Ladbrokes Tip: The Shorts serves as a key lead-up to the $20 million The Everest race
The latest edition of $1 million The Shorts ran on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at Royal Randwick and was won by Chris Waller’s confirmed The Everest slot holder Joliestar ($4.80).
2025 The Shorts Results
The Shorts 2025 race results and full finishing order will be published below once the race is run and won on Saturday, September 20, 2025.
- 1st: #4 Joliestar
- 2nd: #1 Briasa
- 3rd: #10 Generosity
Two of the already confirmed slot holders for the world’s richest turf race have run one-two in The Shorts 2025 results with Joliestar ($4.80) making a lovely return to racing when overcoming a wide run throughout off a patient James McDonald ride to beat Briasa home by over a length in the key lead-up at Randwick on Saturday and put a smile on trainer Chris Waller‘s face.
2025 The Shorts Odds
The Shorts 2025 betting odds and market links to [ladbrokes] will be available below the week of the race so stay tuned for the best The Shorts markets this spring.
| 4. Joliestar (8) J: James McDonald 56kg 1921xT: Chris Waller | ||
| 1. Briasa (4) J: Tyler Schiller 58kg x414xT: M, W & J Hawkes | ||
| 10. Generosity (2) J: Tim Clark 53kg 335x9T: Chris Waller | ||
| 5. Mazu (9) J: Jason Collett 56kg 516x5T: Joseph Pride | ||
| 2. Private Harry (5) J: Ashley Morgan 58kg 11x1xT: Nathan Doyle | ||
| 6. Ostraka (7) J: Chad Schofield 56kg 664x3T: Annabel & Rob Archibald | ||
| 7. Dragonstone (1) J: Braith Nock 55kg 251x0T: Joseph Pride | ||
| 3. Jedibeel (6) J: Kerrin McEvoy 57kg 9028xT: Brad Widdup | ||
| 8. Compelling Truth (3) J: Bailey Wheeler 55kg 10122T: Mack Griffith |
The Shorts Tips
Good The Shorts tips include looking for proven Randwick performers, in-form sprinters drawn close to the rails and those higher up the betting markets. The favourites also have a gun record in the race over the past two decades so sticking with those under $10 in betting is also a good tip.
Any returning The Shorts performers returning for another run or graduates from the previous season’s The Everest race also make a top The Shorts betting tip.
In 2021 the previous year’s The Everest 11th place-getter Eduardo won The Shorts.
In 2022 the previous year’s The Everest champion Nature Strip won The Shorts improving on his second in the race the season prior, while the 2023 The Shorts was won first-up by the previous spring’s The Everest runner-up.
In 2025, three-time Group 1 winning mare Joliestar won The Shorts having finished seventh in the previous year’s The Everest results.
2025 The Shorts Tips
Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive The Shorts 2025 betting tips and exotic Randwick race selections will be detailed below the week of the race so bookmark this page for the runners to back and sack in the Group 2 sprint this season.
2025 The Shorts Same Race Multi Selections ($3.85 at time of publish)
- To Win – No. 2 Private Harry
- Top 3 – No. 4 Joliestar
PRIVATE HARRY (5) is the clear The Shorts favourite and I’m happy to stick with the punters’ pick in this important The Everest lead-up. Nathan Doyle’s unbeaten four-year-old is five-from-five and ticks plenty of boxes to make it six on the trot racing second-up over his pet distance. He is an 1100m specialist with three of his victories being over the short sprint including his lightweight win at Rosehill in the Group 1 The Galaxy back in March. He has carried up to 58.5kg to strong wins in easier grade, including a 7-length romp home at Hawkesbury defeating Dark Glitter at just his second start, so the kilos look a non-issue this weekend. Fresh he flies and his two lead-up trials have been excellent. Over these metres to get his Everest campaign underway he’s the one to beat.
JOLIESTAR (9) resumes and while I don’t love this mare over the short 1100m distance she gets a Top 3 inclusion on class alone. Already locked in for her second shot at The Everest after running seventh last year, this triple Group 1 winning daughter of Zoustar was excellent last prep. Think she’ll kick off where she left off with an eye-catching run fresh lining-up for the first time since claiming the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup in Brisbane. Keeping her runs spaced is key and her first-up record is excellent (5:3-1-1). Loves the Randwick track and is so well in the weights. Top hoop James McDonald adds to her claims.
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4. Joliestar (8)
J: James McDonald 56kg
1921xT: Chris Waller
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2. Private Harry (5)
J: Ashley Morgan 58kg
11x1xT: Nathan Doyle
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The Shorts is a Group 2 race run at Royal Randwick Racecourse on its own feature race meeting in mid-September during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. A sprint feature contested over 1100m it is open to horses aged three-years-old and above and is run at set weights plus penalties.
It was previously contested on the same day as the George Main Stakes before that event was moved to The Everest Day in October and renamed the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m).
The Shorts is now the feature race at the meeting and as of 2023 offers a lucrative $1 million in stakes.
Added to the card for the first time in 2023 is the unlisted $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) which replaces the George Main Stakes as the mile feature on the card and offers the winner an Epsom Handicap ballot exemption.
The Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap and Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes offering the winners an Epsom Handicap and The Metropolitan ballot exemption respectively are the other features on The Shorts Day program, along with the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes for Flight Stakes-bound fillies.
The Shorts is a good lead-up to interstate Group 1 races held during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival as well as the $20 million The Everest (1200m) run at Royal Randwick in mid-October,
The Shorts – The Everest double was completed by Redzel in 2017, the gun sprinter going on to win the latter again in 2018 before Classique Legend (2020) became the latest horse to win both races in the same season.
More recently, Nature Strip improved on his second in The Shorts in 2021 to win The Everest that spring along with the VRC Sprint Classic (now known as the Champions Sprint) in Melbourne.
Nature Strip returned a winner in the 2022 The Shorts results ahead of his title failed defence in The Everest race when fourth.
The Shorts Race Info
- Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025
- Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
- Distance: 1100m
- Conditions: Set Weights + Penalties
- Status: Group 2
- Prize Money: $1,000,000
- First Run: 1867
The Shorts Betting
The Shorts betting markets are dominated by horses sharp enough to handle the short 1100m distance of the race.
Gallopers with good lead-up form, nice records fresh, previous winning form at the Randwick track and those with experience in tougher class races also sit high up The Shorts odds.
Most of the runners in The Shorts odds are first-up, but looking for the best out of a lead-up race like the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) a fortnight earlier can be a good guide to the markets. Redzel (2017) followed by I Am Me (2024) are the latest sprinters to complete the Concorde Stakes – The Shorts double.
Private Eye (2023) and Joliestar (2025) were the latest The Shorts winners to take out the race first-up for the spring.
In 2019 Pierata ran second to Redzel in the Concorde Stakes before winning The Shorts as the $2.70 favourite.
The following year, Classique Legend improved on a second from the 2019 The Shorts to take out the 2020 edition as the $4.40 favourite.
That form line repeated itself in 2021 with the 2020 runner-up Eduardo winning the race.
Nature Strip was runner-up in the 2021 The Shorts but returned to win in 2022 having saluted in the previous spring’s The Everest results to become the latest The Shorts favourite to win at $2.40 odds before the 2024 win by I Am Me ($2.60F).
There was a notable upset in 2023 with Private Eye winning at $12 The Shorts odds.
The Shorts Field
The Shorts race field attracts a class line-up of spring sprinters and proven short distance specialists.
Many runners come into the race first-up and may back-up in the following month’s Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) also held at Randwick Racecourse.
In 2015 Rebel Dane won The Shorts before a second in the Premiere Stakes. He then went to Melbourne and ran third to Chautauqua in Moonee Valley’s Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m).
In 2011 The Shorts winner Love Conquers All finished third next start in the Premiere Stakes. The double was last achieved by Hot Danish (2010). Hot Danish had previously won the All Aged Stakes and Doomben 10,000 earlier that year and went on to place third in the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) that October at Flemington.
If not resuming in The Shorts field, horses may come off an earlier Sydney run in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m). In 2013 the Concorde Stakes runner-up Sessions backed-up and won The Shorts and two runs later placed third in the Manikato Stakes in Victoria.
In 2015 Ball Of Muscle ran third in the Concorde and second in The Shorts before a second to Buffering in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) in Melbourne the next month. That same year (2015) Concorde Stakes winner Shiraz ran third in The Shorts next-up.
Ball Of Muscle has a long history in The Shorts field, the 2015 runner-up also placing second in 2016 behind Takedown and second to Redzel in 2017. Finally Ball Of Muscle finished first, winning The Shorts in 2018 in his fourth appearance.
Redzel (2017) saluted for The Shorts punters winning the Concorde Stakes – The Shorts double. In 2019 The Shorts winner Pierata improved on a lead-up second in the Concorde Stakes. Redzel won his third straight Concorde Stakes in 2019 before a third in The Shorts results that year.
In 2021 Nature Strip that year’s subsequent The Everest champion won the Concorde Stakes at his third attempt before running second to upset The Shorts winner Eduardo next-up.
Nature Strip returned to win The Shorts 2022 first-up off a UK victory in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The Shorts nominations are taken the Monday before the race takes place that Saturday with the final field of acceptors and barriers out on the Wednesday.
2025 The Shorts Field
The official The Shorts 2025 final field and barriers will be detailed in full below once acceptances are released by Racing NSW on the Wednesday of race week.
The 2025 The Shorts field features 10 top-class sprinters including confirmed The Everest runners Briasa, Private Harry and the resuming Joliestar.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1. Briasa
J: Tyler Schiller
T: M, W & J Hawkes |
1x414x | G | 4 | 58kg | |
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2. Private Harry
J: Ashley Morgan
T: Nathan Doyle |
111x1x | H | 5 | 58kg | |
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3. Jedibeel
J: Kerrin McEvoy
T: Brad Widdup |
19028x | G | 6 | 57kg | |
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4. Joliestar
J: James McDonald
T: Chris Waller |
31921x | M | 8 | 56kg | |
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5. Mazu
J: Jason Collett
T: Joseph Pride |
5516x5 | G | 9 | 56kg | |
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6. Ostraka
J: Chad Schofield
T: Annabel & Rob Archibald |
3664x3 | G | 7 | 56kg | |
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7. Dragonstone
J: Braith Nock
T: Joseph Pride |
0251x0 | G | 1 | 55kg | |
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8. Compelling Truth
J: Bailey Wheeler
T: Mack Griffith |
110122 | G | 3 | 55kg | |
| 9. Marhoona (7) Scratched: | |||||
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10. Generosity
J: Tim Clark
T: Chris Waller |
1335x9 | M | 2 | 53kg | |
2025 The Shorts Nominations
The early The Shorts 2025 nominations are taken on the Monday of race week.
The 2025 The Shorts nominations feature a line-up of potential The Everest bound sprinters led in all-in betting by the undefeated Nathan Doyle trained Group 1 The Galaxy winner Private Harry.
2025 The Shorts nominations extended until 11:00AM (AEST) – 16/09/2025
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19x441022x | AUSTMARR | M | 5 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 96 |
| 2 | x1411x414x | BRIASA | G | 5 | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes | 114 |
| 3 | 0x23110122 | COMPELLING TRUTH | G | 6 | Mack Griffith | 103 |
| 4 | 12x60251x0 | DRAGONSTONE | G | 7 | Joseph Pride | 107 |
| 5 | 41x21335x9 | GENEROSITY | M | 5 | Chris Waller | 107 |
| 6 | 434×221116 | IN FLIGHT | M | 5 | Joseph Pride | 107 |
| 7 | 281x19028x | JEDIBEEL (NZ) | G | 6 | Brad Widdup | 106 |
| 8 | 377x31921x | JOLIESTAR | M | 5 | Chris Waller | 115 |
| 9 | 121x | MARHOONA | F | 3 | Michael Freedman | |
| 10 | 54x65516x5 | MAZU | G | 7 | Joseph Pride | 109 |
| 11 | 0x973664x3 | OSTRAKA | G | 5 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 105 |
| 12 | 1111x1x | PRIVATE HARRY | H | 4 | Nathan Doyle | 106 |
| 13 | 522x189x44 | TIGER SHARK | M | 5 | Clayton Douglas |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
The Shorts Form Guide
The Shorts form guide details all the key information for punters like the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs of the sprinters in the field.
Form guide facts to look out for are runners coming off a last start win, local hopes with good Sydney form in the Group sprint races and those drawn a single-digit barrier.
The Shorts form has also stacked up in better races both in Sydney and Melbourne in recent years including in 2014 when Terravista won the Group 2 before a subsequent Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) victory at Flemington during that years Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The Shorts form was also worth following into bigger spring races in 2017 when Redzel won the inaugural edition of the world’s richest race on turf – The Everest.
Classique Legend franked The Shorts form in 2020 backing-up to win The Everest, while The Shorts third placegetter that year Bivouac ran second in The Everest results before winning Flemington’s Group 1 VRC Classic.
The 2021 The Shorts form was franked with the runner-up Nature Strip winning The Everest – VRC Sprint Classic double that spring, returning for a third TJ Smith Stakes success the following autumn, and heading to the UK in June of 2022 for a 4.5 length Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes win at Royal Ascot.
The 2021 The Shorts winner Eduardo meanwhile finished third in that year’s The Everest results before his victory in the Winners Stakes (now Russell Balding Stakes).
After a second to Nature Strip in the 2022 The Shorts results, Overpass franked the form the following autumn winning the inaugural $4 million The Quokka race in WA in 2023.
Overpass returned to run second again in The Shorts 2023 and went on to win Perth’s Winterbottom Stakes that summer before a successful The Quokka title defence.
The 2024 The Shorts form was franked by the runner-up Stefi Magnetica who returned the following autumn to win the 2025 Group 1 Doncaster Mile.
2025 The Shorts Form Guide
A link to our detailed The Shorts 2025 Form Guide & Betting Preview will be provided for punters below the week of the race.
The Shorts Results
The Shorts race results have been dominated by class Group performers over the past decade and single-figure hopes with the last double-figure winners being Lucky Night ($16 in 2003) and Private Eye ($12 in 2023) a decade apart.
Notable recent The Shorts winners include Joliestar (2025), Nature Strip (2022), Eduardo (2021), Classique Legend (2020), Redzel (2017), Rebel Dane (2015), Terravista (2014), Hot Danish (2010), and Bentley Biscuit (2006).
Also interesting looking at The Shorts results is that Ball Of Muscle ran second in all three editions from 2015-17 before winning the event in 2018.
Joliestar (2025) was the last The Shorts winning mare.
Mother Duck (1987) was the last three-year-old The Shorts winner.
Redzel holds the current The Shorts race record winning over 1100m in 2017 in a time of 1 minute 1.83 seconds.
Past The Shorts Winners
Recent The Shorts winners and placegetters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Third | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Joliestar | Briasa | Generosity | 1:02.13 |
| 2024 | I Am Me | Stefi Magnetica | Mazu | 1:02.40 |
| 2023 | Private Eye | Overpass | Buenos Noches | 1:02.6 |
| 2022 | Nature Strip | Overpass | Lost And Running | 1:05.0 |
| 2021 | Eduardo | Nature Strip | Gytrash | 1:03.5 |
| 2020 | Classique Legend | Eduardo | Bivouac | 1:02.2 |
| 2019 | Pierata | Classique Legend | Redzel | 1:03.9 |
| 2018 | Ball Of Muscle | Invincible Star | Brave Smash | 1:02.8 |
| 2017 | Redzel | Ball Of Muscle | Nieta | 1:01.8 |
| 2016 | Takedown | Ball Of Muscle | Kaepernick | 1:03.2 |
| 2015 | Rebel Dane | Ball Of Muscle | Shiraz | 1:04.6 |
| 2014 | Terravista | I’m All The Talk | Famous Seamus | 1:02.4 |
| 2013 | Sessions | Aeronautical | Spirit Of Boom | 1:03.2 |
| 2012 | Pampelonne | Satin Shoes | Appearance | 1:09.6 |
| 2011 | Love Conquers All | Albert The Fat | Winter King | 1:08.7 |
| 2010 | Hot Danish | Whitefriars | Shellscrape | 1:09.5 |
| 2009 | Gold Trail | Fritz’s Princess | Sniper’s Bullet | 1:04.8 |
| 2008 | Fritz’s Princess | Hot Danish | Keen Commander | 1:04.0 |
| 2007 | Race Not Held | – | – | – |
| 2006 | Bentley Biscuit | Magnus | Spark Of Life | 1:03.4 |
| 2005 | Black Ink | Mustard | Fumble | 1:03.4 |
| 2004 | Dance the Waves | Secret Land | Legally Bay | 1:04.6 |
| 2003 | Lucky Night | Fair Embrace | Poetic Papal | 1:04.8 |
| 2002 | Empire | Shags | Fouardee | 1:04.1 |
| 2001 | Oamaru Force | Pembleton | Fair Embrace | 1:03.5 |
| 2000 | Bradshaw | Guineas | Upright | 1:03.8 |
FAQ
Who won the 2025 The Shorts?
The 2025 The Shorts winner was five-year-old Zoustar mare Joliestar at $4.80 for trainer Chris Waller with jockey James McDonald aboard on 56kg from barrier 8 to win by 1.16 lengths on a Good (4) track in a time of 1:02.13.
When is The Shorts 2025?
Saturday, September 20, 2025What is the prize money for The Shorts 2025?
$1,000,000
Where is The Shorts 2025?
Randwick Racecourse, Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031.
How do I bet on the 2025 The Shorts?
Bet online or via the latest iOS/Android apps 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 Shorts 2025?
The best way to pick which horse will win The Shorts 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.