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The countdown to the autumn Group 1 races continues at Caulfield on Saturday as the Oakleigh Plate types step out in the Rubiton Stakes 2026 field where Hedged is the one to beat according to the bookies.
One of a trio of Group 2 status races on Blue Diamond Prelude Day in Melbourne, the $300,000 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) features a diminutive but class line-up of eight sprinters.
The Rubiton Stakes has been won by a host of top-line horses over the years including Chautauqua (2015) and Rey Magnerio (2025).
It is a key lead-up to the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate back at the same track and trip on Blue Diamond Day, and Lankan Rupee (2014) was the last to do the double.
This year’s event features a number of potential Oakleigh Plate hopes including the Gavin Bedggood-trained favourited Hedged who sits top of the Rubiton Stakes odds at $2.90 through Ladbrokes.com.au.
The consistent Capitalist five-year-old boasts a great 1100m strike rate (4:2-1-0) and he is coming back in distance after a dominant two-length victory in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Pakenham on January 23.
Saturday, he goes up a half-kilo carrying the 59kg Rubiton Stakes topweight but remains the clear top elect drawn the inside alley with Harry Coffey retaining the ride.
He just keeps defying the usual rules of a long campaign, and his latest effort was another example of Bedggood getting the very best out of him.
After looking like he might’ve reached the end of his prep, he bounced back to produce a new peak in the Australia Stakes, smashing the record on a lightning-fast track and putting away rivals who are proven at a higher level.
If he turns up in the same shape again, he’s clearly the one they have to beat — the challenge, as always with him, is holding that form from run to run.
The second elect in Rubiton Stakes betting this season is the Ben, Will & JD Hayes trained Oak Hill ($3.80).
Oak Hill finds himself in a very suitable assignment second-up, tackling a small Rubiton Stakes field on Saturday.
The consistent Per Incanto five-year-old from the Lindsay Park team was excellent fresh here on January 24, finishing runner-up in the Listed WJ Adams, and he doesn’t need to lift much to go one better.
He drops a kilo to 57kg, boasts a strong second-up record (4:2-1-0), and rarely runs a bad race at The Heath.
Drawn perfectly in gate two and one of the fitter runners in the line-up, he looks well placed despite being winless at 1100m, a trip that still sits comfortably within his range.
With Damian Lane — who has partnered him to previous victories — jumping aboard, he can settle, build momentum late, and put himself right in the frame for an Oakleigh Plate tilt.
Two other runners are also under double-figure Rubiton Stakes odds at time of publish with the resuming Michael Freedman-trained Pallaton ($4.60) and the early market mover Proved.
Promising Wootton Bassett colt Pallaton steps out for the first time since winning a 1000m 3YO sprint at Flemington over the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
He carted 57.5kg to victory against his own age that day and should relish coming back to just 54kg first-up on the weekend taking on the older gallopers from barrier six with Jamie Melham to ride.
With form against some nice types from last prep including his Listed The Rosebud third to Skyhook from back in August, this marks his acid test, but he remains a top three chance based on what he’s shown to date.
The three-year-olds have a credible Rubiton Stakes record with Lofty Strike (2023) the last youngster to get the better of the more seasoned sprinters in the event.
The Enver Jusufovic-trained Time Test mare Proved out of Cranbourne meanwhile was a runner who looked a forgotten roughie chance for last weekend’s Group 3 Bellmaine Stakes before her scratching.
She gets the chance to feature in an even bigger race now and atone for her second last (13th) finish in the Supernova at Pakenham back in mid-December.
The run prior here at Caulfield saw her winning the Group 3 How Now Stakes and defeating Aviatress with 55kg at a blowout price of $26.
Having been stretched at 1400m last time out the drop back to a more suitable distance puts her back in contention, she gets conditions to suit, and she could prove the potential all-the-way value with the booking of Craig Williams in the saddle of the expected front runner.
The 2026 Rubiton Stakes is set to run as Caulfield Race 6 at 3:05pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s 10-race card.
Rubiton Stakes 2026 Results
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1st
5. Oak Hill (2)
J: Damian Lane 57kg
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
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2nd
6. Don’t Hope Do (4)
J: Thomas Stockdale 57kg
T: Simon Zahra |
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3rd
1. Hedged (1)
J: Harry Coffey 59kg
T: Gavin Bedggood |
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4th
8. Pallaton (5)
J: Jamie Melham 54kg
T: Michael Freedman |
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5th
3. Wonder Boy (3)
J: Lachlan Neindorf 58kg
T: Jerome Hunter |
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6th
4. Maharba (6)
J: Jordan Childs 57kg
T: Grahame Begg |
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