The latest edition of the Ethereal Stakes ran on Saturday, October 17, 2026 as part of Melbourne’s Caulfield Cup Day 2026 race card and saw the progressive Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained Quick Finish ($15) post an eye-catching half-length upset on her way to the VRC Oaks.
The Ethereal Stakes 2026 is a race punters and form students follow closely as the spring’s most promising staying fillies take the next step towards elite-level success. Contested over 2000m at Caulfield, the Group 3 feature has become a proven pathway to the VRC Oaks and regularly showcases talented young fillies on the rise through the staying ranks. With future Group winners, Oaks hopefuls, and emerging spring stars often lining up, the Ethereal Stakes is a race packed with betting intrigue and valuable form references for the major fillies’ features later in the carnival. Stay up to date with the latest Ethereal Stakes odds 2026, market movers, field news, and expert Ethereal Stakes betting 2026 tips at Ladbrokes as the next generation of staying talent competes for black-type success and a place among the spring’s leading three-year-old fillies.
2026 Ethereal Stakes Results
The full Ethereal Stakes 2026 Results & Finishing Order will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
- #4 Quick Finish
- #5 Your Colour
- #9 Refuse To Curtsy
The 2026 Ethereal Stakes results saw emerging filly Quick Finish ($15) stamp herself as a leading VRC Oaks contender with a brave front-running victory in the Group 3 2000m feature at Caulfield on Saturday. The Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained daughter of Grunt continued her meteoric rise from Ballarat Synthetic maiden company, with Jye McNeil controlling the race from the front before holding off a fast-finishing Your Colour by half a length, while Refuse To Curtsy was another half-length away in third. The performance confirmed Quick Finish’s staying credentials ahead of Flemington’s 2500m Oaks, with the filly now winning three of her four starts and firming sharply from $26 into $9 in VRC Oaks 2026 betting at Ladbrokes. The Oaks market was also heavily influenced by the race, with runner-up Your Colour shortening from $15 to $6 and third-placed Refuse To Curtsy improving from $34 to $11, further strengthening the Ethereal Stakes’ reputation as one of the premier lead-up races to the spring fillies’ classic.
2026 Ethereal Stakes Race Replay
2026 Ethereal Stakes Odds & Finishing Order
The season’s latest Ethereal Stakes 2026 odds and links to our Ethereal Stakes betting markets will be available below the week of the race so stay tuned for the best prices on the VRC Oaks-bound fillies this Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival followed by the official finishing order after the event.
| 4. Quick Finish (6) 56kg511 | |||
| 5. Your Colour (11) 56kgx4013 | |||
| 9. Refuse To Curtsy (7) 56kg70×41 | |||
| 10. Tharwa (12) 56kg432 | |||
| 8. Fringilla (3) 56kg621 | |||
| 7. Autumn In Grinzing (4) 56kg9×174 | |||
| 1. Voynichese (5) 57kg17×87 | |||
| 6. Notified (10) 56kg51248 | |||
| 11. Shameful Impulse (9) 56kg513 | |||
| 14. Levate (14) 56kg7×52 | |||
| 2. Miss Waititi (2) 57kg6×31 | |||
| 13. Abaya (1) 56kg347 | |||
| 3. Leopard Shark (8) 56kgx2886 | |||
| 12. Oceans Fouroseven (13) 56kg519 | |||
| 15. Tears Of Happiness (9)SCRATCHED: | |||
Ethereal Stakes Tips
Good Ethereal Stakes tips include looking for fillies coming off a top three run in Group company, runners with winning form over the mile distance and any past Group 1 or 2 performers down in grade on their way to the VRC Oaks.
Ladbrokes Tip: The Ethereal Stakes serves as a key lead-up for fillies into the VRC Oaks field
2026 Ethereal Stakes Predictions & Best Bets
Our Ladbrokes’ insider Ethereal Stakes 2026 betting tips will be detailed below the week of the race so bookmark this page for the fillies to back and sack in the Caulfield Cup Day support act this season.
| 2. Miss Waititi (2) 57kg6×31 |
| 8. Fringilla (3) 56kg621 |
| 4. Quick Finish (6) 56kg511 |
The Ethereal Stakes is a Group 3 support race on the Caulfield Cup Day card at Caulfield Racecourse in mid-late October each Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
The meeting is headlined by the Group 1 $6.5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) and the Group 1 $1.5 million Thousand Guineas (1600m) and also features a host of other Group status support races including the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes, Group 2 Caulfield Sprint, Group 3 Caulfield Classic, Group 3 Moonga Stakes, and the Ethereal Stakes.
Run at set weights plus penalties, the Ethereal Stakes is open only to three-year-old fillies and offers $240,000 in prize money.
The Ethereal Stakes makes a nice lead-up into the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) held at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Set Square (2014) and Pinot (2017) are the only fillies to complete the Ethereal Stakes – VRC Oaks double.
It also serves as a guide to the following year’s Group 1 Australian Oaks in the autumn. Autumn Angel (2023/24) was the last Ethereal Stakes – ATC Oaks double winner as a three-year-old.
Ethereal Stakes Race Info
- Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
- Track: Caulfield Racecourse
- Distance: 2000m
- Conditions: 3YO Fillies – Set Weights + Penalties
- Status: Group 3
- Prize Money: $240,000
- First Run: 2000
Ethereal Stakes Betting
Ethereal Stakes betting odds are led each season by quality fillies with proven Melbourne form, ability over 2000m plus and those coming off a run in a lead-up race like the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m).
Too Darn Discreet (2024) was the last filly to complete the Edward Manifold Stakes – Ethereal Stakes double.
Spicy Lu (8th in 2025) was the last Ethereal Stakes winning filly to come via a run in the Edward Manifold Stakes.
Too Darn Discreet ($3.90 in 2024) was the last favourite in Ethereal Stakes betting to win.
Ethereal Stakes Field
The Ethereal Stakes race field attracts a collection of the season’s top staying fillies many eyeing a Group 1 VRC Oaks (formerly known as the Crown Oaks) run over further on the first Thursday of November.
Many fillies out of the Ethereal Stakes field may back-up in the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) on Derby Day looking to gain an Oaks run just a few days later.
The Ethereal Stakes final field is announced the Wednesday of race week following the nominations taken the Monday leading-up to Caulfield Cup Day.
2026 Ethereal Stakes Final Field
The official Ethereal Stakes 2026 Final Field & Barriers will be released on the Wednesday of race week and detailed in full below so stay tuned to see what fillies line-up in the Oaks lead-up.
The 2026 Ethereal Stakes final field features a quality line-up of VRC Oaks types led in betting by the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained Miss Waititi coming off a big Listed Super Impose win in the wet over the boys at Flemington.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Voynichese
J: Lachlan Neindorf
T: Nick Olive |
117×87 | F | 5 | 57kg | |
|
2. Miss Waititi
J: Craig Williams
T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
6×31 | F | 2 | 57kg | |
|
3. Leopard Shark
J: Rachel King
T: Clayton Douglas |
8×2886 | F | 8 | 56kg | |
|
4. Quick Finish
J: Jye Mcneil
T: Tony & Calvin Mcevoy |
511 | F | 6 | 56kg | |
|
5. Your Colour
J: Blake Shinn
T: Chris Waller |
6×4013 | F | 11 | 56kg | |
|
6. Notified
J: Jordan Childs
T: Archie Alexander |
51248 | F | 10 | 56kg | |
|
7. Autumn In Grinzing
J: Mark Zahra
T: Danny O’brien |
9×174 | F | 4 | 56kg | |
|
8. Fringilla
J: Ethan Brown
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
621 | F | 3 | 56kg | |
|
9. Refuse To Curtsy
J: John Allen
T: Thomas Carberry |
70×41 | F | 7 | 56kg | |
|
10. Tharwa
J: Damian Lane
T: Chris Waller |
432 | F | 12 | 56kg | |
|
11. Shameful Impulse
J: William Pike
T: Rob Blacker |
513 | F | 9 | 56kg | |
|
12. Oceans Fouroseven
J: Harry Coffey
T: L & T Corstens & W Larkin |
519 | F | 13 | 56kg | |
|
13. Abaya
J: Michael Dee
T: Anthony & Sam Freedman |
347 | F | 1 | 56kg | |
|
14. Levate
J: Jamie Spencer
T: Ciaron Maher |
7×52 | F | 14 | 56kg | |
| 15. Tears Of Happiness (9) Scratched: | |||||
2026 Ethereal Stakes Nominations
The Ethereal Stakes 2026 Nominations are first taken on the Monday leading-up to Caulfield Cup week and the full list of early entries will be available below once released.
Ethereal Stakes Form Guide
The Ethereal Stakes form guide gives punters all the crucial information from trainers, jockeys and barriers to the lead-up runs and track / distance records of the fillies in the race.
The Ethereal Stakes form has gone on to stack up in better races many times including the 2018 winner Verry Elleegant continuing on to salute in many Group 1 races over her career including the 2020 Caulfield Cup.
The Ethereal Stakes form from 2021 was franked with the second placed Glint Of Hope continuing on to win Adelaide’s Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) in the autumn of 2022. The third-placed Biscayne Bay meanwhile also finished third in the VRC Oaks trifecta that spring.
The Ethereal Stakes 2023 form was also franked when third Pavitra improved on her third place finish to run second the Wakeful Stakes and VRC Oaks that spring, before returning in 2023 to finish runner-up in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.
The Ethereal Stakes third placegetter from 2024, Femminile, franked the form going on to win the Group 1 SA Derby the following May.
In 2025, After Summer ran third in both the Ethereal and VRC Oaks trifectas. She further franked the form the following autumn placing in more Group 1 features for fillies when 2nd in Sydney’s Vinery Stud Stakes and 3rd in the 2026 ATC Oaks results.
2026 Ethereal Stakes Form Guide
A link to our comprehensive Ethereal Stakes 2026 Form Guide will be available for punters the week of the race.
Past Ethereal Stakes Results
The Ethereal Stakes race results are confirmed on Caulfield Cup Day and detail the Ethereal Stakes winning filly, margin and time along with the placegetters in the Ethereal Stakes trifecta.
Notable recent Ethereal Stakes winners include Alzora (2012), Set Square (2014), Pinot (2017), and subsequent superstar mare Verry Elleegant (2018).
Recent Ethereal Stakes Winners
Recent Ethereal Stakes winners dating back to the year 2010 are detailed in the below table.
| Year | Winner | Trainer/s | Jockey | Weight | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Quick Finish | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Jye McNeil | 57 kgs | 2:03.39 |
| 2025 | Spicy Lu | Nick Olive | Nash Rawiller | 57 kgs | 2:05.10 |
| 2024 | Too Darn Discreet | Dan O’Sullivan | Michael Dee | 58 kgs | 2:07.84 |
| 2023 | Autumn Angel | Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman | Billy Egan | 56 kgs | 2:03.43 |
| 2022 | Renaissance Woman | Bjorn Baker | Joshua Parr | 56 kgs | 2:07.43 |
| 2021 | Daisies | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Damian Lane | 56 kgs | 2:06.47 |
| 2020 | Chica Fuerte | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Ben Melham | 56 kgs | 2:07.20 |
| 2019 | Gamay | Archie Alexander | Declan Bates | 55 kgs | 2:04.42 |
| 2018 | Verry Elleegant | Darren Weir | John Allen | 55 kgs | 2:05.56 |
| 2017 | Pinot | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Stephen Baster | 55 kgs | 2:02.71 |
| 2016 | Eleonora | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Damien Oliver | 55 kgs | 2:05.31 |
| 2015 | Dawnie Perfect | Clarry Conners | Jim Cassidy | 55 kgs | 2:02.79 |
| 2014 | Set Square | Ciaron Maher | Nicholas Hall | 55 kgs | 2:04.54 |
| 2013 | Arabian Gold | David Vandyke | Peter Robl | 55 kgs | 2:04.15 |
| 2012 | Alzora | David Hayes | Nicholas Hall | 55 kgs | 2:04.98 |
| 2011 | Gliding | Bart Cummings | Darren Beadman | 55 kgs | 2:04.54 |
| 2010 | Dizlago | Lee Freedman | Nicholas Hall | 54.5 kgs | 2:08.44 |