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Chris Waller‘s in-form import Birdman heads betting on the final Group 1 of the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival when chasing a hat-trick in Saturday’s Australian Cup 2026 at HQ.

Elite level racing for the carnival comes to a close at Flemington this weekend with another stellar edition of the time-honoured Group 1 $2 million Australian Cup (2000m) which has drawn a 12-horse final field.

Sitting top of the latest Australian Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $3.50 and firming after drawing favourably in gate five for jockey Ben Melham is Waller’s flying Free Eagle gelding Birdman.

The galloper comes off back-to-back Group 2 wins having claimed the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) / Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) double by a combined margin of nearly four lengths at his latest two.

While no horse has won the Peter Young / Australian Cup double in the same year since Fiorente (2014), the money is coming thick and fast for Birdman to break the drought.

A proven stayer up to 2615m, he presents rock hard fit fourth-up on Saturday and will relish the rise to 2000m at this stage of his preparation.

The danger occupying the second line of Australian Cup betting at $4.80 is Ciaron Maher‘s front-running queen Pride Of Jenni.

The daughter of Pride Of Dubai may be a rising nine-year-old but she showed she wasn’t done with racing at elite level just yet when third fresh only a half-length off dual champ Tom Kitten in the All-Star Mile here on March 7.

Saturday marks her third Australian Cup run with the mare having run second in 2024 and a disappointing ninth last year.

She boasts a decent second-up record (10:2-4-1), has regular rider Declan Bates sticking with from wider out in gate 10 and chases her first win since taking out the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes over the mile at this track last Melbourne Cup Carnival.

In a tight top half of betting a further two Australian Cup contenders are also under double figures for the win including history’s only two-time All-Star Mile champ Tom Kitten ($5).

The Godolphin-raced Harry Angel gelding is unbeaten this prep having got his confidence back first-up in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan before his historic title defence in the All-Star Mile.

He has previous winning form over the 2000m and, even from barrier 12 of 12, presents as a genuine threat to keep the wins coming.

Early market mover and stablemate to the favourite, Leica Lucy ($6), is the last of the single figure fancies set to jump from gate three with Damian Lane booked for the ride.

The former Kiwi and winner of last year’s NZ Oaks, the now four-year-old daughter of Derryn is out to join Duais (2022) as the only Australian Cup winning mares in the past 25 years.

She’s winless since her 2025 NZ Oaks success but her last start sixth in the All-Star Mile was a better run than it looks on paper seeing her beaten under two lengths in an effort full of merit and the step-up in distance now suits.

Of the longer priced hopes it is the Lindsay Park-trained Perth Cup winner Apulia ($11) coming off a second in the Peter Young and All-Star Mile fourth placegetter Sabaj ($11) from the Price & Kent Jnr yard presenting as the most likely for an upset.

The 2026 Australian Cup is scheduled as Flemington Race 8 at 4:15pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s 10-race card.

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