg 1113x T: Chris Waller |
| 14. Sheza Alibi (1) J: Luke Nolen 56.5kg x111x T: Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman |
| 12. Lady Shenandoah (2) J: Kerrin Mcevoy 57kg 3342x T: Chris Waller |
Latest Winx Stakes News
The Winx Stakes is a Group 1 race run in August during the early stages of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival at Royal Randwick Racecourse and was formerly known as the Group 2 Warwick Stakes up until its upgrade and name change in 2018.
The Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes, Group 3 Show County Quality and Group 3 Toy Show Quality are the key support races on the Winx Stakes Day card.
The weight-for-age feature is named in honour by the champion mare Winx who won the Warwick Stakes in 2016 and 2017 before making it a triple with her 2018 success.
Taking place over 1400m, the Winx Stakes is now also worth $1,000,000 in total prize money having had its stakes doubled in 2018 before a further boost ahead of the 2022 edition and again in 2023.
Many runners resume racing in the Winx Stakes on their way to tougher assignments in the Spring like the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) both also held at Randwick. In 2016, 2017 and 2018 Winx did the Warwick Stakes – George Main Stakes double. Anamoe (2022) was the last horse to do the Winx Stakes – George Main Stakes race double.
The George Main Stakes was renamed the King Charles III Stakes ahead of the 2023 edition and moved from September to take place in October on The Everest Day
Earlier in 2015 Royal Descent won the Warwick Stakes first-up before subsequent seconds in the George Main and the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. She also ran second in the 2014 edition before seconds in the George Main and Epsom Handicap.
In 2020 trainer Chris Waller won the event for a sixth time with his classy mare Verry Elleegant holding off her stablemate Star Of The Seas in a thrilling photo finish. Verry Elleegant went on to frank the Winx Stakes form winning a host of other Group 1 races including that season’s Caulfield Cup.
Subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant returned in 2021 for a title defence, but had to settle for second behind Mo’unga in a race marred by the fatal fall of Brandenburg.
Waller added to his impressive Winx Stakes record in 2023 saluting for a seventh time with Fangirl improving on her second in the race the year before, before his eighth success in 2024 with Via Sistina defeating her stablemates Zougotcha (2nd) and Fangirl (3rd).
Waller celebrated his ninth Winx Stakes success in 2025 with Via Sistina going back-to-back with a win over her ATC Derby winning stablemate Aeliana in an all-Waller quinella.
Waller added an incredible 10th Winx Stakes trophy to his cabinet in 2026 with his resuming star mare Autumn Glow winning as the odds-on favourite.
Winx Stakes Race Info
- Date: Saturday, August 22, 2026
- Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
- Distance: 1400m
- Conditions: Weight-for-age
- Status: Group 1
- Prize Money: $1,000,000
- First Run: 1923
Winx Stakes Betting
Betting on the Winx Stakes is led by proven Sydney performers that race well first or second-up, have form around 1400m – 1600m and that have run well in similar or tougher company in recent campaigns.
Fit horses backing-up from a race like the Missile Stakes also run at Randwick Racecourse often feature high up the Winx Stakes odds, as do those that ran top three in the race the previous spring and have held their form over the past 12 months.
Looking for the Chris Waller runners in betting is also favourable as he has won the race 10 times most recently in 2020 running the quinella with Verry Elleegant (1st) and Star Of The Seas (2nd); again in 2023 with Fangirl (2nd) and Princess Grace (3rd); taking out the 2024 trifecta with Via Sistina (1st), Zougotcha (2nd) and the previous year’s winner Fangirl (3rd); claiming the exacta in 2025 with the defending champion Via Sistina (1st) and her younger stablemate Aeliana (2nd); and for the fourth year running with his brilliant mare Autumn Glow in 2026 who started under $2 for the win.
Verry Elleegant meanwhile also returned to run second as the beaten favourite in 2021.
Anamoe ($2.50 in 2022), Via Sistina for her second win ($2.80 in 2025) and Autumn Glow ($1.75 in 2026) are the latest Winx Stakes favourites to get the job done.
Winx Stakes Field
The Winx Stakes race field attracts middle distance sprinters – milers, the majority of which are just kicking off or in the early stages of their spring campaigns.
If not resuming in the race, runners may come into the Winx Stakes field – formerly the Warwick Stakes field – via a race like Flemington’s Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington earlier in the month. In 2014 Tiger Tees completed the Aurie’s Star – Warwick Stakes double.
Another lead-up race into the race field held in Sydney is the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick a fortnight earlier. The last horse to complete the Missile Stakes – Warwick Stakes double was Pinwheel (2012).
Winx won the race from 2016-18 first-up so looking for resuming horses in the Winx Stakes field, especially those that won a Group 1 the campaign before during the spring, is a good tip.
Mo’unga (2021), Anamoe (2022), Fangirl (2023), Via Sistina (2024 & 2025) and Chris Waller’s 10th Winx Stakes champion Autumn Glow (2026) are the latest first-up Winx Stakes winners to claim the race fresh for the spring.
Following a run in the Winx Stakes field horses may return to Randwick in mid-September for a shot at the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) held on The Shorts Day for the first time in 2023 in place of the George Main Stakes.
2026 Winx Stakes Field
The official Winx Stakes 2026 final field and barrier draw is announced by Racing NSW on the Wednesday of race week with full acceptances to be listed below once released.
The 2026 Winx Stakes field features a cracking 14-horse line-up of spring stars including eight Chris Waller-trained runners led by triple Group 1 winner Autumn Glow drawn a dream in gate three.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Ceolwulf
J: Chad Schofield
T: Joseph Pride |
11x66x | G | 6 | 59kg | |
|
2. Gringotts
J: Ethan Brown
T: Ciaron Maher |
0x924x | G | 5 | 59kg | |
|
3. Lindermann
J: Hugh Bowman
T: Chris Waller |
x3922x | G | 10 | 59kg | |
|
4. Midnight Dynamite
J: Tim Clark
T: Bjorn Baker |
121314 | G | 4 | 59kg | |
| 5. Beiwacht (4) Scratched: | |||||
| 6. Autumn Boy (6) Scratched: | |||||
|
7. Green Spaces
J: Rachel King
T: Bjorn Baker |
x6621x | H | 11 | 58.5kg | |
|
8. Autumn Glow
J: James McDonald
T: Chris Waller |
x1113x | M | 3 | 57kg | |
|
9. Aeliana
J: Nash Rawiller
T: Chris Waller |
x2211x | M | 9 | 57kg | |
|
10. Fangirl
J: Tommy Berry
T: Chris Waller |
4x834x | M | 8 | 57kg | |
|
11. Idle Flyer
J: Tyler Schiller
T: Matthew Smith |
0x411x | M | 7 | 57kg | |
|
12. Lady Shenandoah
J: Kerrin Mcevoy
T: Chris Waller |
x3342x | M | 2 | 57kg | |
| 13. Barnavara (13) Scratched: | |||||
|
14. Sheza Alibi
J: Luke Nolen
T: Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman |
1x111x | M | 1 | 56.5kg | |
2026 Winx Stakes Nominations
The Winx Stakes nominations for 2026 are taken on the Monday leading-up to the race and all the early entries will be announced right here.
The 2026 Winx Stakes nominations feature a star-studded line-up of WFA spring hopefuls led in all-in betting by Chris Waller’s brilliant three-time Group 1 winning mare Autumn Glow.
Winx Stakes Form Guide
The Winx Stakes form guide features all the must-know information like the jockeys and trainers, barrier draw and lead-up runs of the horses in the field.
As many runners are kicking off their spring campaigns in the weight-for-age event, looking at the Winx Stakes form for first-up hopes with nice records when fresh is important.
The Winx Stakes form has held up in tougher spring races plenty of times in recent years especially the George Main Stakes (now King Charles III Stakes) over the Randwick mile later in the spring.
In 2021 Verry Elleegant improved on her Winx Stakes second to win the George Main Stakes next start. She also went on to win that spring’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.
Anamoe franked the Winx Stakes 2022 form going on to win three straight Group 1 races that spring including the Ladbrokes Cox Plate before a huge autumn in 2023 that included his Chipping Norton – George Ryder Group 1 double.
Via Sistina franked the 2024 Winx Stakes form going on to win a record number of subsequent Group 1 races that season including her historic eight-length victory in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate. She also returned to go back-to-back in the 2025 Winx Stakes results.
Via Sistina franked the form in a big way, returning in the spring of 2025 to pull off the rare Cox Plate–Champions Stakes double before bowing out of racing. That same Winx Stakes formline only strengthened as the season rolled on, with runner‑up Aeliana going on an elite tear of her own — consistently landing in the money at Group 1 level and ultimately completing the Ranvet Stakes–Tancred Stakes double at Rosehill in March 2026.
2026 Winx Stakes Form Facts
- Five-year-olds have the best record in the Winx Stakes with 12 wins in the past three decades, most recently Verry Elleegant (2020), Fangirl (2023) and Autumn Glow (2025) who were all Waller-trained mares.
- First-up performers dominate the race with 27 of the past 35 winners doing so fresh, most recently Mo’unga (2021), Anamoe (2022), Fangirl (2023), Via Sistina (2024 & 2025) and Autumn Glow (2026).
- Twelve mares have won the Warwick / Winx Stakes throughout history most recently Verry Elleegant (2020), Fangirl (2023), Via Sistina (2024 & 2025) and Autumn Glow (2026) all for Chris Waller.
- Since 1983, 18 favourites have won the Warwick / Winx Stakes, most recently Winx who was odds-on for all three of her victories between 2016-18, Anamoe (2022), Via Sistina for her second success (2025) and Autumn Glow (2026) when she took her record at the time up to 12 wins from 13 starts.
- Trusting (2009) was the last three-year-old winner.
2026 Winx Stakes Form Guide
A link to our comprehensive Winx Stakes 2026 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.
COMPLETE 2026 WINX STAKES FORM GUIDE & RACE COMMENTARY
Past Winx Stakes Results
The Winx Stakes race results have been a mix of well-backed single-figure hopes and roughie hopes scoring the upset in the past decade with the last to salute at double-figures being shock 2019 winner Samadoubt ($41).
In recent times there have been some notable winners of the Winx Stakes including returning super mare Autumn Glow (2026), subsequent Cox Plate hero Via Sistina (2024 & 2025), Fangirl (2023), the fellow Waller-trained Verry Elleegant (2020), her three-time champion Winx (2016-18) who the race is now named in honour of, Royal Descent (2015), Tiger Tees (2014), Pinwheel (2011-12), Metal Bender (2010), and Racing To Win (2008).
Last Winx Stakes winning mare: Autumn Glow (2026).
Last Winx Stakes winning three-year-old: Trusting (2009).
Autumn Glow holds the current Winx Stakes record winning in 2026 in a time of 1 minute 21:03 seconds.
Recent Winx Stakes / Warwick Stakes Winners
Recent Winx Stakes winners and placegetters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Third | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Autumn Glow | Sheza Alibi | Gringotts | 1:21.03 |
| 2025 | Via Sistina | Aeliana | Arapaho | 1:26.02 |
| 2024 | Via Sistina | Zougotcha | Fangirl | 1:23.15 |
| 2023 | Fangirl | Princess Grace | Zaaki | 1:24.1 |
| 2022 | Anamoe | Fangirl | Profondo | 1:24.2 |
| 2021 | Mo’unga | Verry Elleegant | She’s Ideel | 1:22.1 |
| 2020 | Verry Elleegant | Star Of The Seas | Fierce Impact | 1:23.2 |
| 2019 | Samadoubt | Happy Clapper | Invincible Gem | 1:21.0 |
| 2018 | Winx | Invictus Prince | D’argento | 1:22.5 |
| 2017 | Winx | Foxplay | Ecuador | 1:21.8 |
| 2016 | Winx | Hartnell | Rebel Dane | 1:23.8 |
| 2015 | Royal Descent | Pornichet | Messene | 1:21.5 |
| 2014 | Tiger Tees | Royal Descent | Criterion | 1:27.7 |
| 2013 | Veyron | Streama | Rain Affair | 1:21.5 |
| 2012 | Pinwheel | Secret Admirer | Danleigh | 1:22.5 |
| 2011 | Pinwheel | Ilovethiscity | Startsmeup | 1:25.8 |
| 2010 | Metal Bender | Triple Honour | Danleigh | 1:24.2 |
| 2009 | Trusting | O’lonhro | Mr Baritone | 1:21.5 |
| 2008 | Racing to Win | Gallant Tess | Danzippo | 1:24.5 |
| 2007 | Race not run | |||
| 2006 | Courts In Session | Racing To Win | Desert War | 1:23.3 |
| 2005 | Sir Dex | Dizelle | Sportsman | 1:22.8 |
| 2004 | Private Steer | So Assertive | Niello | 1:22.7 |
| 2003 | Lonhro | Clangalang | Defier | 1:24.3 |
| 2002 | Defier | Lonhro | Republic Lass | 1:22.8 |
| 2001 | Lonhro | Diamond Dane | Shogun Lodge | 1:17.3 |
| 2000 | Al Mansour | Hire | Celestial Choir | 1:14.7 |
FAQs
How do I bet on the 2026 Winx 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 Winx Stakes?
The best way to pick which horse will win the Winx 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 Winx Stakes 2026?
The 2026 Winx Stakes is set to run in Sydney on Saturday August 22 to kick off Group 1 racing for the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. It is scheduled as Randwick Race 9 at 4:30pm (AEST) as the penultimate event on the Winx Stakes Day card.
What is the prize money for the Winx Stakes 2026?
The 2026 Winx Stakes prize money is set at $1 million which is paid from 1st to 10th place including $580,000 going to the Winx Stakes winner.
Where is the Winx Stakes 2026?
The 2026 Winx Stakes is set to run at Sydney's Royal Randwick Racecourse, home to many iconic races including the world's richest turf race - The Everest - each October, and is located at Alison Road, Randwick, NSW 2031.
What distance is the Winx Stakes run over?
The Winx Stakes is run over 1400 metres, a genuine early‑spring weight‑for‑age test that highlights class, race‑day fitness and proven Group‑level talent. This 1400m trip at Randwick consistently rewards strong first‑up performers and elite middle‑distance horses, making it a key factor Ladbrokes punters consider when assessing Winx Stakes odds and shaping confident Winx Stakes betting plays.
How many horses run in the Winx Stakes?
Field sizes for the Winx Stakes generally sit around 12–16 runners, giving Ladbrokes punters a deep and genuinely high‑class early‑spring lineup to assess. With proven Group 1 stars resuming, rising middle‑distance talents stepping up, and fitness‑forward types looking to strike fresh, the race consistently delivers a competitive field that shapes both Winx Stakes odds and confident Winx Stakes betting plays for one of Sydney’s most influential 1400m weight‑for‑age contests.
Who won the 2026 Winx Stakes?
The 2026 Winx Stakes was won in a terrific first-up return by the odds-on favourite Autumn Glow ($1.75) for the event's now 10-time winning trainer Chris Waller. The five-year-old The Autumn Sun mare made it 12 wins from 13 starts and four Group 1s when ridden to an impressive 1.39 length win by James McDonald on 57kg from barrier 3. She beat home fellow multiple Group 1 winning mare Sheza Alibi in a time of 1:21.03 on a Soft (5) track with Gringotts third.
Who won the 2025 Winx Stakes?
The 2025 Winx Stakes was won by the defending champion, eight-year-old Fastnet Rock mare Via Sistina, at $2.80 favouritism for now nine-time winning trainer Chris Waller with jockey James McDonald aboard on 57kg from barrier 1 to win by 0.36 lengths on a Heavy (10) track in a time of 1:26.02.