The latest edition of the JRA Cup ran on Sunday, September 27, 2026 at Caulfield Racecourse on Manikato Stakes Day as a key Spring Cups lead-up and was won in a commanding performance by Ciaron Maher’s equal favourite Royal Supremacy ($4.80EF).
The JRA Cup 2026 shapes as a pivotal early spring staying contest in 2026, shifting to Caulfield Racecourse on Sunday while Moonee Valley undergoes redevelopment. Run over 2000m, the race consistently attracts emerging stayers and seasoned middle‑distance types looking to build momentum toward bigger Group 1 targets later in the carnival. For punters, the JRA Cup offers a valuable read on horses ready to elevate in trip, those thriving third‑up or fourth‑up, and runners capable of handling Caulfield’s tighter turns and tactical racing style. With futures markets heating up and spring form lines taking shape, the JRA Cup delivers strong betting opportunities and a crucial guide to the staying ranks heading deeper into the carnival.
2026 JRA Cup Results
The official JRA Cup 2026 race results and finishing order will be provided below once the race takes place on Saturday October 25, 2025.
- #1 Royal Supremacy
- #2 Future History
- #10 See That Storm
The 2026 JRA Cup winner Royal Supremacy ($4.80EF) surged into Caulfield Cup calculations with a tough victory in the Group 3 staying feature over 2000m at Caulfield, the Ciaron Maher-trained import carrying the 60kg topweight to score by three-quarters of a length over the 2024 champ Future History ($11), with See That Storm ($4.80EF) another three lengths away in third. A previous Group 1 The Metropolitan winner, Royal Supremacy showcased his staying credentials with another polished performance under Mark Zahra and now looks set to head towards the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 17. The win prompted a major move in futures markets, with Ladbrokes slashing his Caulfield Cup odds from $26 into $9, further strengthening Maher’s stranglehold on the race. The leading trainer now holds the top three positions in all-in Caulfield Cup betting, headed by Naturalism Stakes winner Zahrann ($5 favourite) and Naturalism runner-up Saint George ($8 second favourite), with Royal Supremacy joining his stablemates among the market leaders for this year’s opening leg of the Spring Cups double.
2026 JRA Cup Race Replay
2026 JRA Cup Odds & Finishing Order
The season’s best JRA Cup 2026 betting odds and links to our markets will be provided right here the week of the race so stay tuned for the top Melbourne racing odds this spring followed by the official finishing order after the event.
| 1. Royal Supremacy (4) 60kg331×9 | |||
| 2. Future History (1) 59.5kg436×3 | |||
| 10. See That Storm (5) 54kgx7017 | |||
| 3. Detonator Jack (8) 57kg01822 | |||
| 11. Darkbonee (11) 54kg3×210 | |||
| 6. Smokin’ Romans (2) 55.5kg23246 | |||
| 12. Autumn Mystery (12) 54kg93×06 | |||
| 8. Suntora (6) 54kg33×65 | |||
| 9. Newfoundland (10) 54kg5190x | |||
| 5. Torranzino (9) 56.5kg8215x | |||
| 4. Land Legend (13) 56.5kg729×0 | |||
| 13. Blonde Star (3) 54kg4×024 | |||
| 7. Newlook (7) 55kg574×9 | |||
| 14. Sapphire Siren (13)SCRATCHED: | |||
JRA Cup Tips
Good JRA Cup betting tips include looking for in-form staying types proven in tougher races and those with past form at the track.
Runners under double-figures in betting, those with form over the 2000m plus distance range, and any proven Group 1 performers down in grade also make a good JRA Cup tip.
Another key JRA Cup tip is to look for the in-form six-year-olds in the race as all four JRA Cup winners from 2019-2022 were six-year-olds. Royal Supremacy (2026) was the last six-year-old JRA Cup winner.
Ladbrokes Tip: The JRA Cup is a potential lead-up into the Melbourne Cup each spring
2026 JRA Cup Predictions & Best Bets
Our Ladbrokes’ insider JRA Cup tips and Melbourne Group 3 betting selections will be detailed below the week of the race so bookmark this page for the runners to get behind in the race this spring.
| 11. Darkbonee (11) 54kg3×210 |
| 2. Future History (1) 59.5kg436×3 |
| 5. Torranzino (9) 56.5kg8215x |
The JRA Cup is a Group 3 race currently previously contested on Cox Plate Day at The Valley on a Saturday late October during the annual Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival before shifting forward to join the Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes Day card at Caulfield in 2026 with Moonee Valley closed for redevelopment.
It now runs on the same program as the Group 1 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m), Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m), Group 2 Stocks Stakes (1600m), Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) for Cox Plate hopefuls and the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m).
The JRA Cup is a quality handicap race contested over 2000m and currently offers $200,000 in prize money.
First run in 1993, the event gained Group 3 status in 2010 and has been won by many quality horses over the years that went on to win bigger races during their careers.
Some of the better horses out of the JRA Cup race may now continue onto the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on the first Tuesday of November, and in 2025 the JRA Cup third placed Middle Earth would round out that year’s Melbourne Cup trifecta at his next start.
JRA Cup Race Facts
- Date: Saturday October 25, 2025
- Track: Moonee Valley Racecourse (Caulfield Racecourse in 2026)
- Distance: 2000m
- Conditions: Quality Handicap
- Status: Group 3
- Prize Money: $200,000
- First Run: 1993
2026 JRA CUP PREVIEW
2026 JRA CUP ODDS
JRA Cup Betting
JRA Cup betting is led by in-form staying types with winning form over at least 2000m. Horses coming off a lead-up Melbourne win or proven at the track also sit high up the JRA Cup betting odds.
Ain’tnodeeldun ($2.80 in 2023), Future History ($3.20 in 2024) and Royal Supremacy ($4.80EF in 2026) are the latest favourites in JRA Cup betting to salute for the punters.
JRA Cup Field
The JRA Cup race field attracts a quality field of staying types heading towards tougher assignments over the spring carnival.
In 2024, Future History improved on a lead-up 2nd in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) to dominate the JRA Cup results.
Now runners in the JRA Cup field are likely to target Flemington races over the Melbourne Cup Carnival including the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) or even the Melbourne Cup race itself over the two-miles.
The JRA Cup nominations close the Monday before the race runs on the Saturday, while the final field and barriers are out on the Wednesday.
2026 JRA Cup Field
The official JRA Cup 2026 Final Field & Barrier Draw will be available right here once acceptances are taken on the Wednesday of race week so stay tuned to see the list of horses set to face off in the potential Group 1 lead-up.
The 2026 JRA Cup field features a capacity line-up of stayers including the rails-drawn veteran nine-year-old Future History and last spring’s Geelong Cup winner Torranzino racing for the first time since his brave Melbourne Cup fifth.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Royal Supremacy
J: Mark Zahra
T: Ciaron Maher |
0331×9 | G | 4 | 60kg | |
|
2. Future History
J: Ben Melham
T: Gregory Hickman |
x436x3 | G | 1 | 59.5kg | |
|
3. Detonator Jack
J: John Allen
T: Ciaron Maher |
001822 | G | 8 | 57kg | |
|
4. Land Legend
J: Ethan Brown
T: Ciaron Maher |
0729×0 | G | 13 | 56.5kg | |
|
5. Torranzino
J: Celine Gaudray
T: Paul Preusker |
08215x | G | 9 | 56.5kg | |
|
6. Smokin’ Romans
J: Jabez Johnstone
T: Ciaron Maher |
023246 | G | 2 | 55.5kg | |
|
7. Newlook
J: Michael Dee
T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young |
8574×9 | G | 7 | 55kg | |
|
8. Suntora
J: Daniel Stackhouse
T: Nick Ryan |
333×65 | M | 6 | 54kg | |
|
9. Newfoundland
J: Declan Bates
T: Shane Jackson |
x5190x | G | 10 | 54kg | |
|
10. See That Storm
J: Craig Williams
T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
2×7017 | G | 5 | 54kg | |
|
11. Darkbonee
J: Jamie Melham
T: Symon Wilde |
13×210 | G | 11 | 54kg | |
|
12. Autumn Mystery
J: Teo Nugent
T: Rory Hunter |
093×06 | G | 12 | 54kg | |
|
13. Blonde Star
J: Damien Thornton
T: Imogen Miller |
14×024 | M | 3 | 54kg | |
| 14. Sapphire Siren (13) Scratched: | |||||
2026 JRA Cup Nominations
The JRA Cup Nominations for 2026 close on the Monday leading-up to the race.
JRA Cup Form Guide
The JRA Cup form guide features all the essential race information including the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs of the horses in the field.
The JRA Cup form has gone on to stack-up in better spring races many times over the years including the 2018 winner The Taj Mahal who ran fifth in that year’s Caulfield Cup results before a subsequent win in the Group 2 Zipping Classic at Sandown, a race he also won in 2017.
In 2017 the ATC Derby winner Jon Snow took out the JRA Cup before a next-up third in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m).
2026 JRA Cup Form Guide
A link to our comprehensive JRA Cup 2026 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.
Past JRA Cup Results
The JRA Cup race results have been dominated in recent years by in-form stayers at single-figures in betting.
Notable JRA Cup winners throughout history include El Segundo (2005), Maldivian (2007), Alcopop (2009), Precedence (2010), and Jon Snow (2017).
Both El Segundo and Maldivian won the Cox Plate throughout their careers in 2007 and 2008 respectively, but not in the same year as their JRA Cup victories.
Real Love (2016) was the last JRA Cup winning mare.
Secret Blaze holds the current 2040m JRA Cup race record winning in 2021 in a time of 2 minutes 04.31 seconds.
Recent JRA Cup Winners
Recent JRA Cup winners dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.
| Year | Winner | Trainer/s | Jockey | Weight | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Royal Supremacy | Ciaron Maher | Mark Zahra | 60 kgs | 2:04.36 |
| 2025 | Star Of India | Chris Waller | Jye McNeil | 54.5 kgs | 2:04.85 |
| 2024 | Future History | Ciaron Maher | Mark Zahra | 58 kgs | 2:06.68 |
| 2023 | Ain’tnodeeldun | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Billy Egan | 56.5 kgs | 2:05.22 |
| 2022 | Desert Icon | Chris Waller | Brett Prebble | 54 kgs | 2:09.17 |
| 2021 | Secret Blaze | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Craig Williams | 54 kgs | 2:04.31 |
| 2020 | Al Galayel | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Ben Melham | 56 kgs | 2:07.94 |
| 2019 | Captain Cook | Chris Waller | Linda Meech | 54 kgs | 2:06.45 |
| 2018 | The Taj Mahal | Liam Howley | Ben Melham | 58.5 kgs | 2:05.37 |
| 2017 | Jon Snow | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Stephen Baster | 59 kgs | 2:07.12 |
| 2016 | Real Love | Darren Weir | Brad Rawiller | 58 kgs | 2:05.76 |
| 2015 | Escado | Matt Laurie | Ben Melham | 56.5 kgs | 2:05.88 |
| 2014 | The Cleaner | Mick Burles | Steven Arnold | 59 kgs | 2:05.99 |
| 2013 | Mourinho | Peter Gelagotis | Craig Newitt | 54 kgs | 2:06.14 |
| 2012 | Bianmick | Michael Brady | Darren Gauci | 54 kgs | 2:06.66 |
| 2011 | Dream Pedlar | Troy Blacker | Craig Newitt | 54.5 kgs | 2:08.71 |
| 2010 | Precedence | Bart Cummings | Blake Shinn | 55 kgs | 2:05.31 |
| 2009 | Alcopop | Jake Stephens | Dom Tourneur | 53 kgs | 2:08.41 |
| 2008 | Cefalu | Lee Freedman | Luke Nolen | 54.5 kgs | 2:05.99 |
| 2007 | Maldivian | Mark Kavanagh | Michael Rodd | 56 kgs | 2:05.85 |
| 2006 | Pavlova | Cliff Brown | Ben Melham | 53 kgs | 2:07.00 |
| 2005 | El Segundo | Colin Little | Darren Gauci | 52.5 kgs | 2:07.54 |
| 2004 | Beswinging | Louise Bonella | Dale Smith | 52.5 kgs | 2:12.82 |
| 2003 | General Booth | Tony Vasil | Damien Oliver | 55 kgs | 2:06.74 |
| 2002 | Cheverny | Guy Walter | Glen Boss | 52.5 kgs | 2:07.51 |
| 2001 | Rain Gauge | George Hanlon | Greg Childs | 53.5 kgs | 2:06.29 |
| 2000 | Prince Benbara | Tony Rosolini | Brett Prebble | 51.5 kgs | 2:07.38 |