The 2026 Thousand Guineas is a Group 1 race for three-year-old fillies over 1600 metres at Caulfield, run as Race 7 at 3:45pm AEDT on Saturday 17 October 2026 (Caulfield Cup Day) for $1,500,000. Regal Ambition is the $4.40 favourite, with Saintly Dancer at $4.80 and Over The Bridge at $5.50. Punt Hub's value bet is No. 4 De Armas ($7.50), the only filly in the field to have placed in a Group 1 this spring, after a neck second in the Flight Stakes.
Thirteen fillies accepted, all carrying 56kg. Ciaron Maher has four runners and Chris Waller three. The favourite and the unbeaten Over The Bridge both drew wide. We're against No. 9 Regal Ambition. All odds below are Punt Hub's best displayed win prices. Follow the live market on the Punt Hub Thousand Guineas race page.
Thousand Guineas 2026 tips at a glance
Value bet: 4. De Armas (barrier 7, 56kg, William Pike). Win, $7.50 best displayed.
Market favourite: 9. Regal Ambition ($4.40).
Punt Hub selection: 4.
Against: 9. Regal Ambition ($4.40). She is a smart, unbeaten-this-spring filly, but she is short for a horse with three starts, a wide draw and two slow starts this preparation.
Thousand Guineas 2026 key facts
Race detail | 2026 Thousand Guineas |
|---|---|
Date | Saturday 17 October 2026 (Caulfield Cup Day) |
Venue | Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne VIC |
Race | Race 7, Thousand Guineas (Group 1) |
Start time | 3:45pm AEDT |
Distance | 1600 metres, turf, anticlockwise |
Conditions | Set weights, three-year-old fillies |
Prizemoney | $1,500,000 ($900,000 to the winner) |
Field | 13 runners |
Weights | 56kg for every runner |
Track | Good 4 at Wednesday's meeting |
Forecast | 5% chance of rain, top of 25°C |
Last year's winner | Ole Dancer ($5), Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman |
All times are AEDT. The race starts at 3:45pm in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Hobart, 3:15pm in Adelaide, 2:45pm in Brisbane and 12:45pm in Perth.
Thousand Guineas 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 |  Lara Antipova (NZ) | 9 | 56 | Craig Williams | Mark Walker | 1111x914 | $18 |
2 |  Pretty Baby | 5 | 56 | Damian Lane | Gordon Richards & Damien Moyle | 4x3311112 | $8.00 |
3 |  Saintly Dancer (NZ) | 4 | 56 | Blake Shinn | Ciaron Maher | 21621 | $4.80 |
4 | De Armas (NZ) | 7 | 56 | William Pike | Chris Waller | 11x4x52 | $7.50 |
5 |  Icelady | 10 | 56 | Ethan Brown | Ciaron Maher | 422x21 | $11 |
6 |  Grinzinger Heart | 3 | 56 | Lachlan King | Ben Brisbourne | 419x07 | $126 |
7 |  Rubi's Choice | 1 | 56 | Lachlan Neindorf | Greg Eurell | 14x54 | $35 |
8 |  Over The Bridge | 13 | 56 | Mark Zahra | Ciaron Maher | 11 | $5.50 |
9 | Regal Ambition | 11 | 56 | Michael Dee | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 2x11 | $4.40 |
10 |  Salann | 6 | 56 | Rachel King | Ben Brisbourne | 22x80 | $81 |
11 |  Sing Your Song | 2 | 56 | Jye McNeil | Chris Waller | 2x313 | $17 |
12 |  Katoto | 8 | 56 | Tyler Schiller | Chris Waller | 13x45 | $41 |
13 |  Platinum Pearl | 12 | 56 | Thomas Stockdale | Ciaron Maher | 323 | $23 |
Scratchings close on race morning. Check the live Thousand Guineas odds before you bet.
Thousand Guineas 2026 market overview
Regal Ambition heads a tight market at $4.40, with Saintly Dancer at $4.80, Over The Bridge at $5.50 and De Armas at $7.50. Five fillies are $8 or shorter.
This race rarely goes to the short-priced fillies. Only three of the last 10 winners started shorter than $5, and Flit ($2.35) in 2019 was the shortest of them. The favourites Aeliana and Apocalyptic were beaten in the last two runnings. Six of the last 10 winners paid $9 or more, including Yearning ($26) in 2021 and Another Prophet ($31) in 2024.
Our Thousand Guineas value bet: De Armas
De Armas has already done what the Thousand Guineas asks: she has run a big race over 1600 metres in a Group 1 against her own age and sex. Nobody else in this field has. At her price, she is the one we want.
The best form in the race
De Armas ran second in the Group 1 Flight Stakes over 1600 metres at Randwick on 3 October, beaten a neck by Global Goal at $12. The $2.80 favourite Bangkok Hottie was a half-neck back in third. Every other filly in this field had her last start in a Group 2 or lesser race.
The Flight Stakes path works
Guelph (2013) and Global Glamour (2016) won the Flight Stakes and the Thousand Guineas. Madame Pommery was sixth in the 2022 Flight Stakes, then won this for Chris Waller. Waller has won the race three times, and he paid a $27,500 late-entry fee to get De Armas into it.
Improving third-up
She was fifth first-up over 1200 metres at Warwick Farm at $71, then jumped to Group 1 placing second-up. She is now third-up and fit. She has won on good and heavy tracks, and Caulfield should be good on Saturday.
The case against
She has had just five starts and has never raced at Caulfield. Barrier 7 is slightly wider than ideal: seven of the last 10 winners drew barrier 5 or inside. William Pike rides her for the first time.
Thousand Guineas 2026 contenders and form analysis
4. De Armas ($7.50)
The New Zealand-bred filly won her first two starts, at Otaki and Pukekohe, before joining Chris Waller. Her Flight Stakes second is the strongest lead-up run in this field. William Pike rides from barrier 7.
9. Regal Ambition ($4.40)
The Lindsay Park filly has had three starts: second in a Ballarat maiden, then a Sandown maiden win and the Listed Jim Moloney Stakes (1440m) at Caulfield. In the Jim Moloney she beat the $1.30 favourite Pretty Baby. Michael Dee has won on her twice. But she has been slow away in both runs this preparation, she has drawn barrier 11, and she has never raced beyond 1440 metres. Amphitrite (2018) is the only winner from a double-figure barrier in the last 10 years. We're against her on Saturday.
3. Saintly Dancer ($4.80)
Ciaron Maher's filly won the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington by six lengths at $6.50, leading throughout on a wet track. Before that, she ran second in the Prelude, three-quarters of a length behind stablemate Icelady. Blake Shinn, who won this race last year on Ole Dancer, rides from barrier 4. The question is whether her wet-track form carries over to a good surface.
8. Over The Bridge ($5.50)
Unbeaten in two starts, she won the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield at $2.90, holding off I Am Aria in the last stride. She steps up 400 metres from barrier 13, the outside gate, with Mark Zahra aboard.
2. Pretty Baby ($8.00)
The Adelaide filly won four races in a row, including the Atlantic Jewel Stakes, before running second to Regal Ambition in the Jim Moloney as the $1.30 favourite. She has won four of her eight starts. Damian Lane rides from barrier 5.
The rest of the field
Icelady ($11) won the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m), leading throughout, but she drew barrier 10. Lara Antipova ($18), last season's champion New Zealand two-year-old, won the Listed Michael Moroney at Flemington, then ran fourth against the colts in the Stutt Stakes. Sing Your Song ($17) has been heavily backed, and Platinum Pearl ($23) was third in the Jim Moloney. Katoto, Rubi's Choice, Salann and Grinzinger Heart need big improvement.
Thousand Guineas 2026 speed map and barriers
Position | Runners |
|---|---|
Leaders | Saintly Dancer (4), Icelady (10) |
On or near the pace | Grinzinger Heart (3), Rubi's Choice (1), Pretty Baby (5) |
Midfield | De Armas (7), Sing Your Song (2), Lara Antipova (9), Katoto (8) |
Back | Regal Ambition (11), Over The Bridge (13), Platinum Pearl (12), Salann (6) |
Saintly Dancer led throughout in the Manifold and Icelady did the same in the Prelude, so expect a genuine tempo once Icelady crosses from barrier 10. That suits fillies settling in the first half of the field with cover, such as De Armas. Regal Ambition and Over The Bridge will probably have to come from the back, wide.
History says… Seven of the last 10 winners drew barrier 5 or inside. Amphitrite, from a double-figure gate in 2018, is the only winner drawn 10 or wider in that time.
Caulfield track condition and weather for the Thousand Guineas
Caulfield raced on a Good 4 track on Wednesday. The Bureau of Meteorology forecast is dry from Thursday to Saturday, with a 5% chance of rain each day and a top of 25°C on Saturday. Expect a Good track, and possibly an upgrade. Recheck the rating on race morning.
A dry track is the key question for Saintly Dancer, whose six-length Manifold win came on a wet track. De Armas, Regal Ambition and Pretty Baby have all won on good ground.
Thousand Guineas trends and statistics
We analysed every winner from 2016 to 2025, plus the key lead-up doubles.
Price: only three of the last 10 winners started shorter than $5, and six paid $9 or more. The last two favourites were beaten.
Barriers: seven of the last 10 winners drew barrier 5 or inside.
The Flight Stakes: Guelph (2013) and Global Glamour (2016) won both races, and Madame Pommery (2022) won after running sixth in it.
The Manifold: Amphitrite (2018) is the last filly to win the Edward Manifold and the Thousand Guineas.
The Prelude: Irish Lights (2009) is the last filly to win the Prelude and the Guineas. Ole Dancer was second in the Prelude last year, then won this.
Trainers: Chris Waller has won three times (2014, 2022 and 2023). Ciaron Maher won in 2024 with Another Prophet.
Recent Thousand Guineas winners
Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | Ole Dancer | Blake Shinn | Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman | $5.00 |
2024 | Another Prophet | Ethan Brown | Ciaron Maher | $31.00 |
2023 | Joliestar | James McDonald | Chris Waller | $4.60 |
2022 | Madame Pommery | James McDonald | Chris Waller | $9.50 |
2021 | Yearning | Damien Thornton | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes | $26.00 |
2020 | Odeum | Michael Walker | Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr | $9.00 |
2019 | Flit | Hugh Bowman | James Cummings | $2.35 |
2018 | Amphitrite | Craig Williams | Darren Weir | $13.00 |
2017 | Aloisia | Luke Nolen | Aaron Purcell | $14.00 |
2016 | Global Glamour | Kerrin McEvoy | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | $4.40 |
In 2025, Ole Dancer narrowly beat the favourite Apocalyptic, with Getta Good Feeling third, in 1:37.83.
Thousand Guineas history
The Thousand Guineas was first run in 1946, when Sweet Chime won, and it has always been a mile for three-year-old fillies. It was a principal race over eight furlongs until the move to 1600 metres in 1972, and it became a Group 1 in 1979. It is the fillies' equivalent of the Caulfield Guineas.
Its winners include champion mare Atlantic Jewel (2011) and Alinghi (2004). The race has moved around the calendar: it was run on Caulfield Cup Day before 1988, on the second day of the spring carnival from 1988 to 2013, and on the first day from 2014. In 2023 and 2024 it was run in mid-November.
In 2025 it returned to October on Caulfield Cup Day, now worth $1.5 million, and Ole Dancer won it there at $5. Lately the betting has struggled: the last two favourites were beaten, and $26 and $31 winners in the past five years have made it one of the most open Group 1s of the spring. This year the market is split between the Jim Moloney, the Manifold, the Prelude and the Flight Stakes, with five fillies at $8 or shorter.
Thousand Guineas 2026 prizemoney
1st: $900,000
2nd: $270,000
3rd: $135,000
Prizemoney is paid down to eighth place.
Thousand Guineas 2026 frequently asked questions
When is the 2026 Thousand Guineas?
The 2026 Thousand Guineas is Race 7 at Caulfield on Saturday 17 October 2026, Caulfield Cup Day, starting at 3:45pm AEDT.
What distance is the Thousand Guineas?
The Thousand Guineas is run over 1600 metres at Caulfield, at set weights for three-year-old fillies. Every runner carries 56kg.
Who is the favourite for the 2026 Thousand Guineas?
Regal Ambition is the favourite at $4.40, ahead of Saintly Dancer at $4.80 and Over The Bridge at $5.50. These are Punt Hub's best displayed odds.
What are Punt Hub's tips for the 2026 Thousand Guineas?
Punt Hub's tip is No. 4 De Armas, who ran second in the Group 1 Flight Stakes over 1600 metres. We're against No. 9 Regal Ambition, the favourite, from barrier 11.
Do favourites win the Thousand Guineas?
Not often lately. The favourites were beaten in 2024 and 2025, only three of the last 10 winners started shorter than $5, and six paid $9 or more.
Does barrier matter in the Thousand Guineas?
Yes. Seven of the last 10 winners drew barrier 5 or inside, and Amphitrite in 2018 is the only winner from a double-figure barrier in that time.
What is the track condition at Caulfield for the Thousand Guineas?
Caulfield raced on a Good 4 track on Wednesday, and the forecast is dry to Saturday, so expect a Good track. Recheck the rating on race morning.
How much prizemoney is the Thousand Guineas worth?
The 2026 Thousand Guineas is worth $1,500,000, with $900,000 to the winner, $270,000 for second and $135,000 for third.
Who won the Thousand Guineas in 2025?
Ole Dancer won the 2025 Thousand Guineas at $5 for trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman and jockey Blake Shinn, narrowly beating the favourite Apocalyptic.
Which trainers have the most runners in the 2026 Thousand Guineas?
Ciaron Maher has four runners: Saintly Dancer, Icelady, Over The Bridge and Platinum Pearl. Chris Waller has three: De Armas, Sing Your Song and Katoto.
How to watch the Thousand Guineas
Watch live on Channel 7 and stream free on 7plus. The Melbourne Racing Club sells tickets for Caulfield Cup Day.