The latest edition of the Crystal Mile took place on Saturday, October 24, 2026 as the Kia Ora Stud Mile on the bumper Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day program at Flemington and was won in a career-defining moment by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott’s in-form mare Surfin’ Bird ($3F).
The Crystal Mile 2026 is one of the standout betting races on Cox Plate Day, with a talented field of milers and versatile middle-distance performers set to clash in the prestigious Group 2 Kia Ora Stud Mile. Run over 1600m under set weights plus penalties conditions, the race offers a compelling mix of established black-type performers and in-form spring contenders, creating plenty of intrigue for punters looking beyond the day’s feature events. With Flemington hosting the race in 2026 while Moonee Valley undergoes redevelopment, punters face an additional form challenge as horses tackle the famous mile circuit on Australia’s most iconic racetrack. Whether you’re searching for the latest Crystal Mile odds 2026, tracking market moves, or looking for value in the Crystal Mile betting 2026 markets, Ladbrokes has all the odds, betting updates, field information, and expert insights you need for this exciting spring showdown.
2026 Crystal Mile Results
The official Crystal Mile 2026 Results & Finishing Order will be detailed below once the race is run and won on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
- #12 Surfin' Bird
- #6 Buckaroo
- #7 Another Wil
The 2026 Crystal Mile results saw the rapidly improving Surfin’ Bird ($3 favourite) continue her outstanding spring campaign with a strong victory in the Group 2 Kia Ora Stud Mile (1600m) at Flemington on Cox Plate Day. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained mare settled prominently under Jordan Childs before kicking clear to score by a half-length over Buckaroo, with Another Wil a further length away in third, stopping the clock in 1:36.45. The win was the daughter of The Autumn Sun’s seventh from just 12 career starts and further showcased her emergence as a genuine stakes-class performer. The performance also saw bookmakers react swiftly, with Surfin’ Bird firming dramatically from $26 into $5 in 2026 Empire Rose Stakes betting at Ladbrokes with the in-form five-year-old now considered one of the leading chances for next Saturday’s Group 1 mile feature at the same Flemington track and distance.
2026 Crystal Mile Race Replay
2026 Crystal Mile Odds & Finishing Order
The season’s best Crystal Mile 2026 betting odds and links to our markets on the Group 2 support act on Cox Plate Day will be detailed below once released so stay tuned for the top Crystal Mile prices this spring followed by the official finishing order after the event.
| 12. Surfin’ Bird (6) 56kg51×41 | |||
| 6. Buckaroo (3) 57kg5×550 | |||
| 7. Another Wil (8) 57kg0x935 | |||
| 14. Astral Flame (2) 55kg124×6 | |||
| 3. Sun God (4) 57.5kg21×89 | |||
| 11. Pondalowie (1) 56.5kg5×815 | |||
| 10. Enxuto (10) 57kg96×36 | |||
| 13. On Display (5) 55kg99×34 | |||
| 8. Feroce (11) 57kg2×550 | |||
| 1. Von Hauke (9) 58.5kg03×70 | |||
| 5. Zakouma (7) 57.5kg1×665 | |||
| 2. Evaporate (12)SCRATCHED: | |||
| 4. Welcometotheshow (2)SCRATCHED: | |||
| 9. Harry’s Yacht (10)SCRATCHED: | |||
Crystal Mile Tips
Crystal Mile tips to take to the bookies during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival include looking at runners with a good record over the mile, proven Group 1 and 2 performers and any top three graduates out of lead-ups like the Toorak Handicap and Epsom Handicap.
Taking runners under $10 in betting is also a good Crystal Mile tip as favourites have at top record in the past decade and only a few horses have saluted at double-figures in the past decade.
Von Hauke ($10 in 2025) was the last double-figure Crystal Mile winner.
Ladbrokes Tip: The Crystal Mile is the perfect lead-up to the Champions Mile held on Stakes Day at Flemington
2026 Crystal Mile Predictions & Best Bets
Our Ladbrokes’ insider Crystal Mile 2026 betting tips will be detailed in full below the week of the race so bookmark this page for the Champions Mile-bound milers to back and sack.
| 12. Surfin’ Bird (6) 56kg51×41 |
| 7. Another Wil (8) 57kg0x935 |
| 13. On Display (5) 55kg99×34 |
The Crystal Mile is a Group 2 set weights plus penalties event (formerly WFA) traditionally held at Moonee Valley Racecourse on Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day in late October during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. One of the season’s premier race days, the meeting is highlighted by the Group 1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) and features four Group 2 support acts. Note, in 2026 the Crystal Mile ran at Flemington with The Valley closed for redevelopment.
Along with the Crystal Mile (1600m) the other Group 2s on the card are the Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) for Derby hopefuls, the McEwen Stakes (1200m) for Champions Sprint types and the Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) offering the winner a Melbourne Cup ballot exemption.
Offering $400,000 in total prize money the Crystal Mile is the ideal lead-up to the Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) run at Flemington Racecourse.
Formerly run as the Emirates Stakes seven days later, the Champions Mile was moved forward a week and gives the Crystal Mile graduates a quick back-up to handle if they are to complete the double last achieved by Turn Me Loose (2015) when the Longines Mile, now the Champions Mile, ran as the Emirates Stakes.
Crystal Mile Race Info
- Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
- Track: Moonee Valley Racecourse (Flemington in 2026)
- Distance: 1600m
- Conditions: Set Weights plus Penalties (formerly WFA)
- Status: Group 2
- Prize Money: $400,000
- First Run: 1982
Crystal Mile Betting
The Crystal Mile betting markets are released on the Wednesday of Cox Plate week following the final acceptances revealing the field. Crystal Mile odds are led by in-form spring milers with proven form over the distance (1600m) and those that have previous experience at the track.
Sydney raiders have a top recent record in the race and the Epsom Handicap graduates from Randwick earlier in the month also sit high up the Crystal Mile betting odds each year.
Favourites have plenty of recent wins in the race with the latest Crystal Mile winners to salute at double-figures in betting being French raider Chief Ironside ($26 in 2019) followed by Von Hauke ($10 in 2025).
Plenty Of Ammo ($3.90 in 2024) and Surfin’ Bird ($3 in 2026) are the latest Crystal Mile favourites to win.
Crystal Mile Field
The Crystal Mile race field attracts a line-up of the season’s best milers, many heading towards a run in either the new-look Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) or Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) held at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
A key lead-up into the Crystal Mile field is the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) held a fortnight earlier at Caulfield Racecourse.
The 2023 Crystal Mile runner-up Antino would return the following year to win the 2024 Toorak Handicap by an emphatic 6.5 lengths!
Crystal Mile nominations close the Monday before the race takes place that Saturday followed by the release of the final field and barriers on the Wednesday.
2026 Crystal Mile Field
The official Crystal Mile 2026 Final Field & Barriers are announced on the Wednesday of Cox Plate week and will be detailed in full below, so stay tuned to see what milers make the Group 2 field this spring.
The Crystal Mile 2026 final field features a quality line-up of middle-distance gallopers led in betting by Gai Waterhouse & Adrain Bott’s last start Group 3 Ladies’ Day Vase champ Surfin’ Bird who is four-from-four at the distance.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Von Hauke
J: Ethan Brown
T: Cliff Brown |
103×70 | G | 9 | 58.5kg | |
| 2. Evaporate (12) Scratched: | |||||
|
3. Sun God
J: Jye Mcneil
T: Chris Waller |
121×89 | G | 4 | 57.5kg | |
| 4. Welcometotheshow (2) Scratched: | |||||
|
5. Zakouma
J: William Pike
T: Grahame Begg |
71×665 | G | 7 | 57.5kg | |
|
6. Buckaroo
J: James McDonald
T: Chris Waller |
25×550 | G | 3 | 57kg | |
|
7. Another Wil
J: John Allen
T: Ciaron Maher |
40×935 | G | 8 | 57kg | |
|
8. Feroce
J: Billy Egan
T: Dominic Sutton |
72×550 | G | 11 | 57kg | |
| 9. Harry’s Yacht (10) Scratched: | |||||
|
10. Enxuto
J: Blake Shinn
T: Robbie Griffiths |
396×36 | G | 10 | 57kg | |
|
11. Pondalowie
J: Lachlan Neindorf
T: Emma-Lee & David Browne |
35×815 | M | 1 | 56.5kg | |
|
12. Surfin’ Bird
J: Jordan Childs
T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
251×41 | M | 6 | 56kg | |
|
13. On Display
J: Damian Lane
T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
099×34 | M | 5 | 55kg | |
|
14. Astral Flame
J: Michael Dee
T: Enver Jusufovic |
1124×6 | M | 2 | 55kg | |
2026 Crystal Mile Nominations
The early Crystal Mile 2026 Nominations are taken the Monday before the event.
Crystal Mile Form Guide
The Crystal Mile form guide shows all the relevant information and statistics for punters like the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs.
Looking at the form it is important to find runners with a good record at the distance (1600m), and the Epsom Handicap has been the best Crystal Mile form line to follow in the past decade producing a host of winners and placegetters in the Melbourne Group 2 on Cox Plate Day.
The Crystal Mile form has stacked-up in better races many times over the years including when the 2020 winner Homesman went on to win the following autumn’s Group 1 Australian Cup.
The 2022 Crystal Mile form was franked with the winner My Oberon returning in the autumn of 2023 to finish second to Mr Brightside in Sydney’s Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m).
2026 Crystal Mile Form Guide
A link to our exclusive Crystal Mile 2026 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.
Past Crystal Mile Results
The Crystal Mile race results have been dominated by Group 1 performers and those under $10 in betting over the past decade or so.
Notable recent Crystal Mile winners include Homesman (2020), Turn Me Loose (2015), Hooked (2014), Silent Achiever (2012), and Rangirangdoo (2009).
The last back-to-back Crystal Mile champion was Weasel Will (2000-2001).
Ark Regal holds the current 1600m Crystal Mile race record winning in 1990 in a time of 1 minute 33:2 seconds.
Prowess (2023), Plenty Of Ammo (2024) and Surfin’ Bird (2026) are the latest Crystal Mile winning mares.
Recent Crystal Mile Winners
Recent Crystal Mile winners and placegetters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.
| Year | Winner | 2nd | 3rd | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Surfin’ Bird | Buckaroo | Another Wil | 1:36.45 |
| 2025 | Von Hauke | Golden Path | Rise At Dawn | 1:35.63 |
| 2024 | Plenty Of Ammo | Royal Champion | Nugget | 1:34.88 |
| 2023 | Prowess | Antino | Tuvalu | 1:35.79 |
| 2022 | My Oberon | Bankers Choice | Buffalo River | 1:38.37 |
| 2021 | Just Folk | Begood Toya Mother | Elephant | 1:38.31 |
| 2020 | Homesman | Age Of Chivalry | King’s Will Dream | 1:38.4 |
| 2019 | Chief Ironside | Cliff’s Edge | Best Of Days | 1:35.4 |
| 2018 | Cliff’s Edge | Prized Icon | Duca Valentinois | 1:35.9 |
| 2017 | Lucky Hussler | Religify | It’s Somewhat | 1:34.5 |
| 2016 | The United States | Lidari | Ulmann | 1:39.7 |
| 2015 | Turn Me Loose | Bow Creek | Lucky Hussler | 1:35.0 |
| 2014 | Hooked | Bull Point | Desert Jeuney | 1:34.9 |
| 2013 | Toydini | Speediness | Sacred Falls | 1:36.0 |
| 2012 | Silent Achiever | Rangirangdoo | Solzhenitsyn | 1:35.6 |
| 2011 | Testa My Patience | Hawks Bay | He’s Remarkable | 1:36.7 |
| 2010 | Sound Journey | Trader | Drumbeats | 1:36.7 |
| 2009 | Rangirangdoo | Sound Of Nature | All American | 1:34.9 |
| 2008 | Sea Battle | Conquering | Orange County | 1:36.3 |
| 2007 | Sonic Quest | Orange County | Tears I Cry | 1.35.9 |
| 2006 | Flash Trick | New Edge | Rockford Bay | 1:37.2 |
| 2005 | Niconero | Cargo Cult | Miss Potential | 1:39.4 |
| 2004 | Lad Of The Manor | Lord Mick | Sir Dex | 1:37.0 |
| 2003 | Rosina Lad | Walk On Air | Archave | 1:38.3 |
| 2002 | Royal Code | Weasel Will | Excellerator | 1:36.5 |
| 2001 | Weasel Will | Le Zagaletta | Typhoon | 1:37.3 |
| 2000 | Weasel Will | Le Zagaletta | Czar Hero | 1:38.7 |