Coolmore Classic Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2026

The Coolmore Classic, a handicap race at Rosehill Racecourse is held each year during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and in 2026 will take place on Saturday 14th March. The 1,500m trip showcases some of the best fillies and mares going around at the moment and features a cool $1 million in prize money.

Before we take a deep dive into the world of the Coolmore Classic let’s go through some quick facts about the race. Check out the table we’ve put together here:

While the race is known as the Coolmore Classic, its official name is the Thomas Arthur David Kennedy Stakes. Coolmore Stud is just the naming-rights sponsor, which is why many people know the race simply as the “Coolmore Classic”! The Coolmore Classic is known as one of the most prestigious Group One races during Autumn.

Thomas Kennedy, whom the race is officially named after, was a well-known horse trainer and a committee member for the Sydney Turf Club. The race was officially named after him from 2005 onwards. We will go into more detail about all the name changes of the Coolmore Classic in our “History” section later on this page.

The Coolmore Classic takes place at Rosehill Racecourse, which is one of the top tracks in the country. The race previously fell on the same day as the newly minted All-Star Mile, however, the All-Star Mile has since moved to the week before the Coolmore Classic.

Many horses target the Coolmore Classic because the winner is exempt from the ballot for two key races later in the Autumn Racing Carnival, the Doncaster Mile as well as the Queen of the Turf Stakes. The Doncaster Mile is worth $4 million and the Queen of the Turf Stakes is worth $1 million.

Speaking of prize money, in 2023, the Coolmore Classic got a cash injection. The prize money for the race increased from $750,000 to $1 million. Several races saw a cash injection as part of Racing NSW’s prize money announcement.

Our Coolmore Classic page will cover a wide range of topics, so be sure to visit us here at OnlyRacing closer to the meet on March 14 to see information like our latest tips, the current odds and the final field for the upcoming race. On top of this, we have other information like the results of past races, top horses that have won the race and details on how to bet on the race.

Before we move on, we want to talk more about the prize money that’s on offer. In total, there’s $1 million available and this is split between the top 10 runners in the Coolmore Classic. Check out the full breakdown here:

It’s Coolmore Classic tips time! Who doesn’t love some free horse racing tips? If you’ve spent any time at all here at OnlyRacing, you’ll know that we have horse racing tips coming out of our ears, including our much-loved Rosehill tips. All our experts work tirelessly to not just find you a winner, but also find some value while we’re at it!

As of right now, our 2026 Coolmore Classic tips aren’t available. Our tipsters are waiting until race week when more information about each runner comes to light. When the time is right, we will provide our best bet, next best and best roughie for the Coolmore Classic, meaning there is something for everyone.

While you’re here, why don’t you check out the runners we tipped for the 2025 Coolmore Classic:

Coolmore Classic Best Bet - Lady Shenandoah

The 2025 Coolmore Classic hosts a raft of quality runners and heaps of genuine winning chances, which obviously makes my job a little tougher! For me though, it is difficult to go past the current pre-race favourite, Lady Shenandoah, who is currently paying $2.30 with PlayUp. The 3YO comes into this one in some excellent form.

She won the Light Fingers Stakes first-up and then won the Surround Stakes last time out. There’s a bit of a swing in the weights against her rivals compared to that run in the Surround Stakes, but Lady Shenandoah is certainly good enough to overcome that. JMac retains the ride and she’ll have to use all her early speed from a wide barrier.

Coolmore Classic Next Best - Coeur Volante

After Lady Shenandoah, I think Coeur Volante has a good chance of running a top-three finish at the very least. The mare is currently on the fourth line of betting with odds of $9.50, thanks to PlayUp. She tackles this one third-up and in her only previous third-up run, she was a beaten favourite in the Thousand Guineas.

However, the horses that beat her home in that one included the likes of Joliestar, Kimochi and Skybird, all of whom have since gone on to win a Group 1. Her first-up run wasn’t anything to write home about, but it was her run last time out that made people take notice. A dominant 4L win in the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes. Draws barrier one as well.

Coolmore Classic Best Roughie - Marble Arch

Marble Arch brings some different form lines into this one, coming from the Group 2 Blamey Stakes in Flemington to tackle this one. Speaking of the Blamey Stakes, she won that race by 2L. Coming into the Coolmore Classic in form is important as 33 of the past 40 winners have finished in the top four of their previous race. 

The 5YO is going around with odds of $12 and I think she is good enough to cause an upset. Remember, In the past 20 years, only three favourites have won the race (I still think Lady Shenandoah is the most likely winner though). The way Marble Arch has been able to cover ground late, it will work in her advantage and she’ll be 3.5kg better off than the top weight.

Here at OnlyRacing, we cover all aspects of the Coolmore Classic. A major part of this includes betting and you’ve probably got many questions about this. Who is best to bet with? What markets can I bet on? How to place my bet? Well, all your prayers (and questions) have been answered.

We think it’s a good idea to try betting on a range of different markets because you get a taste of what they are all about. Different betting apps will offer very similar markets to bet on so once you have the bet types down pat you’re good to go!

Some of the betting markets that we think you should try out for the Coolmore Classic include:

• Quaddie at Rosehill Racecourse.
• Quinella/ Trifecta/ First Four in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic race.
• Fixed Win/ Place bets on your top runners in the Coolmore Classic.
• Multi bet across multiple races in the meeting, there will usually be 10 or more races at Rosehill Racecourse to choose from.

If you’ve found something you like and want to bet on it, you’ll have to make a decision about which bookie to place your bet with. These days, there are so many different horse racing betting sites it will probably give you a headache! How do you know which one is best for you? Well, we are your one-stop shop as we go into detail on all the top Australian betting sites on our bookie review page.

We cover things like the best betting sites bonuses, top betting promotions and much, much more. Bookies like BetGalaxy, PlayUp and Bet365 are some of the best betting apps going around because of the range that’s on offer for their customers. 

Those are just three examples of bookies you can bet with for the upcoming Coolmore Classic. If you’re looking for even more options our “Betting Sites” section above features some of the best bookies going around.

We always see some of the best mares and fillies competing in the Coolmore Classic and we are expecting more of the same again in 2026. We will have to wait until race week to know exactly which runners will be taking on the Coolmore Classic. When the information is available, we will provide it here.

We will also feature the Coolmore Classic odds in our “Odds” section when available. Checking out the odds will give you a better idea of which runners are targeting the race before the final field is announced. Don’t forget that as soon as the odds are released, they will be changing constantly, so if you see a price you fancy, jump on it while you still can!

While we wait, you can check out all the runners that lined up in the Coolmore Classic in 2025 here:

In the 2025 Coolmore Classic, we saw a field of 15 runners announced to compete. There weren’t any emergencies listed either and with the pre-race scratchings of Lazzura and Grinzinger Belle, this meant that just 13 runners took their place in the starting barriers.

It might surprise you to know, but scratchings do happen a lot in horse racing, even when there’s $1 million on the line like there is with the Coolmore Classic. There are several reasons a horse would be scratched from a race, for example, the runner isn’t healthy enough to compete. While it is really annoying to learn the horse you bet on is scratched from the race, you will get your stake back, so it’s back to the drawing board!

When you’re taking a squiz at the final field make sure you look at the barrier each runner will jump from. This is a factor to look at as some barriers are more successful than others. Runners will also have their own race style that is more suited to an insider or wider barrier.

Crack open the notebooks people, we're doing Coolmore Classic form! Well, you don’t have to do anything other than read because we’ve gone through all the form related to the Coolmore Classic and found some key form indicators that will hopefully point you in the right direction when it comes to finding a winner.

There are many things to look at when it comes to the Coolmore Classic form guide, but we’ve made things easy for you. Check out some of the key stats and patterns we’ve found relating to the Coolmore Classic below!

Let’s start with the most successful age of the Coolmore Classic winners, which are 3YOs. In the last 32 editions of the race, 3YOs have won nine of them. Until recently, a 3YO hadn’t won the race since 2009 with Typhoon Tracy, however, this changed in 2025 when Lady Shenandoah won as a 3YO.

Look for a runner that is coming into the Coolmore Classic in some sort of form. In the past 41 editions of the Coolmore Classic, 34 winners have finished in the top four of their previous race. In 2025, winner Lady Shenandoah came into the Coolmore Classic on a two-race winning streak.

As the Coolmore Classic is a handicap race, it’s important to look at the weights. There have only been a handful of runners in recent times that have carried at least 57kg. The last runner to carry at least 57kg was Zougotcha in 2024.

If you’re thinking about backing the favourite, we’d say steer clear! In the past 21 years, only four (yes four!) favourites have won the race. Although, in 2024 and 2025, the favourite won on both occasions, with Zougotcha winning in 2024, paying $3.30 and Lady Shenandoah winning in 2025, paying $2.60.

Lastly, for a lead-up race, you are best placed to check the Millie Fox Stakes as this race has produced four of the last 11 winners, including Zougotcha in 2024. In 2025, Lady Shenandoah competed in and won the Surround Stakes before taking on the Coolmore Classic.

It takes a special horse to win the Coolmore Classic. With a race that’s been running as long as the Coolmore Classic, we’ve seen a lot of epic battles and amazing horses claim glory. We’ve gone through the winners list and hand-picked some of the best Coolmore Classic horses of the past.

We know we’ve left some pretty good names off this list, but we just don’t have time to write about all of them! Check out the Coolmore Classic horses that have made the cut (in our opinion) here:

Emancipation - 1984

In the same year, Emancipation won the Coolmore Classic and she was also named the Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year. To gain that honour, she won several key races in 1984, some of which included the Group 2 Apollo Stakes, the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes as well as the Group 1 All Aged Stakes.

Sunline - 2000 & 2002

There wouldn’t be a Coolmore Classic horses list without Sunline! During her time, she was the world's highest-earning race mare and in the end, she amassed a total of NZ$14,200,000 in prize money. She won the Coolmore Classic in 2000 and again in 2002. Some of the other races she won include the Cox Plate as well as the Doncaster Mile.

Typhoon Tracy - 2009

Crowned the Australian Racehorse of the Year in 2010, Typhoon Tracy won the Coolmore Classic a year earlier in 2009. Throughout her career, she won six Group 1 races, some of which include the Empire Rose Stakes, the CF Orr Stakes and the Queen of the Turf Stakes. She won almost $2 million in prize money and had a career record of 16:10-1-1.

Dixie Blossoms - 2019

In 2019, Dixie Blossoms was awarded the NSW Queen of the Autumn honour. Throughout her career, she won several key races including the Group 3 Angst Stakes (twice) and the Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes (twice). She also gained more than $1 million in prize money throughout her career.

You’ll find many of the top horse racing betting apps will release their odds market for the Coolmore Classic long before the race is due to be run. These horse racing markets will feature horses that bookies think will end up in the final field.

But remember, in horse racing, anything can happen. Horses that might have been targeting the Coolmore Classic and therefore had shorter odds might have a change in plan and end up going into a different race. Horse racing and odds in particular are very fickle, so if you do see a price you like for a runner, it’s a good idea to jump on when the odds are high.

As of right now, PlayUp hasn’t released its markets for the Coolmore Classic. Closer to the time of the race, there will be plenty of markets available, so no matter what you’re interested in, you’ll find something to get on with PlayUp. We will provide details on the fixed win odds as soon as we can.

Betting when the market is “Before Noms” is recommended because if the runner you pick isn’t in the final field, you’ll get your stake back! You won’t have any such luck if the market is “All-In”, so make sure you’ve got your timing down pat.

Check out the odds of the entire 2025 Coolmore Classic field here (we will replace this with the 2026 information when it becomes available):

*Odds correct as of 13/03/2025.

We’ve already spoken about how the Coolmore Classic is actually registered as the Thomas Arthur David Kennedy Stakes, but what about other names the race has been called in the past? In 1975, the Coolmore Classic went by the name of the NSW Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes.

Since then there have been a lot of name changes for the Coolmore Classic:

• Marlboro Classic
• Rosemount Wines Classic
• Orlando Classic
• Orlando Wines Classic
• Winfield Classic

In 1996, when Coolmore became a sponsor, the race was referred to as the Coolmore Classic. It’s been a wild ride for the name of the race, but one thing has remained consistent, the quality of the runners competing each year in the race.

The first-ever running of the Coolmore Classic was taken out by Miss Personality. The race came about as there was found to be a lack of races dedicated to female horses. The Coolmore Classic was the first Group 1 for females in Australia.

Each year the Coolmore Classic takes place during the Autumn Racing Carnival, which is one of the biggest horse racing carnivals on the calendar. If you want to learn more about the other races that take place during the Autumn Racing Carnival, or any other racing carnival throughout the year, check out our Group One races list. We’ve got all the key races there for you!

By now you should already know that Lady Shenandoah won the Coolmore Classic in 2025, but what about the full race finishing order? We’ve got you sorted with the 2025 Coolmore Classic results table and full race replay as well. We will swap this information out for the 2026 race, once it has been run and won!

The 2025 Coolmore Classic was won by Lady Shenandoah, who jumped as the favourite and started from barrier 11. The 3YO finished just 0.13L ahead of Firestorm, who was ridden by Tyler Schiller and jumped from barrier 13.

Filling in the final minor placing was Lady Of Camelot, who was on the second line of betting and jumped from barrier 12. In the end, the 2025 Coolmore Classic was run in a time of 1:27.38 and a total of 10.88L split the first and last runners across the finishing post.

You know it was a doozy of a race, so check out the full finishing order of all the runners in the 2025 Coolmore Classic here:

With a close finish for first, you don’t want to miss out on reliving the action! Check out the 2025 Coolmore Classic race replay video here:

Let’s take a step back in time and look at all the Coolmore Classic winners over the past decade or so. Check out the winners from 2010 up until now here:

You’ve learnt almost all there is to know about the Coolmore Classic! But before you go, if you still have some questions about this great race, we’ve hopefully answered them in this section. Check out all our Coolmore Classic FAQs: