Canterbury Stakes Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2026

The Canterbury Stakes is a weight-for-age sprint race held each year at Randwick Racecourse. In 2026, the race will be held on Saturday 7th March. The 1,300m trip is one of the most interesting races on the Australian calendar. The race is held on the same day and same track at the Randwick Guineas, another Group 1.

Before we take a deep dive into all things Canterbury Stakes, let’s check out some quick information about the race:

The Canterbury Stakes is a Group 1 race on the Australian thoroughbred racing calendar that attracts Aussie horses ages three and up (at weight-for-age restrictions) to Randwick Racecourse at the start of March for a scintillating 1,300m race. The Canterbury Stakes is one of New South Wales’s most prestigious and oldest Group One races, having first run in 1929! 

Since then, the Canterbury Stakes has undergone a series of changes and updates that have assisted in creating the Canterbury Stakes we know today. We will go into more of these changes to the Canterbury Stakes later on in our “History” section.

In this in-depth look into the Canterbury Stakes, the team at OnlyRacing will cover many different aspects including our tips for the race, how to bet on the race, the current odds, the final field and so much more. So make sure you strap yourself in, it’s going to be one hell of a ride!

In recent times, the Canterbury Stakes has taken place at Randwick Racecourse, which is one of the top tracks in Australia. Randwick Racecourse is home to several other major races and each year many horse racing enthusiasts make their way to the racecourse to be a part of the action.

The prize money is one part of what makes a Group 1 so special. Check out the breakdown of prize money for the Canterbury Stakes here:

One quick look around OnlyRacing and you’ll see just how much we love free horse racing tips! It’s all our experts think about. We want to provide our readers with the best Randwick tips going around, so we put our blood, sweat and tears into finding you a winner! 

For the Canterbury Stakes in 2026, our tips aren’t available just yet. The final field hasn’t been announced yet and we are waiting for race week when that happens to provide our Canterbury Stakes tips. We want to have all the information possible when providing our best bet, next best and best roughie for the Canterbury Stakes.

Seeing that you’re already here, you can check out our 2025 Canterbury Stakes tips (we will replace them with our 2026 tips closer to race day):

Canterbury Stakes Best Bet - Magic Time

There are a few genuine contenders in this year’s Canterbury Stakes and it took me a while to land on my best bet. In the end, I’ve sided with Magic Time, who maps pretty well for this. Mares seem to have a decent record in the Canterbury Stakes and in the last 13 editions, seven mares have won.

Magic Time is currently the narrow favourite with PlayUp, at odds of $4.40, but there is virtually nothing in it with Switzerland on the second line of betting at $4.60. She put in a great effort first-up in the Expressway Stakes to claim victory. There is a little bit of rain around and that will only help her chances.

Canterbury Stakes Next Best - Sunshine In Paris

Sunshine In Paris slots in as my next best for the 2025 Canterbury Stakes. As I previously mentioned, mares have a good record in this one, so that’s an easy tick right there. She’ll be tackling this one first-up and her first-up record is very good with three wins out of four attempts (the race she didn’t win was The Galaxy where she finished second).

We last saw Sunshine In Paris win the Champions Sprint in early November. The mare is currently on the third line of betting with PlayUp, at odds of $6.50 to take the win. Unlike Magic Time, she wants the rain to stay away as she doesn’t have the best Heavy record, her Soft record is alright though. 

Canterbury Stakes Best Roughie - Ceolwulf

A very strong edition of the Canterbury Stakes awaits us and for my best roughie, I’m siding with Ceolwulf. The multiple Group 1 winner was scratched from the Verry Elleegant Stakes last weekend, after trainer Joseph Pride said it was a 50/50 call and he believed that Ceolwulf would have been right in the finish in that one.

Ceolwulf’s regular jockey, Chad Schofield, has already been booked for Sunshine In Paris, so Adam Hyeronimus steps up. The drop back to 1,300m is interesting and Ceolwulf seems to be the kind of runner that puts in a sharp improvement second-up. He gets the gun draw (barrier one), so there are a few options. PlayUp is currently offering $7.50 for Ceolwulf.

The hardest decision you will make for the Canterbury Stakes once you have figured out your picks is where to place your money. We have a tried and tested strategy you can use when punting on the Canterbury Stakes. There are three simple steps involved:

1. Be sure you have figured out your specific picks for the Canterbury Stakes.
2. Compare the odds of this pick across as many Australian bookmakers as you can (we have a full list of all available Australian bookmakers on our bookmaker reviews page).
3. Place your bet with whichever bookmaker has the best odds!

Now that you know who and where to bet on for the Canterbury Stakes, let us take a look at some of the markets that punters regularly bet on:

• Fixed Win Odds - This market locks in win odds for the selection of your choice at the time of placing a bet. For example, you placed a fixed win bet on your chosen runner at $11 two days before the jump. They close at $9.50, however, if they win, you receive the odds of $11, because that was the odds at the time you placed your bet.
• Fixed Place Odds - This works in the same way as fixed win odds markets, except this market is for a runner to place in the top three of the field. The exception to this is when there are less than eight runners, in which case only two placings are paid out. 
• Exotics - This is a wide umbrella term that includes such markets as the Quinella, the Trifecta, the Exacta and the First Four. What these markets all have in common is that they combine multiple runners into a single dividend for any given race. These markets are great fun, especially on big race events such as the Canterbury Stakes.

There are many different betting apps, so it certainly pays to check out at least a few of them because they all offer something slightly different. Having multiple accounts allows you to easily check which bookie is offering the best odds for the runner you want to bet on.

There are a few horse racing betting sites that are a cut above the rest, especially when it comes to horse racing. Australian betting sites like PlayUp, Dabble and WellBet have a unique offering and are some of the best betting apps going around!

If you’re looking for the best betting sites bonuses, head on up to our “Betting Sites” section as we go through all the promotions on offer from each bookie. Each bookie will have different types of betting promotions as well, which is another reason it’s a good idea to have multiple accounts, so you can take advantage of all of them.

Each year we see an amazing field full of quality runners compete in the Canterbury Stakes. It isn’t race week right now, so the 2026 Canterbury Stakes field hasn’t been confirmed. However, if history is anything to go by, we can expect to see a raft of high-quality runners included in the field.

On top of this, if the odds for the Canterbury Stakes are released, we will list them in our “Odds” section later on this page. Checking out the odds will show you which runners are likely to be targeting the Canterbury Stakes.

It is important to remember that as the field isn’t confirmed, the odds will be constantly changing. So, don’t be surprised if you check back a couple of days later, that the odds for the runner you’re thinking of betting on have changed.

The field for the 2026 race isn’t available just yet, but let’s look back and see the 2025 Canterbury Stakes field here:

For the 2025 Canterbury Stakes, we saw a field of 12 runners announced. No emergencies were listed either for the Canterbury Stakes in 2025, so with the pre-race scratching of Pericles, we saw the final field size reduced to just 11 runners.

You’ll find that in horse racing, scratchings happen a fair amount. This is even the case in major races like the Canterbury Stakes. Scratchings can happen at any stage before the race and there are a few reasons that cause a runner to be scratched.

The barrier draw is another key aspect to look at when going through the final field. While the barrier draw isn’t as important in smaller fields, it can still play a role in how the race unfolds. Some barriers have a higher strike rate when compared to others.

Looking at some key form indicators for the Canterbury Stakes is a good idea because you’ll make a more informed decision. The Canterbury Stakes form guide will present several different interesting stats and patterns that could point you straight towards the winner.

You don’t have to lift a finger though, as the team here at OnlyRacing will take care of everything for you. We’ve sifted through all the form for the race and found some key indicators that are worthy of your attention. Check out what we’ve found!

We’ve got some good news for all those who like to bet on the favourite! Since 1996, there have been 14 winners who have started the favourite, including Forbidden Love in 2022. Even if the favourite doesn’t win, the winner is usually favoured in the market. 

Almost every year since 2003 the winner of the Canterbury Stakes has started at odds of $6.50 or lower. This is except for Mizzy in 2021 ($71), Lady Laguna in 2024 ($11) and Royal Patronage in 2025 ($20).

It seems as though the mares have had a lot of success in the Canterbury stakes in recent times. In the last 14 editions of the Canterbury Stakes, seven mares have won, including Lady Laguna in 2024. 

You should also look for Canterbury Stakes runners that have previously won a Group 1, as there have only been four winners in the last 14 years that hadn’t won a Group 1. In 2025, Royal Patronage won his first Group 1 in his eighth attempt.

The Canterbury Stakes has such a rich history and that means there have been so many epic runnings of the race. Only the best of the best Canterbury Stakes horses have managed to win the race. We’ve pulled out a handful of the best horses and discuss them in further detail below.

There are too many epic Canterbury Stakes horses and we’ve only chosen a handful, so we’ve had to make some tough decisions on which horses to feature in this section. Take a look to see which horses we’ve decided to focus on:

Beau Vite - 1939 

Beau Vite had an epic and long career, his record ended at 60:31-9-5 which meant that he won more than half of the races he competed in, including the 1939 Canterbury Stakes. He has been inducted into both the Australian and New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. Other notable races Beau Vite won throughout his career included the Cox Plate, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, along with The Metropolitan.

Sky High - 1961 & 1962

Sky High was good enough to win the Canterbury Stakes twice, in 1961 and in 1962. Like all of the other horses featured in this section, he had a career record that many can only dream of. By the end of his career, his record was 55:29-10-9. He won several other Group 1 races as well, including the Victoria Derby, the Golden Slipper, the Epsom Handicap and the Chipping Norton Stakes.

Manikato - 1982

Manikato was the winner of the Canterbury Stakes in 1982 and he was in fact only the second Australian horse, after Kingston Town, to win $1 million in prize money! He has a Group 1 named after him, the Manikato Stakes, run during the Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne. Some of the other key races he won include the Golden Slipper, the William Reid Stakes (five times!) and the Blue Diamond Stakes, just to name a few.

More Joyous - 2011 & 2012

Like Sky High, More Joyous was able to win the Canterbury Stakes back-to-back, in 2011 and in 2012. The mare won eight Group 1s throughout her career and ended with an overall race record of  30:21-0-2. Her biggest win was in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but she also won races like the Queen of the Turf Stakes and the Toorak Handicap.

Happy Clapper - 2018

Happy Clapper always seemed to play second fiddle to the great mare, Winx. He certainly would have won so much more prize money if he wasn’t racing in the same era as Winx. On five different occasions, Happy Clapper finished second behind Winx! Despite this, he still managed over $7 million in prize money, not too shabby! Happy Clapper also won races like the Doncaster Mile and the Epsom Handicap. 

It’s important to look at the Canterbury Stakes odds because that’s what will tell you how much money you’ll receive if your bet wins. Different horse racing betting apps will likely offer slightly different odds for the same runner, so it’s a good idea to check what’s on offer from different bookies.

It’s also important to remember that odds are as fickle as they come and it only takes something very minor to change the odds for a particular runner. Many horse racing markets will open up before the Canterbury Stakes, so you are sure to find a market you’d like to bet on.

PlayUp hasn’t released their market for the Canterbury Stakes, but we will provide this information here in this section as soon as we can. When the market is first released it is likely to be “Before Noms” and we think this is a great time to bet because you’ll get your cash back if your horse doesn’t end up running in the race.

If you choose to bet on the race when the market is “All-In”, it’s important to note that you won’t get your stake back if your horse doesn’t make the final field. If you are winning to take that risk, then that’s totally up to you!

Before the 2026 Canterbury Stakes odds are released, check out the odds for all the runners in the Canterbury Stakes for 2025 here:

*Odds correct as of 06/03/2025.

The Canterbury Stakes is traditionally run at Canterbury Racecourse of course! However, after the merger of the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) and the Sydney Turf Club (STC), the joint enterprise decided to revamp the Canterbury Stakes and now its regular home is at Randwick Racecourse. 

The Canterbury Stakes takes place during the Autumn Racing Carnival in Sydney, which is one of the biggest horse racing carnivals going around. Below, we will go into the many changes over the history of the Canterbury Stakes, as well as a couple of fun facts along the way.

Let’s start off by talking about the distances used over the history of the Canterbury Stakes. Traditionally, as with most races before the 1970s, the Canterbury Stakes was run at six furlongs in length, or what is almost equivalent to 1,200m. 

This distance was used for the Canterbury Stakes between 1929 and 1972 before it was solidified in Australian metrics as a 1,200m race (between 1973 and 2003). After three decades of being run at 1,200m, the Canterbury Stakes spent four years at 1,300m before the infamous 1,550m run in 2008. Since then, however, the Canterbury Stakes has reverted back to 1,300m where it now remains.

The grade of the Canterbury Stakes has mimicked many similar stakes races on the Australian thoroughbred calendar. Until 1978, the Canterbury Stakes was considered what we call a Principal Race. It was shifted to a Group 2 event in 1979 where it remained until 2012. Since then, the Canterbury Stakes has been a Group 1 race that attracts some of Australia’s best thoroughbreds.

The most interesting set of changes to the Canterbury Stakes is the location which we touched on earlier. From 1929 to 1996 the Canterbury Stakes was held at Canterbury Racecourse. From 1997 to 1999, Canterbury Racecourse was under construction and so the Canterbury Stakes was held at Rosehill Racecourse. 

In the 2010s, the Canterbury Stakes spent five years each at Canterbury Racecourse and Rosehill Racecourse. Since 2014, the AJC and STC have moved the Canterbury Stakes to its new home of Randwick Racecourse where it has remained for a decade.

There are so many other Group 1 races on the calendar and if you’re interested in learning more about them then why don’t you check out our Group One races list. We’ve over 100 races there for you to go through!

So, who won the Canterbury Stakes in 2026?! Well, we’d love to know because that’s a winning bet for us! We are waiting for the Canterbury Stakes to be run and won in 2026, but while we wait, let’s take a look at everything that went down in the race in 2025.

Long-shot, Royal Patronage, won the Canterbury Stakes in 2025. The 6YO was paying $20 before the race and jumped from barrier 10. He ended up finishing 0.3L ahead of Here To Shock, who jumped from barrier two, finishing in second place.

Magic Time, the narrow pre-race favourite, finished in third place, 1.1L off the pace. In the end, the 2025 Canterbury Stakes was run in a time of 1:14.87 and there was a total of just 6.7L that split the first and last runners across the finishing post.

Check out the full Canterbury Stakes results here:

Now it’s time to relive all the action of the Canterbury Stakes by watching the full race replay here: 

Want to know who won the Canterbury Stakes in recent history? We’ve got all the winners from 2013 (when the race was upgraded to a Group 1) until now! Check out the table here:

If you’ve gone through all the above content and still have some burning questions, you’ve come to the right place! The final section for this Canterbury Stakes page will focus on some of the most common FAQs. Check out all the FAQs here: