Champions Sprint Tips & Predictions 2026: Best Bets

We’re putting Tempted firmly on top, with the Ciaron Maher-trained mare looking exceptionally difficult to beat following her brilliant Everest victory.

She produced one of the performances of the spring when defeating champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising at Randwick, extending her winning streak to six consecutive victories. That result confirmed her position as Australia’s leading sprinter, and she now gets the opportunity to add another Group 1 to her impressive record.

Barrier 9 is ideal, and although she has Joliestar directly on her outside, it might not matter too much down the Flemington straight.

Her Everest performance was outstanding, and there is little reason to suggest she won’t produce another big effort. At $1.80, she is worth including in Champions Spring predictions as a multi-bet option.

Joliestar looks the obvious danger to Tempted, and is a mare with the class and experience to make this a competitive Group 1 contest.

The Chris Waller-trained mare has returned to racing in excellent form, finishing second in The Shorts before producing another strong performance to finish third in The Everest.

She was beaten less than a length by Tempted at Randwick, and that effort suggests there’s not a huge gap between the pair. She has also previously demonstrated her liking for Flemington, which is another major positive.

James McDonald takes the ride from barrier 10, which means she’s on the outside of Tempted, and McDonald could put the favourite in a pocket. He’s an aggressive rider, so it will be an interesting race.

Point Barrow is an interesting runner at a generous price, particularly after putting together consecutive victories in the How Now Stakes and Northwood Plume Stakes.

The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained mare has found some excellent form this preparation, showing a strong finishing burst to win both races and suggesting she’s ready for another step up in grade.

Mark Zahra takes the ride from barrier 2, and while the inside draw isn’t necessarily ideal for a mare who likes to get back and finish strongly, the right race shape could bring her into contention.

This is obviously a significant rise in class, and she’ll need to produce the best performance of her career to trouble Tempted and Joliestar. Include her in Champions Sprint predictions to boost payouts.

Punters get value odds with our Champions Sprint SRM, which includes our three selected runners.

We have Tempted to Win, Joliestar Top 3, and Point Barrow Top 5, which pays $9.25 for our three-runner SRM.

Tempted and Joliestar should be tough to beat, and we’re adding value with Point Barrow, who has been back to her best this season.