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The bookies are taking no chances with Lindsay Park‘s returning Stradbroke champ with War Machine a dominant odds-on favourite in Australia Stakes 2026 betting under the lights at Pakenham on Friday night.

With The Valley currently under redevelopment, this season’s Group 2 $350,000 Australia Stakes (1200m) will be run and won at Southside Pakenham.

A small but field of just eight summer sprinters face off in the event, which serves as a key early lead-up to the autumn’s Group 1 majors, and all the money is on the Ben, Will & JD Hayes trained War Machine.

Currently quoted at $1.60 in the Australia Stakes odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au, the classy Harry Angel five-year-old makes his new-season return chasing atonement in easier company after heavy back-to-back losses last time in.

After failing to match it with the world’s best in The Everest when 10th to Ka Ying Rising in Sydney back in October, he was last seen running 12th when 10-lengths off Jimmysstar in the Russell Balding Stakes on November 1.

This is a much lower grade of rivals and he’s a $3.36 million earner with a strong first-up record (5:2-2-1).

A gun over the six-furlongs (6:2-2-1), War Machine strung together four wins on the trot prior to his Everest flop including taking out Brisbane’s premier race – the Stradbroke – over 1400m last June.

Fresh in the spring he claimed the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes at Flemington with 60kg by two lengths in an enormous 1200m run, and he is more than capable of repeating that feat this weekend.

Second elect in the latest Australia Stakes betting markets at $6 is the rails-drawn Hedged prepared by Gavin Bedggood.

Harry Coffey sticks aboard the Capitalist five-year-old here having ridden him for an impressive 2.5 length win in the Listed X’Mas Stakes (1200m) at Sandown on Boxing Day as well has his last start loss.

Hedged failed to fire down the Flemington straight on January 10 over six lengths beaten in the Group 3 Standish Handicap but he is better than that and if he can get on the speed early there’s improvement in him.

The Ciaron Maher trained Nadal ($8) – coming off a second in the X’Mas Stakes, and the early market mover Jimmy Recard ($9) – a three-year-old racing first-up also prepared by Maher – are the other single figure fancies hoping to rain on War Machine’s parade.

Of the value runners, returning Group 1 champ and the 2024 Australia Stakes winner Veight ($13) who saluted for the punters that year along with Perth raider Aztec Ruler ($12) to be ridden by William Pike shape up as those most likely for a blowout.

The 2026 Australia Stakes is scheduled to run as Pakenham Race 7 at 9:15pm (AEDT) on Friday’s eight-race twilight racing program.

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