The 2026 Five Diamonds Prelude ran on Saturday, October 24, 2026 at Randwick on Spring Champion Stakes Day and was won by Chris Waller’s progressive mare Declichy Boulevard ($3.20) who continued her good Randwick strike-rate.
The Five Diamonds Prelude 2026 is a crucial stepping-stone on the road to one of Australia’s richest races for five-year-olds, giving punters an early look at the emerging talent vying for a coveted spot in the lucrative Five Diamonds feature. Run during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival, the Prelude regularly attracts a competitive mix of progressive gallopers, rising stars, and proven black-type performers looking to enhance their credentials and build momentum towards bigger targets. With many runners still on the rise, the race often produces significant market movements and outstanding betting opportunities, making the Five Diamonds Prelude betting 2026 markets particularly appealing for form students and value hunters alike. Whether you’re searching for the latest Five Diamonds Prelude odds 2026, tracking market movers, or identifying the next five-year-old star ready to make the leap to elite company, Ladbrokes has all the odds, betting updates, field information, and expert insights you need for this important spring lead-up race.
2026 Five Diamonds Prelude Results
The official Five Diamonds Prelude 2026 Results & Finishing Order will be provided below once the race is run and won on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
- #12 Declichy Boulevard
- #1 Linebacker
- #7 Welcometotheshow
The 2026 Five Diamonds Prelude results saw the talented Declichy Boulevard ($3.20) continue her strong spring form, with the Chris Waller-trained mare producing a powerful finishing burst under Tommy Berry to defeat Linebacker by a long neck over 1500m at Randwick. Settling off a genuine early tempo, the daughter of Snitzel enjoyed a soft run before unleashing her trademark turn of foot to score in 1:27.47, with Welcometotheshow another 1½ lengths away in third. The victory was her fourth from 16 starts and further underlined her consistency at black-type level, while connections indicated the mare is now perfectly placed to step up to 1800m for the $2 million Five Diamonds at Rosehill on November 7, where her strong finishing style and affinity for Sydney racing are expected to be major assets.
2026 Five Diamonds Prelude Race Replay
2026 Five Diamonds Prelude Odds & Finishing Order
The season’s top Five Diamonds Prelude 2026 odds and betting market links will be available below as soon as open followed by the official finishing order after the event.
| 12. Declichy Boulevard (6) 54kg5×310 | |||
| 1. Linebacker (2) 59.5kg30×43 | |||
| 7. Welcometotheshow (4) 56kgx2613 | |||
| 9. Harry’s Yacht (9) 56kg4×545 | |||
| 8. Brave One (11) 56kg19×06 | |||
| 11. Just Party (5) 56kg5×158 | |||
| 2. Evaporate (7) 58.5kgx3190 | |||
| 4. Depth Of Character (8) 58.5kg5088x | |||
| 3. Cristal Clear (1) 58.5kg1030x | |||
| 5. Athanatos (10) 57.5kg11×68 | |||
| 6. Imperialist (3) 57.5kg670×0 | |||
| 10. Lord Penman (9)SCRATCHED: | |||
Five Diamonds Prelude Tips
Top Five Diamonds Prelude tips include looking for proven five-year-old horses, runners with a good Randwick track record and any standout middle-distance types down in grade off a lead-up Group 1 run earlier during the carnival.
2026 Five Diamonds Prelude Predictions & Best Bets
Our Ladbrokes’ insider Five Diamonds Prelude 2026 betting tips and Randwick racing selections will be detailed below the week of the race so bookmark this page for the five-year-olds to back and sack in the million-dollar showdown.
| 12. Declichy Boulevard (6) 54kg5×310 |
| 1. Linebacker (2) 59.5kg30×43 |
| 9. Harry’s Yacht (9) 56kg4×545 |
The Five Diamonds Prelude is race for five-year-olds eyeing a run in the $2 million Five Diamonds (1800m) each spring in Sydney on the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup.
Since 2024 the Five Diamonds Prelude has run on Spring Champion Stakes Day at Randwick in late October on the same date as Melbourne’s Ladbrokes Cox Plate.
The meeting is headlined by the Group 1 $2 million Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) for VRC Derby hopes, the Group 2 $2 million The Invitation (1400m), and the Group 3 $1 million Callander-Presnell (1600m) and the Group 2 $750,000 Craven Plate (1800m).
A lucrative feature race in its own right, the Five Diamonds Prelude offers $1 million in prize money and is contested over 1500m at set weights plus penalties.
It officially gained Listed status in 2024 before being demoted to non-Black-Type status again in 2026.
The Five Diamonds Prelude winner is exempt from ballot for The Five Diamonds field.
In 2022 Ellsberg became the inaugural winner of both the Five Diamonds Prelude and Five Diamonds races when completing the double.
In 2023 the Five Diamonds Prelude runner-up Detonator Jack ran third next start in the Five Diamonds trifecta before a win in the $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange. The 2025 Prelude winner, Transatlantic, went on to run a next-up second in the Five Diamonds race.
Five Diamonds Prelude Race Info
- Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
- Track: Randwick Racecourse
- Distance: 1500m
- Conditions: Five-year-olds; Set Weights with Penalties
- Status: Non-Black-Type
- Prize Money: $1,000,000
- First Run: 2022
Five Diamonds Prelude Betting
Five Diamonds Prelude betting markets are led by the season’s best performing five-year-old, middle-distance horses eyeing a run in the upcoming $2 million The Five Diamonds (1800m) race.
Ellsberg (2022) completed the Five Diamonds Prelude – Five Diamonds race double when both events were contested for the first time.
Runners with a proven record at the Randwick track and a strong strike-rate in races around a mile are installed at shorter Five Diamonds Prelude odds.
Also found higher up the Five Diamonds Prelude betting odds are last start winners and proven Group 1 horses.
Ellsberg ($2.80F) won the inaugural Five Diamonds Prelude as the short-priced favourite in betting.
There was a notable upset in the second edition of the event with Palmetto saluting at Five Diamonds Prelude odds of $21.
The third edition was won by Iknowastar who jumped at Five Diamonds Prelude odds of $8.50.
Transatlantic ($2.25 in 2025) was the last Five Diamonds Prelude favourite to win.
Five Diamonds Prelude Field
The Five Diamonds race field features a quality line-up of five-year-old horses on the Five Diamonds race path.
The best out of the Five Diamonds Prelude field will continue onto the Five Diamonds at Rosehill on the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup in early November.
The Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) serves as a potential lead-up into the Five Diamonds Prelude field and in 2022 Ellsberg completed the double.
Declichy Boulevard (12th in 2026) was the last Epsom graduate to go on and win the Five Diamonds Prelude.
The second Five Diamond Prelude winner Palmetto came off a lead-up sixth in the $1.5 million Alan Brown Stakes (1400m).
The Alan Brown Stakes also produced the 2024 Five Diamonds Prelude winner with Iknowastar improving on a lead-up fifth.
In 2025 the Five Diamonds Prelude champion Transatlantic came via a lead-up Group 1 Toorak Handicap win over the mile at Caulfield.
The Five Diamonds Prelude final acceptances are released on the Wednesday of race week following the early nominations taken the Monday leading-up to race day.
2026 Five Diamonds Prelude Field
The official Five Diamonds Prelude 2026 field and barriers will be published in full below once final acceptances are taken by Racing NSW on the Wednesday of race week.
The 2026 Five Diamond Prelude final field features a class field of five-year-olds including the Chris Waller-trained favourite Declichy Boulevard looking to atone for her 12th in the Epsom Handicap last start and consistent Super Seth gelding Linebacker last seen running third in the $1.5 million Alan Brown only a length beaten.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Linebacker
J: Zac Lloyd
T: John O’shea & Tom Charlton |
630×43 | G | 2 | 59.5kg | |
|
2. Evaporate
J: Nash Rawiller
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
9×3190 | G | 7 | 58.5kg | |
|
3. Cristal Clear
J: Braith Nock
T: Annabel & Rob Archibald |
x1030x | G | 1 | 58.5kg | |
|
4. Depth Of Character
J: Tom Sherry
T: Annabel & Rob Archibald |
45088x | G | 8 | 58.5kg | |
|
5. Athanatos
J: Kerrin Mcevoy
T: Phillip & Tommy Stokes |
511×68 | G | 10 | 57.5kg | |
|
6. Imperialist
J: Tim Clark
T: Chris Waller |
x670x0 | G | 3 | 57.5kg | |
|
7. Welcometotheshow
J: Ashley Morgan
T: Tyler Donaldson-Aitken |
9×2613 | H | 4 | 56kg | |
|
8. Brave One
J: Dylan Gibbons
T: M, W & J Hawkes |
919×06 | G | 11 | 56kg | |
|
9. Harry’s Yacht
J: Regan Bayliss
T: L & T Corstens & W Larkin |
34×545 | G | 9 | 56kg | |
| 10. Lord Penman (9) Scratched: | |||||
|
11. Just Party
J: Jason Collett
T: Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou |
35×158 | G | 5 | 56kg | |
|
12. Declichy Boulevard
J: Tommy Berry
T: Chris Waller |
15×310 | M | 6 | 54kg | |
2026 Five Diamonds Prelude Nominations
The early Five Diamonds Prelude 2026 Nominations are taken the Monday prior to the race.
Five Diamonds Prelude Form Guide
The Five Diamonds Prelude form guide features all the info punters need to place a well-informed wager on the 1500m showdown including the saddlecloth number, barrier, trainer and jockey of all the runners in the field.
The 2022 Five Diamonds Prelude form was franked with Ellsberg going on to win the Five Diamonds at his next start. The form was further franked by the runner-up Sibaaq who raced next-up on Melbourne Cup Day in Sydney’s now $3 million The Big Dance finishing third before a second in the Five Diamonds trifecta.
2026 Five Diamonds Prelude Form Guide
A link to our comprehensive Five Diamonds Prelude 2026 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.
Past Five Diamonds Prelude Results
The Five Diamonds Prelude race results and finishing order are announced once the Sydney feature runs on the same day Melbourne hosts its Cox Plate Day card.
As well as the Five Diamonds Prelude winner, successful trifecta and first four you can also see the starting price and margin of all the runners as well as any scratched horses.
Iknowastar (2024) holds the Five Diamonds Prelude race record winning in a slick 1 minutes 27.30 seconds.
Declichy Boulvard (2026) was the last Five Diamonds Prelude winning mare.
Five Diamonds Prelude Winners
The Five Diamonds Prelude winners starting with the inaugural race in 2022 are listed below.
| YEAR | WINNER | 2ND | 3RD | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Declichy Boulevard | Linebacker | Welcometotheshow | 1:27.47 |
| 2025 | Transatlantic | General Salute | The Inflictor | 1:29.98 |
| 2024 | Iknowastar | Territory Express | Freedom Rally | 1:27.30 (R) |
| 2023 | Palmetto | Detonator Jack | Waterford | 1:29.13 |
| 2022 | Ellsberg | Sibaaq | Rebel Rama | 1:30.58 |