Shannon Stakes Tips & Predictions 2026: Best Bets

The odds are on the shorter side, but our Shannon Stakes predictions have SKYHOOK (2) on top as the race favourite.

The 4YO resumed from a spell with an effortless win at Rosehill over Mangatear and Verona Rose. He faces more depth in this field, but the five-time winner has always promised to rise to another level, and he gets his chance.

He is a well-bred son of Written Tycoon, who is likely to have a stud career. He looks set to win a couple of big races this spring, and adding the Shannon Stakes to his record would look good on the page.

As a betting proposition, we would have loved $2.30, but we’re still backing him at $1.85. It’s a fair price considering his chances of winning the race.

It looks like a race in two, and we would be surprised if Skyhook or PRIVATE EYE (3) were beaten on Saturday.

The 9YO isn’t getting any younger, but his experience and class are enough to take him close. He’s a 14-time winner with over $12 million in the bank, so we’re putting some respect on his name.

He ran well for second fresh-up at Caulfield behind Cosmic Crusader before finishing seventh behind Headley Grange. That wasn’t his best performance, but he might have suffered from second-up syndrome.

He has enough tactical speed to give Skyhook something to think about, and $4.50 for a horse like Private Eye against this level of opposition is a good price.

Our Shannon Stakes tips include SOVEREIGN HILL (8). We don’t think he has a chance of beating the two favourites, but he could run well enough to place at value odds.

The Waterhouse/Bott-trained gelding won two starts ago when beating subsequent winner Ernaux, before running fifth behind Theblade. He’ll need to improve on that run, but he’s a runner who could settle handy to the speed and kick.

Rosehill often favours runners sitting on the speed and on the rail, so if Dylan Gibbons can cross the field to lead, he should give a good kick at the top of the straight. He pays $4 to place, so he’s worth including in Shannon Stakes SRM tips.

Punters get value odds with our Shannon Stakes SRM, which includes our three selected runners.

• To Win – No. 2 Skyhook
• Top 2 – No. 1 Private Eye
• Top 4 – No. 10 Sovereign Hill

We have Skyhook To Win, Private Eye Top 2, and Sovereign Hill Top 4, which pays $15.00 for our three-runner SRM.

Punters should also take an exacta with Skyhook winning and Private Eye finishing second. They’re not easy bets to land, but we’re confident with the favourites running one-two in the Shannon Stakes. Sovereign Hill Top 4 boosts the value at $2.60.