Chris Waller‘s undefeated turf queen Autumn Glow is heavily backed to keep her flawless record intact when the 11-time winner chases a dozen victories as the odds-on favourite in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2026 at Royal Randwick this weekend.

The Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival hosts one of its biggest and best on Saturday with a stacked The Championships Day 2 race card headlined by the time-honoured Group 1 $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

Won by a host of the country’s leading weight-for-age stars over the years, including most famously triple hero Winx (2017-19), the Queen Elizabeth field in 2026 features another cracking line-up.

Master horseman Waller already boasts six Queen Elizabeth Stakes victories including his latest 12 months ago with the subsequently retired Via Sistina.

He returns with a stranglehold number wise over the diminutive but elite Queen Elizabeth Stakes field this weekend saddling up four of the eight final acceptors.

His outstanding four-year-old daughter of The Autumn Sun, Autumn Glow, has scared off larger numbers as she comes in hot out to extend her picket fence and secure her impressive fourth Group 1 victory and third elite level on the trot.

She has been nothing short of brilliant this prep and was last seen putting nearly three lengths on Gringotts in Rosehill’s Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) on Slipper Day.

Winx (2018 & 2019) twice completed the George Ryder / Queen Elizabeth double that Autumn Glow is all the rage to emulate this autumn.

A genuine Randwick specialist with six wins at the track already on her glowing CV, Saturday has her up in trip for the first time looking for her maiden 2000m victory which she’s tipped to secure without issue.

Drawn a dream in gate two with the country’s most winningest Group 1 jockey James McDonald aboard, it isn’t hard to see why Autumn Glow dominates the Queen Elizabeth betting markets at a devastatingly short quote of $1.40 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

Two runners currently sit on the second line of betting at an equal quote of $6 with the fellow Waller-trained Aeliana and the talented Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Sir Delius considered the most likely to end the Autumn Glow reign.

A five-length ATC Derby winner as a filly last season, Waller’s now four-year-old daughter of Castelvecchio Aeliana has been the picture of consistency this campaign coming in rock hard fit fourth-up and chasing a hat-trick.

After back-to-back seconds to her spruik stablemate who she faces again on Saturday in the Apollo and Verry Elleegant, she finally landed herself an Autumn Glow-free field in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) as Waller separated his star mares on Slipper Day.

There, Aeliana returned to winning form with a tight win for the punters before sticking at Rosehill to salute again by another short margin in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m).

She faces a tough ask now dropping back down in distance but remains safe in the markets based on her rank and consistency.

Sir Delius is the best from outside the Waller stable, and the Frankel entire will jump one outside the favourite from gate three with big race specialist Craig Williams in the saddle.

The five-year-old has a strong 2000m strike rate (3:2-0-1) including his Group 1 Turnbull Stakes victory over Antino and Via Sistina at HQ in the spring.

He’s after his first win since third-up on the weekend and comes via the right form races having finished third to Autumn Glow in the Verry Elleegant and rounded out the trifecta last start behind Aeliana in the Ranvet.

William Haggas‘s UK raider Dubai Honour remains down under second-up on the weekend with the evergreen eight-year-old narrowly denied a second Tancred Stakes success when just nudged out by Aeliana on March 28.

He was runner-up in last year’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes quinella and currently pays $11 to go one better in 2026.

Waller’s always honest galloper Lindermann ($26) is next best but needs to really rise if he’s to turn the tables on his female stablemates here.

Ciaron Maher‘s rails-drawn Light Infantry Man ($51) is at big odds despite coming off a successful Australian Cup title defence at Flemington over the brave Pride Of Jenni as he’s without a top three finish from four previous Randwick assignments.

Emphatic Group 2 Neville Sellwood winner Wootton Verni ($51) completes the Waller contingent, while the second Haggas-trained international raider in the field – Caviar Heights ($101) – coming off a second in that same lead-up is the rank outsider to be ridden by the flying Zac Lloyd second-up in Australia.

The 2026 Queen Elizabeth Stakes is set to run as Randwick Race 9 at 4:35pm (AEST) as the penultimate event on the card.

2026 Queen Elizabeth Stakes Field & Odds

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