The rescheduled edition of the Chautauqua Stakes ran on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at Sandown-Hillside after the original Moir Stakes Day support race was abandoned and was won in powerhouse performance by the now Group 1-bound Ciaron Maher-trained Warnie ($3.70).
The Chautauqua Stakes in 2026 shapes as one of Melbourne’s key early‑spring sprints, giving Ladbrokes punters an early read on the fast horses ready to launch into the carnival. Now run over 1200m at Sandown Hillside, the race plays to sustained speed and strong finishing power, attracting sharp fresh sprinters, proven stakes performers and emerging types looking to make a statement before the bigger Group races roll around. With its long run home, genuine tempo and appealing spring betting markets, the Chautauqua Stakes is a prime betting race for punters chasing early value and smart form angles. Our Chautauqua Stakes tips, odds updates and runner insights keep Ladbrokes punters ahead as the spring sprinting ranks start to take shape.
The 2026 Chautauqua Stakes at Sandown was abandoned due to a severe thunderstorm and lightning activity, which struck just as the field was heading to the gates. Stewards halted the Moir Stakes Day meeting when the Bureau of Meteorology advised that more storm cells were moving toward Sandown, creating an unsafe environment for horses, jockeys, and officials. With lightning in the area and conditions rapidly deteriorating, the final two races — including the Group 3 Chautauqua Stakes — were called off and rescheduled for the following Wednesday – Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
2026 Chautauqua Stakes Results
The official Chautauqua Stakes 2026 results and finishing order will be known and published below on Saturday, September 6, 2025.
- #3 Warnie
- #11 Tennessee Bound
- #5 Amenable
Warnie ($3.70) stamped himself as a genuine spring player on Wednesday, producing a powerful late surge to claim victory in the 2026 Chautauqua Stakes results at Sandown in its first running as a Group 3. The rescheduled feature — postponed after last Saturday’s storm — became a perfect audition for bigger targets, with Warnie settling off a strong tempo set by stablemate Tennessee Bound before Mark Zahra unleashed him down the outside for an authoritative victory. The win secures his spot in the upcoming Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, elevating the six‑year‑old to the second line of betting after earlier unplaced Group 1 attempts in the Doomben 10,000 and Stradbroke. Assistant trainer Jack Turnbull praised the performance, noting Warnie’s sharp acceleration and maturity since arriving from Ireland, where he won a Listed race before joining Ciaron Maher’s team. Now a gelding and thriving over 1400m–1600m, Warnie continues to improve with each preparation and looks set for a strong tilt at Group 1 company later this month. Warnie subsequently firmed in from $26 into $11 in futures Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2026 betting on the September 19 Group 1.
2026 Chautauqua Stakes Race Replay
2026 Chautauqua Stakes Odds & Finishing Order
Market links to our top Chautauqua Stakes 2026 odds on the potential Group race-bound sprinters of the spring will be detailed below the week of the race followed by the official finishing order after the event.
Chautauqua Stakes 2026 Results
| 3. Warnie (6) J: Mark Zahra 58kg 308×4 T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 11. Tennessee Bound (2) J: Jabez Johnstone 54kg x1112 T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 5. Amenable (1) J: Michael Dee 55kg 0x48x T: Grahame Begg | ||
| 6. Persian Spirit (3) J: Harry Coffey 54.5kg 648×2 T: Symon Wilde | ||
| 8. Klabel (7) J: Lachlan Neindorf 54kg 2×946 T: Richard & Chantelle Jolly | ||
| 2. Here To Shock (4) J: Daniel Stackhouse 59kg 4270x T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | ||
| 10. Title Fighter (5) J: Damien Thornton 54kg 09094 T: Clayton Douglas |
Chautauqua Stakes Tips
Good Chautauqua Stakes tips include looking for previous winners at the track, sprinters that can handle the 1200m trip and class gallopers that may have Group race experience from previous campaigns.
Looking for any in-form Darren Weir-trained horses is also a key Chautauqua Stakes betting tip with the horseman preparing three straight winners from 2016-18.
Ladbrokes Tip: The Chautauqua Stakes odds often favour good first-up or fresh performers resuming for the spring!
2026 Chautauqua Stakes Predictions & Best Bets
Our insider Ladbrokes’ Chautauqua Stakes 2026 best bet will be published below the week of the race so stay tuned!
| 6. Persian Spirit (3) J: Harry Coffey 54.5kg 648×2 T: Symon Wilde |
| 3. Warnie (6) J: Mark Zahra 58kg 308×4 T: Ciaron Maher |
| 2. Here To Shock (4) J: Daniel Stackhouse 59kg 4270x T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
The Chautauqua Stakes is a Black-Type sprint race currently contested in early September at Moonee Valley* on Moir Stakes Day during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
Note: In 2026 the event ran at Sandown-Hillside due to the redevelopment of The Valley circuit.
It was upgraded from a Listed event to a Group 3 race ahead of the 2026 edition.
Run over 1200m, the quality handicap event offers $200,000 in prize money and currently takes place on the same The Valley race card as the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) for the spring sprint stars.
The Chautauqua Stakes also serves as a potential lead-up to tougher grade races over the carnival season and was previously known as the Chandler Macleod Stakes.
The event was renamed in 2021 to honour champion racehorse, Chautauqua, the star sprinter dubbed ‘The Grey Flash’ who famously won three straight editions of the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) from 2015-17.
The Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) makes a nice target for Chautauqua Stakes graduates and in 2021 the Chautauqua runner-up Bella Nipotina finished second in that year’s Manikato Stakes results.
Chautauqua Stakes Race Facts
- Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026 – Rescheduled Date
- Track: Moonee Valley Racecourse (Sandown-Hillside in 2026)
- Distance: 1200m
- Conditions: Quality Handicap
- Status: Group 3 (upgraded in 2026)
- Prize Money: $200,000
Chautauqua Stakes Betting
Chautauqua Stakes odds are released by bookmakers shortly after the final field and barrier draw is out the Wednesday before the race. Betting is traditionally led by smart sprinters with form at the course and distance that have been tested in tougher class.
If racing first-up, those with good records fresh are also dominant in Chautauqua Stakes betting each spring.
Angel Capital (2025) was the last first-up Chautauqua Stakes winner.
Showmanship ($2.35 in 2020), She Dances ($1.85 in 2023) and Angel Capital ($2.10 in 2025) are the latest favourites in Chautauqua Stakes betting to salute for the punters.
There was a notable upset in 2021 with Express Pass winning at Chautauqua Stakes odds of $15 and again in 2022 with Aysar saluting at $21 in the markets.
Chautauqua Stakes Field
The Chautauqua Stakes race field attracts a class line-up of spring sprinters heading towards more lucrative features over similar distance over the coming weeks in Melbourne.
Many runners in the Chautauqua Stakes field will be coming off an earlier run at the track in a race like the Carlyon Stakes (1000m).
As of 2023 good targets for horses out of the Chautauqua Stakes field include the sprint races held at Flemington over the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The best out of the event may even gain a start in the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) on Champions Stakes Day.
2026 Chautauqua Stakes Field
The official Chautauqua Stakes 2026 Field & Barriers are released on the Wednesday of race week and will be published below.
The rescheduled 2026 Chautauqua Stakes final field features a smart line-up of middle-distance sprinters including the Ciaron Maher-trained Warnie coming off a fourth in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes fresh and runner-up in that same key lead-up at Caulfield Persian Spirit.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Desert Lightning (1) Scratched: | |||||
|
2. Here To Shock
J: Daniel Stackhouse
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
04270x | G | 4 | 59kg | |
|
3. Warnie
J: Mark Zahra
T: Ciaron Maher |
x308x4 | G | 6 | 58kg | |
| 4. Abounding (11) Scratched: | |||||
|
5. Amenable
J: Michael Dee
T: Grahame Begg |
60x48x | G | 1 | 55kg | |
|
6. Persian Spirit
J: Harry Coffey
T: Symon Wilde |
3648x2 | G | 3 | 54.5kg | |
| 7. Recon (6) Scratched: | |||||
|
8. Klabel
J: Lachlan Neindorf
T: Richard & Chantelle Jolly |
12x946 | G | 7 | 54kg | |
| 9. Royal Insignia (10) Scratched: | |||||
|
10. Title Fighter
J: Damien Thornton
T: Clayton Douglas |
409094 | G | 5 | 54kg | |
|
11. Tennessee Bound
J: Jabez Johnstone
T: Ciaron Maher |
1x1112 | M | 2 | 54kg | |
2026 Chautauqua Stakes Nominations
The early Chautauqua Stakes 2026 Nominations close the Monday leading-up to the race and will be published in full below.
Chautauqua Stakes Form Guide
The Chautauqua Stakes form guide provides punters with all the must-know information including the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up form of the runners in the field.
The Chautauqua Stakes form has gone on to hold-up in tougher grade races a number of times in recent years. In 2021 the second placed mare Bella Nipotina won the Group 3 How Now Stakes (1200m) next-up at Caulfield. She continued on to run second in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m), second in the Manikato Stakes results and third to Nature Strip in that year’s Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) – now run as the Champions Sprint – during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The year before in 2020 Felicia finished runner-up in the race, which was run as the Chandler Macleod Stakes, and also went on to win the How Now Stakes next start.
In 2024 the Chautauqua Stakes runner-up Arkansaw Kid went on to win the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) down the Flemington straight at his next start.
2026 Chautauqua Stakes Form Guide
A link to our complete Chautauqua Stakes 2026 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.
Past Chautauqua Stakes Results
Notable recent Chautauqua Stakes winners include Voodoo Lad (2016), Brave Smash (2017), and Showmanship (2020).
A Little Deep (2025) was the last Chautauqua Stakes winning mare.
Recent Chautauqua Stakes Winners
Recent Chautauqua Stakes winners and placegetters dating back to the year 2012 are detailed in the below table.
| Year | Winner | Second | Third |
| 2026 | Warnie | Tennessee Bound | Amenable |
| 2025 | Angel Capital | Compelling Truth | Miraval Rose |
| 2024 | A Little Deep | Arkansaw Kid | Desert Lightning |
| 2023 | She Dances | Semillion | Ranges |
| 2022 | Aysar | Enchanted Heart | Corner Pocket |
| 2021 | Express Pass | Bella Nipotina | Irish Flame |
| 2020 | Showmanship | Felicia | Age Of Chivalry |
| 2019 | The Inevitable | Deprive | Spirit Of Valor |
| 2018 | Land Of Plenty | Peaceful State | Al Passem |
| 2017 | Brave Smash | El Divino | Revolving Door |
| 2016 | Voodoo Lad | Keen Array | Sebring Sun |
| 2015 | Fell Swoop | Beach Front | Griante |
| 2014 | Atlante | Trust In A Gust | Lucky Hussler |
| 2013 | Le Bonsir | Rekindled Interest | It Is Written |
| 2012 | Sea Lord | Amah Rock | Freereturn |
FAQs
How do I bet on the 2026 Chautauqua Stakes?
Bet online or via the latest iOS/Android app 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 theracing page and find the runner that’s right for you.
Which horse will win the 2026 Chautauqua Stakes?
The best way to pick which horse will win the Chautauqua 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 Chautauqua Stakes 2026?
The 2026 Chautauqua Stakes was set to run on Saturday the 5th of September as one of the key support races on Moir Stakes Day, however, was abandoned due to a lightning storm and the rescheduled event will now take place on Wednesday September 9th. It is set to run as Sandown Race 7 at 3:30pm (AEST) on the 10-race midweek card.
What is the prize money for the Chautauqua Stakes 2026?
The 2026 Chautauqua Stakes prize money is set at $200,000 which is paid from 1st to 8th place including $120,000 going to the Chautauqua Stakes winner.
Where is the Chautauqua Stakes 2026?
The 2026 Chautauqua Stakes will be held at Sandown Hillside, with the race temporarily relocating from Moonee Valley due to redevelopment works. This shift to the Hillside circuit is a major factor for Ladbrokes punters assessing early Chautauqua Stakes odds and shaping their Chautauqua Stakes betting strategies.
What distance is the Chautauqua Stakes run over?
The Chautauqua Stakes in 2026 is run over 1200 metres at Sandown Hillside, not Moonee Valley. The wider, more flowing Hillside circuit changes the race shape, favouring sprinters with sustained speed rather than pure Valley‑style gate pressure. This shift is a key factor in Chautauqua Stakes betting as punters look for horses proven at Sandown or those suited to the longer run home.
How many horses run in the Chautauqua Stakes?
The Chautauqua Stakes generally attracts a capacity field of around 16 runners when held at Sandown Hillside, giving punters a deep, competitive early‑spring sprint to assess. With so many proven and emerging sprinters lining up, Chautauqua Stakes betting markets tend to offer strong value and plenty of movement as the field takes shape.
Who won the 2026 Chautauqua Stakes?
The 2026 Chautauqua Stakes was won second-up by six-year-old Highland Reel gelding Warnie at $3.70 for trainer Ciaron Maher with jockey Mark Zahra aboard on 58kg from barrier 6 to win by 1.25 lengths in a time of 1:17.16 on a Soft (7) track.
Who won the 2025 Chautauqua Stakes?
The 2025 Chautauqua Stakes was won by four-year-old Harry Angel horse Angel Capital at $2.10 favouritism for trainer Chris Waller with jockey Damian Lane aboard on 56kg from barrier 2 to win by 3.75 lengths on a Good (4) track in a time of 1:09.86.