The 2026 Might And Power Stakes is a Group 1 weight-for-age race over 2000 metres at Caulfield, run as Race 7 at 3:50pm AEDT on Saturday 10 October 2026 for $1,000,000. Sheza Alibi is the $1.36 favourite, with Birdman at $3.90 and Treasurethe Moment at $11. Punt Hub's best bet is No. 1 Birdman. He is a proven Group 1 winner at 2000 metres, and Sheza Alibi has never raced beyond 1600 metres.
Only six horses accepted, with most stables steering clear of Sheza Alibi. Birdman comes in off a 1.75-length win in the Underwood Stakes over 1800 metres at Caulfield. All odds below are Punt Hub's best displayed win prices. Follow the live market on the Punt Hub Might And Power race page.
Might And Power Stakes 2026 tips at a glance
Best bet: 1. Birdman (barrier 2, 59kg, Ben Melham). Win, $3.90 best displayed.
Market favourite: 6. Sheza Alibi ($1.36), a three-time Group 1 winner stepping up to 2000 metres for the first time.
Punt Hub selection: 1.
Might And Power Stakes 2026 key facts
Race detail | 2026 Might And Power Stakes |
|---|---|
Date | Saturday 10 October 2026 (Caulfield Guineas Day) |
Venue | Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne VIC |
Race | Race 7, Might And Power Stakes (Group 1) |
Start time | 3:50pm AEDT |
Distance | 2000 metres, turf, anticlockwise |
Conditions | Weight-for-age, three-year-olds and upwards |
Prizemoney | $1,000,000 ($600,000 to the winner) |
Field | Six runners |
Weights | 59kg (males) to 56kg (four-year-old mare Sheza Alibi) |
Track | Soft 5 at Thursday's inspection, rail true |
Forecast | 40% chance of up to 1mm, top of 21°C |
Last year's winner | Globe ($8), who led throughout |
All times are AEDT. Victoria moved to daylight saving on Sunday 4 October, so the race starts at 3:50pm in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Hobart, 3:20pm in Adelaide, 2:50pm in Brisbane and 12:50pm in Perth.
Might And Power Stakes 2026 field, barriers and odds
The table lists each runner's barrier, weight, jockey, trainer and recent form. Odds are Punt Hub's best displayed win price across the bookmakers Punt Hub compares.
No. | Horse | Barrier | Kg | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Win odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Birdman (IRE) | 2 | 59 | Ben Melham | Chris Waller | x411521x61 | $3.90 |
2 | Land Legend (FR) | 1 | 59 | Ethan Brown | Ciaron Maher | 00x0729x00 | $81.00 |
3 | Torranzino (NZ) | 4 | 59 | Celine Gaudray | Paul Preusker | 2x808215x0 | $126.00 |
4 | Kingswood (GB) | 5 | 59 | John Allen | Gavin Bedggood | 2814125x14 | $15.00 |
5 | Treasurethe Moment | 3 | 57 | Daniel Stackhouse | Matt Laurie | 34x313x402 | $11.00 |
6 | Sheza Alibi | 6 | 56 | Luke Nolen | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | 311x111x21 | $1.36 |
Scratchings close on race morning. Check the live Might And Power odds before you bet.
Might And Power Stakes 2026 market overview
This is a two-horse market. Sheza Alibi is odds-on at $1.36 and has not moved from her opening price. Birdman has eased slightly from $3.80 to $3.90. Treasurethe Moment has drifted from $10 to $11, and Kingswood is steady at $15. Land Legend ($81) and Torranzino ($126) are rank outsiders.
Short favourites have a mixed record in this race. Four odds-on favourites won between 2010 and 2016, including Winx, but last year Treasurethe Moment was beaten at $1.65 by the $8 chance Globe. Ten of the last 16 winners started at $5.50 or longer.
Our Might And Power Stakes best bet: Birdman
Birdman is the proven 2000-metre horse in the race, coming off a Group 1 win on this track. Sheza Alibi has the stronger ratings, but she is being asked to do something she has never done. At $3.90, the reliable horse is the one we want.
Proven at the trip and the level
Birdman won the Group 1 Doomben Cup over 2000 metres in May. He has had four starts at the distance for two wins and a second. Sheza Alibi's three Group 1 wins have all come at 1600 metres, and she has never raced further. This is a 400-metre step into the unknown for the favourite.
The Underwood Stakes form
Birdman won the Group 1 Underwood Stakes by 1.75 lengths on 19 September, running 1800 metres in 1:47.15. He trailed, hit the front early and, according to Ben Melham, still won with a bit in hand. Kingswood was fourth, beaten 4.5 lengths at the same weight. Melham said afterwards he thinks Birdman is "a good 2000 metre horse".
Caulfield, the going and his preparation
Birdman has won two of his four starts at Caulfield, including the Peter Young Stakes in March. He has won two of five on soft tracks. He is third-up from a spell, and has won two of four third-up with a third. Second-up, he has won three times from five starts.
The draw
Barrier 2 lets Melham sit on the pace or trail the leader, which is how Birdman won the Underwood. Eight of the last 16 winners started from barriers 1 to 3, including Globe from barrier 2 last year.
The case against
Sheza Alibi is a top-class mare who has won four of her last five starts, and she receives 3kg from Birdman. If she runs the 2000 metres out, she is entitled to win. Birdman also disappointed at $2.50 in the Australian Cup over 2000 metres at Flemington in March, finishing fifth on a Soft 7 track. In a six-horse race, tactics can decide the result, as Globe showed by leading throughout last year.
Might And Power Stakes 2026 contenders and form analysis
1. Birdman ($3.90)
A six-year-old Irish gelding by Free Eagle, Birdman has won seven of his 24 starts. He won the Doomben Cup in May and the Underwood Stakes last start, and he has been talked about as a Cox Plate horse since. He is drawn barrier 2 with Ben Melham to ride again.
6. Sheza Alibi ($1.36)
The four-year-old mare has three Group 1 wins, all at 1600 metres, including the Doncaster Mile and the Makybe Diva Stakes. She won the Makybe Diva by 2.75 lengths on 12 September. Her only defeat this preparation was second to Autumn Glow in the Winx Stakes. She steps up to 2000 metres for the first time and gets 3kg from the males. Her main spring target is the Golden Eagle over 1500 metres on 31 October.
5. Treasurethe Moment ($11)
Matt Laurie's five-year-old mare was second in this race last year as the $1.65 favourite, beaten three lengths by Globe. She has won the VRC Oaks and the Australian Oaks at 2400 metres, and has won two of three at 2000 metres. She was 10th in the Makybe Diva, then ran a much better second, beaten 1.5 lengths, in the Feehan Stakes over 1600 metres at her last start.
4. Kingswood ($15)
The seven-year-old entire won the Heatherlie Handicap at Caulfield first-up at $21. He then ran fourth in the Underwood, 4.5 lengths behind Birdman. He has won two of five at 2000 metres and four of 11 on soft tracks, so a rain-affected surface suits him.
The rest of the field
Land Legend ($81) finished 11th in the JRA Cup at his last start, beaten nine lengths, and has not been placed this preparation. Torranzino ($126) was unplaced in the same race. Both look to be running in this as a lead-up to the spring cups.
Might And Power Stakes 2026 speed map and barriers
Position | Runners |
|---|---|
Leaders | Land Legend (1), Torranzino (4) |
On or near the pace | Birdman (2), Treasurethe Moment (3) |
Midfield | Sheza Alibi (6) |
Back | Kingswood (5) |
With no obvious leader in the field, expect a steady tempo and a sprint home. That suits Birdman, who can sit just off the speed from barrier 2 and has the acceleration to go early. Sheza Alibi will be wide from barrier 6 unless Nolen finds cover. In a race this slow, that could cost her ground.
History says… Eight of the last 16 winners started from barriers 1 to 3. Barrier 6 has produced four winners since 2010, all of them at 57kg or 58kg.
Caulfield track condition and weather for the Might And Power
The Racing Australia acceptances list Caulfield as Soft 5 at the 8am inspection on Thursday, with the rail true and 73.8mm of rain since the last meeting. The race itself was listed Soft 6 at acceptances. The Bureau of Meteorology forecast is a 20% chance of rain on Friday with a top of 26°C and northerly winds, then a 40% chance of up to 1mm on Saturday. An upgrade is possible, so recheck the rating on race morning.
Horse | Good | Soft | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|
Birdman | 17: 5-2-1 | 5: 2-1-0 | 2: 0-1-0 |
Sheza Alibi | 6: 4-1-1 | 5: 3-2-0 | Unraced |
Treasurethe Moment | 15: 8-4-3 | 4: 3-0-0 | 1: 0-0-0 |
Kingswood | 9: 2-2-1 | 11: 4-2-0 | 1: 0-0-0 |
Might And Power Stakes trends and statistics
We analysed every winner from 2010 to 2025.
Price: 10 of the 16 winners started at $5.50 or longer. Four odds-on favourites won, the last of them Winx in 2016.
Barriers: eight of the 16 winners came from barriers 1 to 3. Barrier 11 (Cape Of Good Hope, 2019) is the widest winning draw.
Mares: five mares have won: Atlantic Jewel, Winx, Arcadia Queen, Probabeel and Deny Knowledge.
Weight: seven winners carried the full 59kg, including Globe last year and Alligator Blood in 2023.
Trainers: Chris Waller has won once in that time, with Winx in 2016. Mark Zahra has ridden three winners.
Last year: the $8 chance Globe led throughout to beat the $1.65 favourite, Treasurethe Moment.
Recent Might And Power Stakes winners
Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Barrier | Kg | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | Globe | Blake Shinn | Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr | 2 | 59 | $8.00 |
2024 | Deny Knowledge | Mark Zahra | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 6 | 57 | $8.50 |
2023 | Alligator Blood | Tim Clark | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 1 | 59 | $3.50 |
2022 | Anamoe | James McDonald | James Cummings | 7 | 58 | $2.10 |
2021 | Probabeel | Brett Prebble | Jamie Richards | 5 | 57 | $8.00 |
2020 | Arcadia Queen | William Pike | Grant & Alana Williams | 5 | 57 | $5.50 |
2019 | Cape Of Good Hope | Mark Zahra | David & Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig | 11 | 56.5 | $21.00 |
2018 | Benbatl | Pat Cosgrave | Saeed bin Suroor | 1 | 59 | $9.00 |
2017 | Gailo Chop | Mark Zahra | Darren Weir | 2 | 59 | $5.50 |
2016 | Winx | Hugh Bowman | Chris Waller | 3 | 57 | $1.25 |
In 2025, Globe beat Treasurethe Moment by three lengths, with Buckaroo third, in 2:02.76.
Might And Power Stakes history
The race was first run in 1886 as the Caulfield Stakes and became a Group 1 in 1979. It was run over about 1800 metres for most of its first 80 years and has been run over 2000 metres since 1972. During World War II, it was moved to Flemington. Eurythmic won it three years in a row from 1921, and Ajax won it in 1938.
Lonhro, in 2002 and 2003, is the most recent dual winner. In 2016, Winx frightened off all but two rivals, making it the smallest Group 1 field in Australian racing. The race was known as the Yalumba Stakes from 1997 to 2010. In 2021 it was renamed after Might And Power, who won the 1997 Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup and then won this race in 1998. Probabeel was the first winner under the new name.
Today it carries $1 million, and the winner is exempt from the ballot for the Caulfield Cup. It remains a key lead-up to the Cox Plate, which is run at Flemington this year on 24 October. The race has also become hard for favourites: Globe beat the $1.65 favourite last year, and Deny Knowledge won at $8.50 the year before. This year's market rests on two lead-up races: Sheza Alibi's Makybe Diva win and Birdman's Underwood win. Sheza Alibi's connections are using the race to test her at 2000 metres before the Golden Eagle, rather than as a step towards the Cox Plate.
Might And Power Stakes 2026 prizemoney
1st: $600,000
2nd: $180,000
3rd: $90,000
4th: $45,000
5th: $25,000
6th: $20,000 (7th and 8th, also $20,000 each, won't be paid with six runners)
3.5% of prizemoney goes to jockey, equine and participant welfare before distribution.
Might And Power Stakes 2026 frequently asked questions
When is the 2026 Might And Power Stakes?
The 2026 Might And Power Stakes is Race 7 at Caulfield on Saturday 10 October 2026, starting at 3:50pm AEDT on Caulfield Guineas Day.
What distance is the Might And Power Stakes?
The Might And Power Stakes is run over 2000 metres at Caulfield under weight-for-age conditions for three-year-olds and upwards.
Who is the favourite for the 2026 Might And Power Stakes?
Sheza Alibi is the favourite at $1.36, ahead of Birdman at $3.90 and Treasurethe Moment at $11. These are Punt Hub's best displayed odds.
What are Punt Hub's tips for the 2026 Might And Power Stakes?
Punt Hub's best bet is No. 1 Birdman. He is a proven Group 1 winner at 2000 metres and won the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield last start, while favourite Sheza Alibi has never raced beyond 1600 metres.
Can Sheza Alibi run 2000 metres?
Sheza Alibi has never raced beyond 1600 metres. Her three Group 1 wins, including the Doncaster Mile and the Makybe Diva Stakes, were all at 1600 metres, so the Might And Power is her first test at 2000 metres.
What is the track condition at Caulfield for the Might And Power?
Caulfield was rated Soft 5 at Thursday's inspection, with the rail true. The forecast is a 40% chance of up to 1mm of rain on Saturday, so an upgrade is possible. Recheck the rating on race morning.
How many runners are in the 2026 Might And Power Stakes?
Six horses accepted: Birdman, Land Legend, Torranzino, Kingswood, Treasurethe Moment and Sheza Alibi.
How much prizemoney is the Might And Power Stakes worth?
The 2026 Might And Power Stakes is worth $1,000,000, with $600,000 to the winner, $180,000 for second and $90,000 for third.
Who won the Might And Power Stakes in 2025?
Globe won the 2025 Might And Power Stakes at $8 for trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr and jockey Blake Shinn. He led throughout to beat Treasurethe Moment by three lengths, with Buckaroo third.
Is the Might And Power Stakes a Cox Plate lead-up?
Yes. The Might And Power is run at weight-for-age over a similar distance two weeks before the Cox Plate, which is at Flemington on 24 October this year. Sheza Alibi's stable is targeting the Golden Eagle instead.
How to watch the Might And Power Stakes
Watch live on Channel 7 and stream free on 7plus. Melbourne Racing Club sells tickets for Caulfield Guineas Day.
18+ · Gamble responsibly. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.