Ladbrokes Tip: The Fred Best Classic now serves as a potential Stradbroke lead-up each year
2026 Fred Best Classic Odds
The season’s official Fred Best Classic 2026 betting odds will be available on the hopeful three-year-olds right here the week of the race so stay tuned for access to the best Brisbane racing odds on the potential Stradbroke Handicap-bound youngsters.
Fred Best Classic Tips
Fred Best Classic tips include looking for youngsters coming off a win in a similar class race like the Gold Coast Guineas or Queensland Guineas in Brisbane or a Sydney equivalent and to back runners with winning form at least up to 1200m.
2026 Fred Best Classic Tips
Our Ladbrokes’ insider Fred Best Classic 2026 betting tips with the three-year-old gallopers to back and sack this winter will be detailed below a day or so out from the race so stay tuned.
The Group 3 Fred Best Classic is a feature race for middle-distance three-year-olds taking place Eagle Farm Racecourse (moved to Doomben in 2025) in late May or early June each Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival on the new-look Kingsford Smith Cup Day.
Held on the same day as the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m), which was formerly known as the BTC Cup, the 1400m contest is run at set weights and now serves as a potential lead-up to the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) back at the track and distance a fortnight later.
La Montagna (2006) was the last horse to do the Fred Best Classic – Stradbroke Handicap race double.
As of 2023 the Fred Best Classic offers a generous $300,000 in total prize money and is also now a likely aim for three-year-old graduates out of the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) held earlier during the carnival.
The 2021 Fred Best Classic winner Apache Chase improved on a lead-up second in the Queensland Guineas to win the event.
The next edition of the Fred Best Classic takes place on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at Eagle Farm in Brisbane as a potential Stradbroke Handicap race lead-up.
Fred Best Classic Race Info
- Date: Saturday, May 30, 2026
- Track: Eagle Farm Racecourse
- Distance: 1400m
- Conditions: 3YOs – Set Weights
- Status: Group 3
- Prize Money: $300,000
- First Run: 1984
2026 Fred Best Classic Results
The official Fred Best Classic results & finishing order for the 2026 edition of the race will be published here as soon as the race takes place on Saturday, May 30, 2026.
Fred Best Classic 2026 Race Day Schedule
There are nine races on the Fred Best Classic Day Card, including the Group 1 Queensland Derby and Kingsford Smith Cup.
| Race Name | Number | Time | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drinkwise BM85 | 1 | 11:43 am | 1400m |
| Kilcoy Global Foods BM85 | 2 | 12:18 pm | 1000m |
| Living Turf Premier’s Cup | 3 | 12:53 pm | 2400m |
| The Straight Sires’ Produce | 4 | 1:28 pm | 1400m |
| Lord Mayor’s Cup | 5 | 2:03 pm | 1800m |
| Fred Best Classic | 6 | 2:38 pm | 1400m |
| Sky Racing Queensland Derby | 7 | 3:13 pm | 2400m |
| Ladbrokes Kingsford Smith Cup | 8 | 3:52 pm | 1300m |
| Magic Millions Helen Coughlan Stakes | 9 | 4:28 pm | 1200m |
Fred Best Classic 2026 Date & Race Time
The 2026 Fred Best Classic is run at 2:38 pm on Saturday, May 30. It’s the sixth race on the card at Eagle Farm, and the precursor to the two Group 1 features of the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Fred Best Classic Prize Money Breakdown
The Fred Best Classic 2026 runs for a total prize pool of $300,000, with $174,000 going to the winner. Places are paid down to 10th.
| Position | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $174,000 |
| 2nd | $55,500 |
| 3rd | $28,500 |
| 4th | $15,000 |
| 5th | $8,250 |
| 6th-10th | $3,750 |
Fred Best Classic Barrier Draw 2026
The 2025 Fred Best Classic final field and barriers are announced on Wednesday, May 27. The barrier draw is important for the 1400m race, and bookmakers suspend betting on the morning of the draw.
The final field, draw, and odds are released between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm on the Wednesday before the race. Betting markets are heavily dependent on barrier draws, so the odds can move significantly post-draw.
Fred Best Classic Final Field & Barriers
| 15. Regal Award (14) J: Lachlan Neindorf 57kg 2×735T: Phillip Stokes | ||
| 4. Skyhook (18) J: Josh Parr 57kg 5×461T: Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | ||
| 17. Within The Law (11) J: Tommy Berry 55kg 97x5xT: Bjorn Baker | ||
| 5. Brave Monarch (4) J: Martin Harley 57kg 1×411T: Chris & Corey Munce | ||
| 2. Sixties (13) J: Jamie Melham 57kg 11318T: Chris Waller | ||
| 19. Platinum Pantheon (10) J: Mark Du Plessis 57kg 12126T: Lisa Latta | ||
| 7. Estremo (5) J: James McDonald 57kg 3×551T: Chris Waller | ||
| 6. Wodeton (16) J: Kerrin Mcevoy 57kg x305xT: Chris Waller | ||
| 13. Burma Star (2) J: Ryan Maloney 57kg x2524T: Chris Waller | ||
| 18. Artistic Venture (7) J: Ben Thompson 55kg x8x85T: Tom Charlton | ||
| 1. Grafterburners (15) J: Adam Hyeronimus 57kg 11×30T: Kelly Schweida | ||
| 3. Beadman (6) J: Mark Zahra 57kg 16815T: Peter Snowden | ||
| 8. Navy Pilot (1) J: Ben Melham 57kg 160×1T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 11. Call Da Vinci (12) J: Kyle Wilson-Taylor 57kg 6×223T: Bevan Laming | ||
| 20. Wootton Lass (3) J: Tom Sherry 55kg 38435T: Annabel & Rob Archibald | ||
| 9. Fabulantes (8) J: Brad Rawiller 57kg 11152T: Robert Heathcote | ||
| 14. Skyglider (17) J: Tim Clark 57kg 19×45T: Chris Waller | ||
| 12. Hillier (9) J: Nash Rawiller 57kg 435×1T: Annabel & Rob Archibald |
Fred Best Classic Barrier Statistics
Barriers are important for the Fred Best Classic, but winners have come from everywhere recently.
Spicy Martini won in 2025 from barrier 5, but Roll on High won in 2024 from out wide in barrier 13. It all depends on the speed of the race, as runners can ping from a wide barrier and settle on the speed.
Winners in 2023 and 2022 both came from barrier nine, and Niccanova won from barrier 17 in 2017, which followed Counterattack’s win from barrier 15 in 2016.
Barriers 3-6 are best for the Fred Best Classic, and the favourite for the 2026 edition has drawn well.
Fred Best Classic Betting
Fred Best Classic betting markets favour three-year-olds with proven ability in Group races in either Brisbane or Sydney.
Previous Group winners, those with form over at least 1200m and the best out of a lead-up race like the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) earlier in the season all head the markets. Apache Chase (2nd in 2021) was the last horse to back-up out of the Queensland Guineas and win the Fred Best Classic.
The Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) is another good lead-up into the Fred Best Classic.
Roll On High (7th in 2024) and Spicy Martini (9th in 2025) are the latest Gold Coast Guineas graduates to continue on and win the Fred Best Classic.
Dawn Passage ($2.15 in 2020) was the last favourite in Fred Best Classic betting to win, while in 2021 the odds-on favourite Ayrton ($1.50) ran second in an upset to 10/1 shot Apache Chase.
Ayrton atoned winning the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1600m) next start.
In 2022 the Fred Best Classic winner Vilana for Godolphin came via a lead-up fifth in Sydney’s Group 3 Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m).
Hawaii Five Oh (2023) was the last horse to complete the Hawkesbury Guineas – Fred Best Classic double.
There was a notable upset in 2024 with Roll On High winning at Fred Best Classic odds of $16, and again in 2025 with Spicy Martini ($10).
Fred Best Classic Field
The Fred Best Classic race field features a line-up of the best performing three-year-olds of the season from local and interstate stables.
Runners come via a number of different lead-up races including the Group 2 Queensland Guineas, which was previously held after the race before a reschedule to the line-up in 2021.
An earlier lead-up into the Fred Best Classic field taking place in late April in New South Wales is the Group 3 Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m).
Military Zone (2019), Dawn Passage (2020) and Hawaii Five Oh (2023) are the last horses to complete the Hawkesbury Guineas – Fred Best Classic double, while in 2022 Vilana improved on a fifth in the Hawkesbury Guineas to win the Fred Best.
Fred Best Classic nominations close on the Monday of race week with final acceptances announced on the Wednesday.
2026 Fred Best Classic Field
The official Fred Best Classic 2026 final field & barriers will be provided below as soon as acceptances are taken by Queensland Racing on the Wednesday leading-up to Kingsford Smith Cup Day so bookmark this page to see what youngsters make the cut for the set weights clash.
2026 Fred Best Classic Nominations
The early Fred Best Classic 2026 nominations are taken on the Wednesday of race week.
Fred Best Classic Form Guide
The Fred Best Classic form guide features all the crucial race information like the saddlecloth numbers, jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs of the runners in the field. Looking for Queensland Guineas graduates on the form is important, as is seeking out the well-performing Sydney raiders heading to Brisbane.
The Fred Best Classic form, since the race was moved from Doomben Cup Day to Kingsford Smith Cup Day, is expected to stack-up in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).
It is key to look for the in-form interstate runners – especially any from the three-time winning stables of Peter Snowden – on the Fred Best Classic form guide.
The 2022 Fred Best Classic winner Vilana franked the form going on to win two million-dollar races in New South Wales that spring when completing the Silver Eagle – The Hunter race double.
The Fred Best Classic race form was franked in 2023 with the winner, Hawaii Five Oh, finishing a next-up third in the Stradbroke Handicap results. He also contested that year’s $20 million The Everest in the spring in Sydney running a credible sixth.
In 2023 the Fred Best Classic winner Hawaii Five Oh ran a next-up third in that year’s Stradbroke Handicap trifecta.
The 2024 Fred Best Classic produced that year’s Stradbroke Handicap winner with the filly Stefi Magnetica winning the Group 1 on the back of a lead-up Fred Best third. She also won the following year’s Doncaster Mile in Sydney.
2026 Fred Best Classic Form Guide
Stay tuned for a link to our comprehensive Fred Best Classic 2026 race form guide, available following final declarations the week leading up to Kingsford Smith Cup Day.
Past Fred Best Classic Results
Fred Best Classic race results in recent years show a dominance by successful interstate raiders from Sydney.
Some of the more notable Fred Best Classic winners since the race was inaugurated in 1984 include Chief De Beers (1995), Gold Edition (2007), Mental (2012), and Military Zone (2019).
Roll On High (2024) was the last Fred Best Classic winning filly.
The 2025 Fred Best Classic was moved from Eagle Farm to Doomben and takes place midweek on a Wednesday after the original meeting was washed out.
Recent Fred Best Classic Winners
Recent Fred Best Classic winners and placegetters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.
| Year | Winner | Trainer/s | Jockey | Weight | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2025 (Run at Doomben) | Spicy Martini | Toby Edmonds & Stephen McLean | Craig Williams | 55kg | 1:20.95 (over 1350m) |
| 2024 | Roll On High | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | Vlad Duric | 55kg | 1:24.69 |
| 2023 | Hawaii Five Oh | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Nash Rawiller | 57kg | 1:22.82 |
| 2022 | Vilana | James Cummings | Sam Clipperton | 57kg | 1:22.43 |
| 2021 | Apache Chase | Desleigh Forster | Jim Byrne | 57kg | 1:20.06 |
| 2020 | Dawn Passage | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Brad Stewart | 57kg | 1:18.83 (over 1350m) |
| 2019 | Military Zone | Peter & Paul Snowden | James McDonald | 57kg | 1:22.06 |
| 2018 | Perast | Paul Perry | Tim Clark | 57kg | 1:19.70 |
| 2017 | Niccanova | Steve Tregea | James Orman | 57kg | 1:26.59 |
| 2016 | Counterattack | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 57kg | 1:18.86 |
| 2015 | Najoom | Gai Waterhouse | Tommy Berry | 55kg | 1:19.00 |
| 2014 | Havana | Paul Messara | Luke Nolen | 57kg | 1:19.23 |
| 2013 | Platinum Kingdom | Lisa Latta | Jonathan Riddell | 57kg | 1:19.81 |
| 2012 | Mental | Peter Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 57kg | 1:19.36 |
| 2011 | Falino | Jeffrey Caught | Tim Clark | 56kg | 1:18.82 |
| 2010 | Stryker | Chris Waller | Jim Cassidy | 56kg | 1:19.14 |
| 2009 | Court | Clarry Conners | Damien Oliver | 54kg | 1:19.42 |
| 2008 | El Cambio | Peter Snowden | Corey Brown | 56.5kg | 1:19.25 |
| 2007 | Gold Edition | Ron Maund | Jim Cassidy | 54kg | 1:17.52 |
| 2006 | La Montagna | Barry Baldwin | Scott Galloway | 52.5kg | 1:18.57 |
| 2005 | Gumnuts | Bryan Guy | Jim Byrne | 55.5kg | 1:18.84 |
| 2004 | Gallieni | Gerald Ryan | Brad Pengelly | 55.5kg | 1:18.18 |
| 2003 | Proudly Agro | Barry Bowditch | Lacey Morrison | 55.5kg | 1:18.91 |
| 2002 | Tellson | Rex Lipp | Stathi Katsidis | 55.5kg | 1:17.87 |
| 2001 | Marlina | Clarry Conners | Leanne G Henry | 52.5kg | 1:19.21 |
| 2000 | Cryptavia | Russell Cameron | Jim Byrne | 52.5kg | 1:20.79 |
FAQ
When is the Fred Best Classic 2026?
Saturday, May 30, 2026What is the prize money for the Fred Best Classic 2026?
$300,000
Where is the Fred Best Classic 2026?
Eagle Farm Racecourse, 230 Lancaster Road, Ascot, QLD 4007.
How do I bet on the 2026 Fred Best Classic?
Bet online or via the latest iOS/Android app 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 Fred Best Classic?
The best way to pick which horse will win the Fred Best Classic 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.