Sydney Cup Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2026

The Sydney Cup is one of the best long-distance races on the Australian calendar and is run under handicap conditions. The race will take place on Saturday, April 11, 2026 and is run at a distance of 3,200m. The Group 1 race is run at Randwick Racecourse and forms part of what is known as Day Two of The Championships.

Looking for some quick information about the Sydney Cup? You’ve come to the right place! Check out the table to get you started:

Run at the same distance as the greatest race of them all, the Melbourne Cup, the Sydney Cup showcases some of the best stayers both Australia and the world have to offer. It is one of the biggest Group One races to take place in Sydney’s Autumn Racing Carnival. There is a cool $2 million in prize money on offer for the Sydney Cup.

The handicap race always attracts a quality field that has a distinct international flavour. Some of the highest calibre horses have won the Sydney Cup over the years, including the likes of; Makybe Diva, Tie The Knot and Kingston Town!

The Sydney Cup is run on Day Two of The Championships, which includes other Group 1 races like the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Queen of the Turf Stakes and the Australian Oaks. The Provincial-Midway Championships Final is also raced on the same day at Randwick, but it isn’t technically a Group 1 race. 

With all this racing taking place at Randwick during Sydney’s Autumn Racing Carnival, it should be no surprise to learn that it is one of the top tracks in the country. The Sydney Cup is rich with history and we will cover more about all the interesting things that have happened during the race in the past in our “History” section later on this page.

So, be sure to visit OnlyRacing for all your Sydney Cup needs! We cover so many different aspects of the race, there’s something for everyone. We cover the all-important Sydney Cup tips, betting, odds as well as other information like the field, form guide, results and more.

Before we let you dig into our Sydney Cup tips, we’ve prepared this nice little table that includes the breakdown of prize money for the race. Check it out here:

One of the things we take very seriously here at OnlyRacing is our free horse racing tips. We love providing horse racing tips, not just on every single Group 1 on the calendar, but daily horse racing tips for our regular readers, like our Randwick tips for example. 

Our experts are waiting until the final field is confirmed before providing their Sydney Cup tips in 2026. As of right now, the final field hasn’t been announced just yet. When the final field is confirmed during race week, we will provide our best bet, next best and best roughie in this section.

We have to wait a little longer for our 2026 Sydney Cup tips, but while you wait, you can check out our 2025 Sydney Cup tips here:

Sydney Cup Best Bet - Zardozi

Not putting down the favourite as my best bet for the 2025 Sydney Cup as I just think Zardozi has too much class. The 4YO also presents a bit of value as well, currently going around with odds of $8.00 at PlayUp. She’s got WFA form and has come through the Australian Cup, which was a difficult race.

She could have won that race, but she couldn’t go up the gears as well as some of the others down the straight and ended up finishing third. Gets a 4kg swing in her favour from that race to this one and we see Kerrin McEvoy take over the saddle from Jamie Melham. The mare also jumps from barrier three, so that works in her favour as well.

Sydney Cup Next Best - Alalcance

The favourite doesn’t always have the best record on the Sydney Cup, winning 10 of the last 35 editions, but I would be silly not to include Alalcance in my set of tips. The 5YO has been going gang-busters so far this prep, winning three from three and is certainly building nicely, which includes a win last time out in the Chairman’s Quality, one of the ideal lead-up race.

In fact, 19 of the last 35 winners of the Sydney Cup have come from the Chairman’s Quality. The mare never looked like losing in that race, so it’s understandable she’s caught the attention of the bookies. Right now, you can pick up Alalcance with odds of $2.40. I don’t like the wide draw for her, but Tim Clark sticks and has been with her the entire prep.

Sydney Cup Best Roughie - Strathtay

Heading to the Sydney Cup, Strathtay will carry the equal-lightest weight, just 50kg. He’s another that is coming through the Chairman’s Quality, where he finished sixth out of 20 runners, 5.5L off the pace. He finished strongly in that one behind Alalcance, finding the line well, so I think he’ll appreciate the step up.

He also recorded the fastest final 200m of that race and we all know how big of an indicator the Chairman’s Quality is. While he hasn’t entered the winner’s stall since August 2024, I think the gelding is worth a go, especially considering he is going around with odds of $31, at the time of writing, thanks to PlayUp.

Several different Sydney Cup betting markets will be available through a range of betting apps. All the best horse racing betting sites will have a huge range of markets so there is something for everyone. 

If you’re new to horse racing betting, sticking with the simple bet types like the Win or Place Bet is a good option. Then, as your skills develop, you can try more advanced bet types. Once you’ve nailed down the market you want to bet on, then you also need to decide which bookie you’re going to bet with.

There are many  Australian betting sites out there and to make the job easier for you, we’ve provided an in-depth review of all the top ones going around. You should look for ones that have the best betting sites bonuses going around as a starting point.

Beyond that, looking for bookies that offer superior odds and betting promotions is another good option. Each bookmaker will offer something a little different, which is why it’s a good idea to check out our bookie reviews.

We go through all the ins and outs of each bookie. Providing you with all the information you need to pick the best bookie for you. For the Sydney Cup specifically, Volcanobet, QuestBet and Betfocus are some of the best betting apps going around!

They are just three bookies that you can bet with come the Sydney Cup, so if you’d like some more suggestions on who to bet with, all you have to do is scroll up to our “Betting Sites” section, which is located earlier on this page. We’ve got many more bookies that we think you’ll love listed there.

The Sydney Cup field will be confirmed during race week and at that time you’ll see the amount of runners that will line up for the race. It isn’t currently race week, so we don’t yet know which runners will be fighting it out for Group 1 glory. We will provide all the 2026 Sydney Cup field information when we can.

As well as the field, if the odds market is released, you’ll find that in our “Odds” section. Checking out the current odds will give you some indication of which runners are more favoured in the market at the moment. If the odds are available, you should remember that they will be changing all the time, so if you see a good price, jump on it while you can!

While the 2026 Sydney Cup field isn’t available, we can check out which runners that took part in the 2025 race here:

For the 2025 Sydney Cup, we saw a massive field of 20 runners confirmed, which is a jump from the 17 runners that was confirmed in 2024. On top of this, we also saw three emergencies, just in case there were any pre-race scratchings. In the end, Valiant King was scratched, which meant Hopeful was able to book a spot in the starting barriers.

If you check out the field for any given race on any day, you’ll probably notice there are a few scratchings here and there. Scratchings are unfortunately a way of life in horse racing and can happen at any time. This is why it is a good idea to keep an eye on things, especially if you have a bet on the race.

When going through the final field, another important aspect to look into is the barrier draw. This is especially the case in races with a big field as the barrier draw can have a major impact on how the race will play out for the runners. Some barriers are more successful than others, so it also pays to check out the barrier stats as well.

The Sydney Cup has been running for a long time now and you know what that means? Heaps of form guide data and stats to go through! Well, not you exactly, but the team at OnlyRacing will go through it all. We actually enjoy going through the Sydney Cup form guide and finding interesting stats.

We’ve gone through all the important form indicators and found some patterns in the winners that will hopefully point you in the direction of the upcoming Sydney Cup winner. So, if you prefer to bet with your head and not your heart, check out the Sydney Cup form guide information in this section!

Since 2010, we’ve seen international gallopers dominate the Sydney Cup, with Knights Order (2022) and Niwot (2012) being the only two Australian successes during that time! The Sydney Cup is also a race known to have a lot of upsets and in the last 36 years, we’ve only seen 10 favourites win the race.

If you’re looking for the best lead-up race for Sydney Cup winners, we think you should focus on the Chairman’s Quality. In the last 36 years, we’ve seen 19 Sydney Cup winners come from the Chairman’s Quality, which is a Group 2 run at a distance of 2,600m. 

You should also consider checking out the Manion Cup as well, 11 of the last 36 Sydney Cup winners contested the Manion Cup beforehand. It is important to look into runners who are in some form because, since 2006, there have been only two runners who finished lower than fourth in the lead-up run.

As the race is run under handicap conditions, it pays to look into the weight of each runner. In the last 32 years, there have only been two winners that have carried 57kg or more, including Mourayan (2013) and Tie The Knot (1999).

When it comes to the age and sex of the winner, look for older male horses. There have been only five mares in the last three or so decades that have won the Sydney Cup. It seems as though 7YOs have had some success in the race, with six winners between 2006 and 2022.

The Sydney Cup has been around for a LONG time! This means there are heaps of Sydney Cup horses to go through. While we wish we could feature them all in this section, we just don’t have the time. So, we’ve had to make some tough decisions on who to write about here.

We’ve picked out some of the best Sydney Cup horses to ever win the race and while you may think we’ve missed a horse that deserves to be on the list, remember we can’t feature all of them! Check out the best Sydney Cup horses we’ve decided to feature here (hopefully your favourite makes the list!):

The Barb - 1868 & 1869

The Barb won the Sydney Cup in back-to-back years, in 1968 and 1869. Along with his back-to-back victory in the Sydney Cup, The Barb also won the greatest race of them all, the Melbourne Cup! He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame and finished his career with a record of 23:15-2-1.

Wakeful - 1902

Wakeful was a top-notch racehorse that was only unplaced on three occasions! She won the 1902 Sydney Cup along with several other top-tier races like the Newmarket Handicap, Doncaster Mile and the Oakleigh Plate. In 2002, she was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

Galilee - 1967

Galilee was the first and remains the only runner to win the Sydney Cup, the Melbourne Cup and the Caulfield Cup all in the same season. The gelding ended his career with a record of 36:18-6-4 and won several other Group 1 races like the Toorak Handica, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes along with the Memsie Stakes.

Kingston Town - 1980

The 1980 Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year certainly captured the hearts of many Australians during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Kingston Town even had a Group 1 race named after him, the Kingston Town Classic, which has since been renamed to the Northerly Stakes. Some of the other races the gelding won throughout his career include the Rosehill Guineas and the Cox Plate.

Tie The Knot - 1998 & 1999

Tie The Knot was another multiple-winner of the Sydney Cup after winning the race in back-to-back years in 1998 and 1999. Throughout his entire career, the gelding won 13 Group 1 races including the Spring Champion Stakes, the Rosehill Guineas and the Underwood Stakes, just to name a few.

Makybe Diva - 2004

Makybe Diva is a much-loved mare, who is probably best known for winning the Melbourne Cup three years in a row, but she also won the 2004 Sydney Cup. She amassed over $14 million in prize money and was named the Australian Racehorse of the Year in 2005 and 2006. The Makybe Diva Stakes is a Group 1 race named in her honour and is run each year in September.

The Sydney Cup odds are like the glue that holds everything together! It’s important to know what odds you are getting for the market you want to bet on because then you’ll understand how likely it is for that bet to get up, as well as how much you could potentially win.

Well before the Sydney Cup is due to start all the best horse racing betting apps will open markets for you to bet on the race. Our favourite bookie, PlayUp, hasn't yet released their horse racing markets for the Sydney Cup. When the information becomes available, we will provide it in this section.

If you’ve found a runner that you like, we recommend getting on them as soon as you can. If you are betting when the market is listed as “Before Noms” then you’ll get your stake back if your chosen runner doesn’t end up making the final field. You’ll also find that the odds are much higher at this time, compared to if you bet the day of the race.

It’s also important to remember that there will be a lot of fluctuations in the odds as well. Odds can change multiple times a day and there are many factors behind this. For example, if a runner had a poor lead-up run, this could cause their odds to blow out, or if there are a lot of big bets on a particular runner, this could cause their odds to shorten.

The 2026 Sydney Cup odds may not be available just yet, but we can take a look at where each runner stacked up for the 2025 race here:

*Odds correct as of 10/04/2025.

The Sydney Cup is one of the longest-running races on the Australian horse racing calendar. It is run each year during the Autumn Racing Carnival, which is one of the biggest horse racing carnivals of the year. With a race that has been running for as long as the Sydney Cup has, there’s a lot of history to go through!

The first-ever running of the Sydney Cup was all the way back in 1862 and was won by Talleyrand. The Sydney Cup has been run under several different names over that time, including the Randwick Grand Handicap, the Randwick Grand Handicap Sweepstakes along with the Sydney Gold Cup.

Despite the first running of the Sydney Cup taking place in 1862, it wasn’t until 1980 that the race was upgraded to Group 1 status. That was also the year the Sydney Cup was won by none other than Kingston Town!

The Sydney Cup race record is held by two runners, Apollo Eleven (1973) and Just A Dancer (1999) both ran the race in a time of 3:19.90. In 1989, we saw the lightest weighted winner since 1970, which was Palace Revolt with just 48.5kg. Contrastingly, in 1978, we saw My Good Man win the Sydney Cup with the most-ever weight, 60kg.

You may already be aware, but the Sydney Cup is just one of many races that are on the Australian calendar each year. We have pages just like this one on all the other Group 1 races and key feature races. If you’d like to learn more about those races, check out our Group One races list.

Each year horse racing fans want to know who won the Sydney Cup results. For the 2026 Sydney Cup, we don’t know who won the race just yet, because the race hasn’t been run! But as soon as we know, we will bring you all the results you’re looking for.

In 2025, we saw a $20 long-shot Arapaho win the Sydney Cup. The Bjorn Baker-trained gelding jumped from barrier 11 and ended up finishing 2.95L ahead of Waltham, who finished in second place after coming from barrier 13.

Wrapping up the final minor placings was River Of Stars. The mare jumped from barrier 10 and ended up finishing 3.5L behind the leader. In the end, the Sydney Cup was run in a time of 3:18.31 and there was a total of 37.22L that split the first and last runners across the finishing line.

Want to see where each runner finished in the 2025 Sydney Cup? Well, then you should check out the table here:

You’ve read the table, now watch the video! Check out the race replay video on the Sydney Cup here:

There have been many quality Sydney Cup winners over the years. If you’re looking for a list of all the recent winners of the Sydney Cup, you’ve come to the right place! Check out the table here:

You’ve almost read everything you could possibly know about the Sydney Cup! But before we get the party poppers going, check out some final Sydney Cup FAQs here: