Apollo Stakes

Ladbrokes Tip: The Apollo Stakes is a good lead-up to the Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes (Chipping Norton Stakes) each autumn

The latest edition of the Apollo Stakes took place on Saturday, February 14, 2026 at Randwick Racecourse and saw trainer Chris Waller win the event for an eighth time with his unbeaten mare Autumn Glow ($1.40F) saluting for the punters by nearly three lengths in a stable trifecta. 

2026 Apollo Stakes Results

The Apollo Stakes 2026 Results & Finishing Order will be known on Saturday, February 14, 2026 and published in full below.

The undefeated Chris Waller-trained queen Autumn Glow ($1.40F) got her campaign underway with an effortless first-up 2.66 length romp home in the 2026 Apollo Stakes results for the punters. Ridden by James McDonald the Golden Eagle winner flashed home late to easily account for her rivals ahead of the autumn majors leading a stable trifecta with Aeliana second and Lindermann third.

2026 Apollo Stakes Odds & Results

The latest Apollo Stakes odds for 2026 will be found below as soon as markets on the Group 2 autumn feature are released followed by the official Apollo Stakes results after the event.

Apollo Stakes Tips

Apollo Stakes tips usually feature proven Group 1 horses and those running first-up off good trial form in Sydney.

Fangirl (2024 & 2025) and the fellow Waller-trained mare Autumn Glow (2026) are the latest first-up Apollo Stakes winners.

Horses proven in weight-for-age company and those with a good record at the track / distance also make good Apollo Stakes tips. Both male and female gallopers have strong records in the race, so Apollo Stakes tipping doesn’t favour one or the other.

The Expressway Stakes has provided a good lead-up to the Apollo Stakes in recent years with both Appearance (2014) and Rain Affair (2012) completing the double but now runs on the same day.

2026 Apollo Stakes Tips

Our exclusive Ladbrokes’ Apollo Stakes 2026 betting tips will be updated below the week of the race so stay tuned.

The Apollo Stakes is a top Group 2 race held at Royal Randwick Racecourse on a Saturday in mid-February each year during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

Run under weight-for-age conditions over 1400m and open to horses aged three-years-old and over, the Apollo Stakes is the headline event on the Sydney race card for the meeting and is supported by the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) and the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) for fillies.

The Group 3 Triscay Stakes (1200m) for the older mares also runs on Apollo Stakes Day.

The Apollo Stakes offers a total of $300,000 in prize money including $170,000 for the winning connections.

The Apollo Stakes is also a nice lead-up race for horses heading towards the Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes (formerly the Chipping Norton Stakes) over the mile back at the track a fortnight later, a double recently completed by Contributer (2015) and Winx (2016, 2017 & 2019).

Anamoe (2023) was the last horse to win the Apollo Stakes – Chipping Norton Stakes double before the Chipping Norton was renamed the Verry Elleegant Stakes in 2024.

In 2021 Verry Elleegant ran third in the Apollo before her Chipping Norton Stakes victory and went on to win a host more elite level races over the year including most famously the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.

Since retired, she is now the namesake of the Verry Elleegant Stakes (Chipping Norton Stakes).

In 2024 trainer Chris Waller celebrated his sixth Apollo Stakes victory with the previous year’s third placed mare, Fangirl, flying home for a big win for the punters.

Fangirl returned to defend her title in the 2025 Apollo Stakes results when beating home her stablemates Lindermann (2nd) and Via Sistina (3rd) to give Waller a seventh success. 

Chris Waller kept his incredible Apollo Stakes streak rolling in 2026, producing yet another stable trifecta as unbeaten mare Autumn Glow justified her odds‑on quote to make it nine straight. She was far too sharp for her barnmates, with Aeliana finishing second and Lindermann grabbing third to round out a dominant Waller sweep.

Apollo Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday, February 14, 2026
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 1400m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $300,000
• First Run: 1977

Apollo Stakes Betting

Apollo Stakes odds are usually led by a previous Group 1 winner with top form the previous spring in either Melbourne or Sydney. At Randwick over the 1400m barrier draw isn’t the most important thing and wider-drawn runners can feature highly up the Apollo Stakes betting markets.

Proven weight-for-age performers and those with winning form over the distance are often popular bets. The conditions of the race favour the classier horses, but with many milers resuming those suited to the shorter distance can make a good value punt.

Winx ($1.10 in 2019) for her third Apollo Stakes victory followed by the returning Cox Plate champion from the spring Anamoe ($1.60 in 2023), Waller’s sixth winner Fangirl ($2.10 in 2024) and the also Waller-trained mare Autumn Glow ($1.40 in 2026) are the latest favourites to salute for the punters.

Apollo Stakes Field

The Apollo Stakes race field attracts a field of the season’s most promising weight-for-age runners that are looking to step out over more distance up to a mile over the autumn carnival. The field limit is 16 starters, and many horses run first-up for the season in the Apollo Stakes.

Many top performers from the previous year’s Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival are included in the line-up each season and Group 1 winners often feature in the field.

Previously, horses may have come via a run in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) run over 200m shorter at Rosehill a fortnight before. In 2024 however the Expressway Stakes was moved to the Apollo Stakes Day card.

Appearance (2014) was the last Expressway Stakes – Apollo Stakes double winner. She also went on to win the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at her next start.

The Apollo Stakes nominations close on the Monday before the race followed by the release of the final field of acceptances and barrier draw on the Wednesday.

2026 Apollo Stakes Field

The official Apollo Sakes field 2026 and barriers will be published here once it’s finalised on the Wednesday before the race.

The Apollo Stakes 2026 final field features a small but elite line-up of stars including Joe Pride’s resuming King Charles III Stakes – Champions Mile double winner from the spring Ceolwulf, the Chris Waller-trained Lindermann who ran second last year, and Waller’s unbeaten Golden Eagle winning mare Autumn Glow.

Randwick R8 - Petaluma Apollo Stakes (G2)

Final Race time: 

	Entrant	Last 6	Sex	Barrier	Weight
	1. Ceolwulf J: Chad Schofield T: Joseph Pride	43611x	G	5	59kg
	2. Antino J: Tommy Berry T: Tony Gollan	x5428x	G	1	59kg
	3. Lindermann J: Nash Rawiller T: Chris Waller	01211x	G	6	59kg
	4. The Instructor J: Adam Hyeronimus T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	16x272	G	3	59kg
	5. Wootton Verni J: Josh Parr T: Chris Waller	85411x	G	2	59kg
	6. Soul Of Spain J: Jay Ford T: Chris Waller	11123x	G	4	59kg
	7. Autumn Glow J: James McDonald T: Chris Waller	x1111x	M	9	57kg
	8. Stefi Magnetica J: Jason Collett T: Bjorn Baker	2x413x	M	10	57kg
	9. Aeliana J: Zac Lloyd T: Chris Waller	x2256x	M	7	57kg
	10. River Of Stars J: Tim Clark T: Chris Waller	78024x	M	8	57kg

View Results

2026 Apollo Stakes Nominations

The early Apollo Stakes 2026 nominations are taken on the Monday of race week, and the full list of entries will be available below.

2026 Apollo Stakes nominations extended until 11:00am (AEDT) – 10/02/2026

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	3421x2256x	AELIANA (NZ)	M	4	Chris Waller	112
2	x011x5428x	ANTINO (NZ)	G	7	Tony Gollan
3	11x1x1111x	AUTUMN GLOW	M	4	Chris Waller	116
4	29x251768x	BIRDMAN (IRE)	G	5	Chris Waller	104
5	15x443611x	CEOLWULF (NZ)	G	5	Joseph Pride
6	11114x432x	LEICA LUCY (NZ)	M	4	Chris Waller	107
7	490x01211x	LINDERMANN	G	6	Chris Waller	114
8	x73x78024x	RIVER OF STARS (IRE)	M	7	Chris Waller
9	731x11123x	SOUL OF SPAIN (IRE)	G	5	Chris Waller	102
10	x8612x413x	STEFI MAGNETICA	M	5	Bjorn Baker	116
11	x11316x272	THE INSTRUCTOR	G	5	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	106
12	142x12412x	TRINITY COLLEGE (IRE)	H	4	Chris Waller
13	x75x85411x	WOOTTON VERNI (FR)	G	5	Chris Waller	104

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Apollo Stakes Form Guide

The Apollo Stakes form guide lists all of the important information punters need to consider before placing a bet including the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up form of the runners.

Mares have an excellent recent record in the race over the past decade with Autumn Glow (2026), Fangirl (2024 & 2025), Colette (2021), Alizee (2020), Appearance (2014), Alma’s Fury (2013), Melito (2011), and Tuesday Joy (2009) all beating home the boys ahead along with the three Apollo Stakes wins by the world’s best mare Winx (2016-17, 2019).

First-up runners also have a good Apollo Stakes strike-rate so looking at those with good fresh form is important. Think It Over (2022), Anamoe (2023), Fangirl (2024 & 2025) and the previous spring’s Golden Eagle winner Autumn Glow (2026) are the latest first-up Apollo Stakes winners.

The Apollo Stakes form guide traditionally holds well in the upcoming Group 1 autumn races including the Verry Elleegant Stakes (formerly Chipping Norton Stakes), Ranvet Stakes, and Tancred Stakes.

The 2022 Apollo Stakes winner Think It Over franked the form with a host of top four Group 1 runs including a second in Flemington’s Australian Cup and victory in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) in the wet over ‘The Championships’.

The Apollo Stakes form from 2023 proved huge with the winner Anamoe winning the Chipping Norton – George Ryder double at his next two starts before a third in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Fangirl meanwhile was third in the 2023 Apollo Stakes trifecta and went on to perform competitively in a host of races including her victories in the Group 1 Winx Stakes and Group 1 King Charles III Stakes in the spring that year.

Fangirl returned to win the Apollo Stakes in 2024 heading an all-Waller quinella with her big win fresh over stablemate Militarize.

Fangirl franked the Apollo Stakes form with a next-up second in the Verry Elleegant Stakes behind Think It Over who improved on his Apollo third to win the Group 1.

The 2024 Apollo form was further franked with the runner-up Militarize continuing on to place top three in a host of subsequent autumn Group 1 races including the Randwick Guineas (2nd), George Ryder Stakes (3rd), and Doncaster Mile (3rd).

Fangirl well and truly validated the 2025 Apollo Stakes form, going on to place in a string of elite races that season. She finished runner‑up in both the Verry Elleegant Stakes and the George Ryder Stakes before saluting at Group 1 level in the Queen of the Turf Stakes. The depth of the race was highlighted again by Via Sistina, who ran third in the Apollo before producing a stunning autumn campaign of her own. She completed the Verry Elleegant Stakes–Tancred Stakes double at her next two starts, then added the Queen Elizabeth Stakes for good measure. Her spring was just as remarkable, returning to claim the Winx Stakes, Cox Plate and Champions Stakes before bowing out as one of the season’s standout performers.

2026 Apollo Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Apollo Stakes 2026 Form Guide will be provided below the week of the race.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL 2026 APOLLO STAKES FORM GUIDE

Past Apollo Stakes Results

Mares have dominated the Apollo Stakes results in the past 10 years.

The latest double-figure upsets were scored in 2013 when Alma’s Fury saluted at 40/1 odds and Colette at 13/1 in 2021.

Notable recent Apollo Stakes winners include the undefeated Autumn Glow (2026), Waller’s dual champion Fangirl (2024-25), Anamoe (2023), Think It Over (2022), Colette (2021), Alizee (2020), Winx (2016-17, 2019), Contributer (2015), Appearance (2014), Danleigh (2010), and Racing To Win (2008).

The filly Ha Ha (2002) was the last three-year-old Apollo Stakes winner.

Fangirl (2024 & 2025) and Autumn Glow (2026) are the latest Apollo Stakes winning mares.

Apollo Stakes Winners

Past Apollo Stakes winners and placegetters going back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.

Year	Winner	Runner-Up	Third	Time
2026	Autumn Glow	Aeliana	Lindermann	1:22.11
2025	Fangirl	Lindermann	Via Sistina	1:22.18
2024	Fangirl	Militarize	Think It Over	1:21.63
2023	Anamoe	Hinged	Fangirl	1:22.7
2022	Think It Over	Colette	Special Reward	1:22.3
2021	Colette	Kolding	Verry Elleegant	1:24.5
2020	Alizee	Dreamforce	Happy Clapper	1:24.1
2019	Winx	Happy Clapper	Egg Tart	1:20.8
2018	Endless Drama	Global Glamour	Comin’ Through	1:22.4
2017	Winx	Hartnell	Endless Drama	1:22.5
2016	Winx	Solicit	Hauraki	1:22.0
2015	Contributer	Ninth Legion	Weary	1:22.0
2014	Appearance	Speediness	Moriarty	1:21.9
2013	Alma’s Fury	Tougher Than Ever	Daneigh	1:27.3
2012	Rain Affair	Shoot Out	Danleigh	1:22.3
2011	Melito	Hot Danish	Centennial Park	1:22.2
2010	Danleigh	Rangirangdoo	Palacio De Cristal	1:22.9
2009	Tuesday Joy	Hurried Choice	Gallant Tess	1:25.7
2008	Racing To Win	Tuesday Joy	Falaise	1:24.3
2007	Desert War	Mentality	Eremein	1:22.2
2006	Ike’s Dream	Shania Dane	Desert War	1:22.2
2005	Grand Armee	Court’s In Session	Desert War	1:21.1
2004	Private Steer	Excellerator	Zanna	1:23.5
2003	Lonhro	Hoeberg	Carael Boy	1:22.5
2002	Ha Ha	El Mirada	Tie The Knot	1:23.1
2001	Sunline	Celestial Choir	Referral	1:25.5
2000	Sunline	Adam	Hire	1:27.7

FAQ

Who won the 2026 Apollo Stakes?

The 2026 Apollo Stakes was won first-up by the undefeated four-year-old The Autumn Sun mare Autumn Glow who saluted as the $1.40 favourite in her ninth win from as many starts for trainer Chris Waller with jockey James McDonald aboard on 57kg from barrier 9 to win by 2.66 lengths on a Good (4) track in a time of 1:22.11.

Who won the 2025 Apollo Stakes?

The 2025 Apollo Stakes was won by Fangirl at $3.70 for trainer Chris Waller with jockey Jason Collett aboard from barrier 4 on 57kg to win by 0.95 lengths in a time of 1:22.18.

When is the Apollo Stakes 2026?

Saturday, February 14, 2026

What is the prize money for the Apollo Stakes 2026?

$300,000

Where is the Apollo Stakes 2026?

Randwick Racecourse, Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031.

How do I bet on the 2026 Apollo Stakes?

Bet online or via the latest iOS/Android apps with Ladbrokes.
The first step is to create an account at ladbrokes.com.au. 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 Apollo Stakes?

The best way to pick which horse will win the Apollo 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.com.au in the lead up to the race for full form information.